Generations

Question 1

intro

Answer 1

In AIC, Priestley utilises the generations all people, old or young, have had the capacity to cause harm to society, but through their reformation, show that the youth, the future of society, can become harbingers of change for society

Question 2

Para 1

Answer 2

Towards the start of the play, both the generations of the family occupy the same role as the traditional, ignorant and complacent upper class.

Sheila -” very pleased with life” - this view of life is derived from her sheltered upbringing as an upper-class woman, leaving her ignorant to the suffering of others. She didn’t have to go through the hardship, and suffering like other lower class women must go through the verb ‘pleased’ suggest complacency

Mrs Birling - “You will have to get used to that – just as I had” - upholding patriarchal norms.

Mr Birling – talks a lot being the patriarch of the family- further upholding patriarchal norms

“Now you three young people, just listen to this - and remember what I’m telling you now,”- talks with certainty and a patronising tone imperatives ‘listen ‘and remember, reveal how the younger generations were indoctrinated by the older generations, Birling sees himself as a teacher, proud of himself, and so wants to advise the younger generations

“By Jove, yes. And as you were saying, Dad, a man has to look after himself -” – Eric is keen to follow his father, as does Gerald (between younger and older generation)

However, the change within the younger generation is subtly suggested at this point in the play

• ‘the things you girls pick up these days’ temporal phrase ‘these days’- subtly suggest changing society, not fully indoctrinated into capitalist ideologies which allows her to change- simultaneously shows Mrs B’s belief in traditional femininity
• ‘but what about war?’- Eric can question his father’s views, though not yet able to fully challenge his father’s authority

Question 3

Para 2

Answer 3

However the inspector’s arrival is shown to have a profound effect, splitting the generations apart

The younger generation are shown to be more empathetic than the older generations

• ‘[involuntarily] my god!’ - Genuinely shocked and concerned demonstrating that he has a morale nature , may be seen as feminine hysteria through the adverb stage direction, but makes the reader realise that emotions are needed to empathise.
• ‘oh- how horrible’- genuine emotion but clearly an understatement (poor lexicon/euphemism in household) feminine hysteria,.
• sorry- Ive suddenly realised-…- she is dead’ – delayed reaction but syncopated revealing true shock and overwhelming emotion (internal conflict within Gerald, with his attempts to control natural emotion as it may seem feminine- but is needed for empathising and change)

In contrast, Mrs B and Mr B show no empathy-

-‘Girls of that sort’ -determiner ‘that’ shows disdain, dehumanisation and generalisation that the lower classes achieve nothing and end up committing suicide

Conflict Is shown in the contrasting ideologies between the generations-

• Birling–’come down on some of these people sharply, they’d soon be asking for the earth- exaggeration reveals his view of the lower classes are greedy- ironic in the light of his own greed- adverb ‘sharp’ – cruel attitudes
• Eric-‘Why shouldn’t they ask for higher wages- we try for the highest priced’- logical argument to his father- confidence and empathy towards Eva which allows his reformation, ‘they’ utilised to eliminate the class barrier, in contrast to the older Birling’s use of the pronoun ‘they’and ‘them’
• Sheila - ‘but these girls aren’t cheap labour- they’re people’ - empathizes with them, embraces socialism
• Gerald-Justifies Birling’s actions ‘yes I think you were’- showing his capitalist ideologies, although he does later show remorse

Question 4

Para 3

Answer 4

Towards the end of the play, Priestley demonstrates the older generations as being stubborn and resistant to change, while the ‘impressionable’ youth are able to reform

Older generations fail to take responsibility and show change

–Birling justifies what he and Mrs. b have done (your mother and I had every reason to do what we did), seeming childish in not taking the blame

• “Now look at the pair of them - the famous younger generation who know it all. And they can’t even take a joke,”- insensitive humour, sees eva’s death as a joke.
• Gerald- ‘how about this ring Sheila’ demonstrates his lack of remorse, acting like nothing has happened- Priestley does tis to show that some people have empathy towards the poor but choose to behave the way they do to preserve their social status.
• Sheila and eric recognise the inspector’s message, and have reformed - Sheila ‘I suppose that we are all good people now’ - sarcastic disapproval of Gerald + older Birling’s lack of remorse contrasting the younger Birling’s, Eric- ‘The fact remains that I did what I did’- expresses genuine remorse embraces responsibility

Priestly does this to show that the youth, the future of society, can bring change, and hope for a Second World War