Gender Flashcards
Mr. Birling: Now, Sheila, I’m not defending him. But you have to understand that a lot of young men…
What does this imply? Give reference to context and Priestley’s intention.
Implies that Sheila must accept the normality of infidelity. He is scared to admit that he is in fact defending Gerald because this is a topic which is usually swept under the mat and not confronted, making it awkward to discuss. Women of higher class were not supposed to have sex before marriage. Engaged men therefore had to cheat to have sex and turned to prostitutes- lower class women. This was a double standard which was accepted but avoided in conversation. Priestley is accenting the irony that abstinence before marriage is expected yet men turning to prostitutes is accepted. As well as this, upper class people would have nothing to do with the lower class, yet men slept with prostitutes.
Mrs. Birling: When you’re married, you’ll realise that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business. You’ll have to get used to that just as I did.
What does this imply? Give reference to context and Priestley’s intention.
Sheila must accept that Gerald’s opinion (for example needing to put work before her) is superior and she must agree with it. This has a general implication that Gerald’s behavior is excused no matter what he does.
Men had more freedom and women were not allowed to challenge their behavior. For example, men had the vote because they were thought to have had a more important opinion.
Since Gerald is later revealed to have not been working and instead cheating, Priestley presents Gerald as a liar to stress that men did not deserve more rights as they often abused them.
Gerald: I hate those hard-eyed dough faced women.
What does this imply? Give reference to context and Priestley’s intention.
It is evident that Gerald condemns prostitutes or at least puts on a front of wanting nothing to do with them. However, he went into this bar fully aware that this was "a favourite haunt of women of the town". His self-contradiction symbolises the contradiction between the way upper class men would have nothing to do with lower class women, and the exception of sleeping with them. This relates to the overall lack of respect for women, especially of the lower class. However, these women had little choice than to turn to prostitution since their pay was often less than their wages. Priestley is highlighting that it was unjust to condemn prostitutes when there were few options for them.
Birling underminingly refers to his workers (primarily female) who asked for higher wages as “r__”. He “r__, o__ c__”, maintaining that “i_ y__ d__ c__ d__ s__ o_ s__ o_ t__ p__, t__ s__ b_ a__ f__ t__ e__”.
1) “restless” 2) “refused, of course” 3) “If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth”
Birling recalls that Eva had been “c__ t__” and “h__ a l__ t_ s__ - f__ t__ m__”.
1) “causing trouble” 2) “(she’d) had a lot to say - far too much”
Birling demonstrates negative class and gender prejudices against Eva in the quote “s__ g__ h__ i__ t__ t__, I s__?”
“she got herself into trouble there, I suppose?”
Birling demonstrates his views on gender when he says “I p__ a__ t__ i_ w__ m_ d__, a y__, u__ g__, i_ b__ d__ i__ t__”.
“I protest against the way in which my daughter, a young, unmarried girl, is being dragged into this”
Mr. Birling tries to justify Gerald’s unfaithfulness by telling Sheila “y__ m__ u__ t__ a l__ o_ y__ m__-“.
“you must understand that a lot of young men-“
Birling tries to keep his wife oblivious of Eric’s potential raping of Eva when he says “S__, t__ y__ m__ a__ t_ t__ d__ r__”.
“Sheila, take your mother along to the drawing room”
Mr. Birling continually silences Sheila with interjections like “b_ q__, S__!”, “t__ e__, S__!” and “n__ t_ d_ w__ y__, S__, r__ a__”.
“be quiet, Sheila!”, “that’s enough, Sheila!”, “nothing to do with you, Sheila, run along”
When Gerald begins to explain how he met Eva at the Palace Bar, a “favourite haunt of women of the town”, Birling says “I s__ n_ p__ i_ m__ t_ s__ - e__ (i__ S__)”.
“I see no point in mentioning the subject - especially (indicating Sheila”
Eric brings up the double standard with reputable men’s associations with prostitution: “t__ o__ I s__ s__ o_ y__ r__ f__ w__”. Birling replies: “I d__ w__ a__ o_ t__ t__ f__ y__”.
“the ones I see some of your respectable friends with”, “I don’t want any of that talk from you”
After dinner, Mrs. Birling remarks that “S__ a__ I h__ b__ g_ a__ t_ t__ d__ r__ a__ l__ y__ m__”
“Sheila and I had better go back to the drawing room and leave you men”
Mrs. Birling demonstrates her views on gender roles when she explains to Sheila that she’ll “h__ t_ g__ u__ t_” the fact that “m__ w__ i__ w__ t_ d_ s__ h__ t_ s__ n__ a__ t__ t__ a__ e__ o_ t__ b__”.
Sheila will “have to get used to” the fact that “men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business”.
Mrs. Birling babies Sheila, trying to prevent her from exposure to the reality of what is happening: “y__ o__ t_ g_ t_ b__”.
“you ought to go to bed”
Gerald patronises Sheila: “s__ o__ h__ a__ a_ m__ a_ s__ c__ s__”.
“she’s obviously had about as much as she can stand”
Sheila despises Gerald’s patronisation of her: “she’s obviously had about as much as she can stand”. She says “h_ m__ I_ g__ h__ n__”.
“he means I’m getting hysterical now”
Gerald doesn’t think that young women should be exposed to “u__ a__ d__” things when, in reality, they already are on a regular basis.
“unpleasant and disturbing”
