Inspector Flashcards
[in a plain darkish suit of the period]
-He is presented as omniscient as he investigates each Birling’s unscrupulous actions without hesitation. Despite Mr Birling condescendingly questioning the inspector, asking him “What did you say your name was, Inspector?”, he remains composed as he obtains the knowledge and power- an idea Mr Birling is not used too as he associates power with money not knowledge.
-He carries an air of mystery as he is dressed in a simplistic way of a [plain darkish suit] not suggestive of him belonging to a particular social class thus making him enigmatic as the characters in the play are all defined by their class physically with.
-‘Goole’ is a homonym for ‘Ghoul’ suggestive of a supernatural force of a ghost. By likening the inspector to a supernatural force, it makes his presence and intent seem more tremendous and powerful as he is presented ambiguously.
Foil to Mr Birling
“an alderman for years” [cutting in massively]
-The inspector, the embodiment of socialism, is presented as the antithesis and a foil to Mr Birling, the embodiment of capitalism
-Mr Birling finds the inspectors composure and unknown social status insufferable. Mr Birling measures an individuals worth by their social ranking, as this is unknown about the inspector, paired with the inspector being disinterested in his pompous boast that he was “an alderman for years” Mr Birling is both dumbfounded an aggravated as he is unaware of how to interact with somebody unphased by classism.
-The inspector is intolerant to Mr Birling’s pretentious and supercilious ways. He breaks Mr Birling’s egotistical dramatic monologue where he expresses his self proclaimed omniscience that the ‘titanic is unsinkable’. When the inspector arrives, Mr Birling’s monologues are shortened through the inspector’s interruption when he [cutting through massively]
“Quite so”
-The inspectors speech is short an concise such as “Quite so”, yet his few words cause Mr Birling’s speech to shorten. This suggests the inspector has shifted the power balance, despite not being from an established social class, this elucidates that social status is weak in the face of morality
“It’s better to ask for the earth than take it”
-The inspector introduces pivotal socialist ideals in act 1, these are not explicit, but rather implicit regarding shared and collective responsibility. A poignant message he shares, critiquing Mr Birling directly, is “It’s better to ask for the earth than take it”
-The syntax on “ask” prior to “take” is used by the inspector to highlight the order of importance that is required for society to be collectively responsible- we must “ask” and share, opposed to the capitalist ideas of “taking” to benefit oneself.
-The idea of to “take” connotes to “steal” an idea that is scorned in the bible as it is a mortal sin. As the Edwardian era was highly religious, the religious teachings would be seen as integral to society. This capitalist ideals completely dismiss these teachings- socialism could be seen to be bringing society back to its moral foundations
The inspector’s topic sentences
1) Priestley’s omniscient presentation of the inspector makes him seem enigmatic and ambiguous. This compounds the immense power of his moral messages as he does not acquire power and respect through his known social status but instead through his composure and omniscience.
2) The inspector acts as a foil to Mr Birling, the embodiment of capitalism, as he is intolerant to Mr Birling’s supercilious and pompous nature. Most significantly, the inspector is not preoccupied with social status and ranking, what Mr Birling defines a person by, this remains focused on the unscrupulousness of the Birling’s opposed to being clouded by their social stature.
the inspector- act 1 summary
Priestley’s omniscient presentation of the inspector makes him appear enigmatic and ambiguous. This compounds the immense power of his moral message as he does not acquire respect through his known social status, instead he acquires power and respect through his composure and omniscience.
-The inspector acts as a foil to Mr Birling, the embodiment of capitalism as he is intolerant to Mr Birling’s superciliousness and pompous nature. Most significantly, the inspector is not preoccupied with social status and ranking, what Mr Birling defines a person by, thus remains focused on the unscrupulousness of the Birlings’ opposed to being clouded by their social stature.
[sternly to both of them] - act 2
- affirmative when propagating responsibility.
- The inspector is not subtle in his description of Eva’s suicide and is affirmative and confrontational in addressing their abandonment of morals.
- He speaks [sternly to both of them] when addressing Shelia and Gerald. He does not allow Shelia’s docile expectations as a woman nor Gerald’s untouchable higher status to prohibit him from harshly delivering the message of responsibility. In society both would typically be exempt from serious responsibility. In society, both would typically be exempt from serious responsibility for these reasons.
[cutting in, with authority] [severely]
- His stage directions are indicative of his power and affirmative nature which is clear throughout throughout act 2 with him [cutting in, with authority] when Mr Birling speaks, [with authority] when speaking Gerald and [severely] speaking to Mrs Birling.
- His intolerant and brutal demeanour is used by Priestly to ironically show how it is the upper- and middle class members of society who require “to come down harshly on these people”- their wilful ignorance and oblivion can only be shattered with forcing them to face the bleakness of reality.
The inspectors impact on the different generations
The inspector’s profound impact on the younger generation, contrasting his minute impact on the older generation and the aristocracy can be used at this point of comparison. Through the introduction of the inspector, it allows the audience to clearly compare the attitudes of these generations and see change is synonymous with the younger generations.
The inspector’s minute impact: “I beg your pardon”
- The inspector is used to examine each character’s intrinsic morality and innate sense of guild. He exposes through his ceaseless investigation, that how indoctrinated an individual is by capitalism is synonymous with how resistant they are to change and lacking this morality and guilt- highlighted through Mr Birling, Mrs Birling and Gerald.
- Gerald’s narrow world views are engrained into him not allowing him to develop this intrinsic sense of morality as he is deeply grounded in the upper echelon.
- Mrs Birling is defensive and opposing towards the inspector, she is insulted that the inspector is examining her intrinsic morals when he questions her on her lying “I beg your pardon!”. The exclamatory sentence reinforces how Mrs Birling is astounded that her morality and guilt is questioned as these are two ideas in her warped view of life, can be overcome with money and materialistic items.
The inspector’s minute impact: “rather hot, bothered” “public image”
-Despite Mr Birling physically being distressed by the inspectors by the inspectors investigation as he becomes [rather hot, bothered], he proceeds to try and be ignorant to his family’s unscrupulousness, still indoctrinated by the capitalist idea that his “public image” is more integral than his morality.
- Priestley cleverly crafts the capitalist to remain stagnant and obstinate to reveal how socialism catalyses a change in both people and society. Contrastingly, capitalism only prohibits revolutionary change and reform as they believe that change is tantamount (the same as) a loss of their power.
Inspector act 2 summary
- The inspector is affirmative when propagating the message of socialism as the upper class members of society are so wilfully ignorant and resistant to their desperate need for change- the Inspector’s brutal awakening and shattering of their [pink and intimate] setting is used by Priestly is used to highlight how upper classes need to be forced to recognise the need for socialism within their lives.
- The inspector is used by Priestley to highlight the stagnancy and obstinance of the Birling’s that have been indoctrinated by capitalism. He uses the Inspector’s ability to catalyse a change to exacerbate their reluctance to embark on their own reformation- the Inspector serves as a moral example to the audience, thus reinforcing that socialism is a moral example for society.
The inspector as a dramatic vehicle and Priestley’s mouthpiece (3)
-Priestley uses the inspector as a dramatic inspector to carry his compelling political message of socialism and morality to the audience.
-He utilises the inspector as his mouthpiece to indict the vast social inequalities that plagues society, the strong barrier between classes and how this was permitted due to capitalist being in charge.
- He clearly uses him as a dramatic vehicle and his mouthpiece in the Inspector’s final speech; uttering the views of Priestley himself about distributing personality.
“As if she was an animal, a thing, not a person”
- technique: triple simile.
- The zoomorphism on “an animal” highlights their blatant disregard of for her humanity through their dehumanising and exploitive treatment of her.
- The neglectful verb “thing” intensifies how,as she belongs to a lower class, she was not regarded with any form of compassion as a living being.
- Priestley writes the inspector to comment on how she was a “thing” to elicit a strong emotional reaction from the audience, particularly disgust, that bourgeoisie capitalists inhumanely treat anyone who does not belong to their exclusive social echelon.
- The dehumanising image of an animal could be an allusion to how the inspector is critiquing the disregard of women physically and emotionally- he condemns Eric and Gerald here for objectifying her as an object of lust.
“hard headed practical man of business”
- Religion underpinned morality in the Edwardian era, consequently for the Birling’s to have upheld this pristine public facade, religion would have been integral to up keeping this.
- Their digression from these religious teaches, since they embodied some of the seven deadly winds of greed and pride on being a “hard headed practical man of business” means that the Inspectors’s role as a moral agent of God is even more fundamental.
