Inspector Flashcards
What does Priestley use the inspector as a vehicle to?
To promote his socialist message through the scrutiny of an upper classes capitalist family, highlighting their extensive flaws and the effect that capitalism has on the morals of society
Initially point
Initially he scrutinises the actions of the Birling family, exposing the façade of respectability and the hypocrisy of the upper-class by revealing the reality of what goes on behind closed doors
Initially… (quote 1) How did Eva die?
“She’d swallowed a lot of string disinfectant, burnt her insides out”
- the gruesome nature of this line, exposes the painful death that Eva had to face, this sets the scene for the interrogation of the family
Initially… (quote 2) what does the inspector reveal about the events that resulted in Eva smiths death?
“A chain of events”
-this exposes the collective aspect of their actions, and how each and every person was responsible for the death of Eva Smith
Initially… (quote 3) what does the inspector reveal about not accepting responsibility?
“If there’s nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt”
-The Inspector is promoting sharing responsibility and argues that if we do not take responsibility for our actions, then we have to deal with our own guilt
However as the text develops point
- He acts as a moral compass, he evokes an emotional response from the younger generation, however he continues to scrutinise the older generation
- He also softens his tone towards Sheila showing how he acts as her mentor, further proving the heightened receptiveness to change of the younger generations. A message that would resonate with the contemporary audience who had just experienced two world wars and were in dire need of an increasingly socialist society
However… (quote 1) what does Sheila say after being scrutinised by the inspector?
“I am desperately sorry”
-The inspectors scrutinisation has led to Sheila accepting responsibility for her actions
However… ( quote 2) what does the Inspector say about the youth?
“The young ones. They’re more impressionable”
-the inspector recognises that the younger generation are more perceptive to change, and therefore starts of with the younger generation, getting them to accept responsibility for their actions
However… (quote 3) What does the inspector reveal about men of responsibility?
“Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges” - The inspector exposes the lack of responsibility that the upper class men show for their actions. Through this criticism, the inspector is promoting the idea that as a society we must accept responsibility for our actions in order to progress and move one
However… (quote 4) how does the inspector respond to Mrs Birling denying Eva help?
“You’ve had children. You must have known what she was feeling. And you slammed the door in her face”
-through his direct criticism of her, he is exposing her lack of empathy which is brought about by the capitalist society in which they live where human emotions are denigrated and the pursuit of money is elevated to a superior status
Ultimately point
Ultimately, the inspector warns the Birling family and by extension the reader of the consequences of failing to accept responsibility. He relates this to Christian duty, and reminds the audience that their actions on earth will dictate how they are judged in the afterlife.
Ultimately… (quote 1) what does the Inspector tell the audience to do now?
“if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish”
-The inspector warns that not embodying Priestley’s socialist message have awful consequences. The reference to “fire and blood and anguish” are direct references to another war and more suffering, something that a contemporary audience has endured, and would not want repeated.
Ultimately… (quote 2)-what does the Inspector warn about not listening to Priestley’s message?
“there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us”
-The inspector highlights the extent of the problem but also highlights that there is still hope for the audience who now have time to make a change
Additional ultimately point
Through the inspector, Priestley promotes the view that societal problems can only be solved if people accept collective responsibility and support one another, treating each other as equal irrespective of their socio-economic backgrounds.
