Inspector Calls Flashcards
“Im a hard-headed, practical man of business”
Mr birling- Act 1. Alliteration. Thinks without emotion
“I say there isnt a chance of war… the titanic - unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.”
Mr birling- Act 1. Dramatic irony, priestley makes him look foolish and untrustworthy- husband other views may be wrong
Mr birling
Represents powet and money
Represents capatalist views
Rich fear the poor
Mrs birling
Priestly uses mrs birling as a drematic device to develop tension
- controlling and demanding
Cannoy understand why she is not able to order the inspector around
“As if a girl of that sort whould ever refuse any money”
Mrs birling Act 2
Verb “refuse” - stereotypes the poor assuming they look for every opportunity to be handed money
“That sort” - shows class prejudice
“No, of course not. Hes only a boy”
Mrs birling, Act 2
Shows she incompetent
Foreshadowing erics drinking problems
Noun “boy” she refuses to see things as they really are
Sheila birling
Priestley uses the character of sheila to explore the power of the individual in a biased situation
“In her early twenties”
-Childish
[slowly, carefully now] you mustn’t try to build up a sort of wall between us and that girl
-sheila, act 2
-warning her family about trying to be superior to the situation
-adverb ‘slowly’ and ‘carefully’ sheila is thinking about how to convey this complex idea to her family
Metaphor ‘wall’ for the barriers that tge birlings are putting up between the social classes
“I tell you-however that inspector was’ it was anything but a joke.”
Sheila, act 3
-younger generation is smarter
Imperitave verb ‘tell’ sheila is standing uo to her family when before mr birling wwas beeing assertive
Eric birling
Not fully mature ‘half shy half assertive’ - creates a sence of confusion- secretive- not trust worthy.
