inspector calls Flashcards
social class
-Quote: “We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”
Theme: Collective responsibility and social interconnectedness.
Language Devices: Rhetorical question (implied), metaphor (members of one body).
Act and Character: Act 3, Inspector Goole.
-Quote: “It’s better to ask for the earth than to take it.”
Language Devices: Hyperbole (ask for the earth), metaphor (wealth and power as possessions).
Act and Character: Act 1, Mr. Birling.
-Quote: “I’m talking as a hard-headed, practical man of business. And I say there isn’t a chance of war.”.
Language Devices: Irony (he’s confident about the absence of war just before discussing the actual events of World War I).
Act and Character: Act 1, Mr. Birling.
-Quote: “But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people.”
Theme: Recognition of the humanity and dignity of the lower social class.
Language Devices: Euphemism (cheap labour), direct statement.
Act and Character: Act 2, Sheila Birling.
responsibility
Quote: “We are all responsible for each other.”
Theme: Collective responsibility and social interconnectedness.
Language Devices: Repetition (of “responsible”), inclusive pronoun (“we”).
Act and Character: Act 3, Inspector Goole.
Quote: “Each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it.”
Theme: Individual responsibility for the consequences of one’s actions.
Language Devices: Imperative (commanding tone), emphatic repetition (“Never forget it”).
Act and Character: Act 3, Inspector Goole.
Quote: “I was almost certain for a knighthood in the next Honours List.”
Theme: Mr. Birling’s lack of personal responsibility and his preoccupation with social status.
Language Devices: Irony (contrasting the serious situation with the trivial desire for a knighthood).
Act and Character: Act 1, Mr. Birling.
Quote: “And if I could help her now, I would.”
Theme: Sheila’s realization of responsibility and her willingness to change.
Language Devices: Conditional statement (“if I could help her”), empathetic tone.
Act and Character: Act 3, Sheila Birling.
Morality and Conscience
Quote: “We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”
Theme: Collective responsibility and moral duty.
Language Devices: Metaphor (“members of one body”), inclusive pronoun (“we”).
Act and Character: Act 3, Inspector Goole.
Quote: “But each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it.”
Theme: Individual accountability and the weight of moral consequences.
Language Devices: Imperative (commanding tone), emphatic repetition (“Never forget it”).
Act and Character: Act 3, Inspector Goole.
Quote: “I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can.”
Theme: Mrs. Birling’s lack of moral responsibility and desire to protect her reputation.
Language Devices: Euphemism (“cover this up”), self-centered language.
Act and Character: Act 2, Mrs. Birling.
Quote: “And if I could help her now, I would.”
Theme: Sheila’s moral growth and willingness to make amends.
Language Devices: Conditional statement (“if I could help her”), empathetic tone.
Act and Character: Act 3, Sheila Birling.
time
Quote: “The time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.”
Theme: The inevitability of learning lessons over time.
Language Devices: Metaphor (“fire and blood and anguish”), foreshadowing.
Act and Character: Act 3, Inspector Goole.
Quote: “It’s better to ask for the earth than to take it.”
Theme: Mr. Birling’s perspective on time and progress, reflecting his outdated views.
Language Devices: Metaphor (asking for the earth), hyperbole.
Act and Character: Act 1, Mr. Birling.
Quote: “But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people.”
Theme: The time for recognizing the humanity of the lower class.
Language Devices: Euphemism (“cheap labour”), emphasis on humanity.
Act and Character: Act 2, Sheila Birling.
Quote: “The famous younger generation who know it all. And they can’t even take a joke—”
Theme: Generation gap and changing attitudes over time.
Language Devices: Irony (highlighting the older generation’s ignorance), sarcasm.
Act and Character: Act 1, Mr. Birling.
inspector goole as catalyst
Quote: “He’s giving us the rope - so that we’ll hang ourselves.”
Theme: Inspector Goole as a catalyst for self-incrimination.
Language Devices: Metaphor (“giving us the rope”), foreshadowing.
Act and Character: Act 1, Sheila Birling.
Quote: “One Eva Smith has gone - but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us.”
Theme: Inspector Goole urging recognition of the broader societal issues.
Language Devices: Repetition (“millions and millions and millions”), inclusive pronouns.
Act and Character: Act 3, Inspector Goole.
Quote: “We often do on the young ones. They’re more impressionable.”
Theme: Inspector Goole’s awareness of the impact on the younger generation.
Language Devices: Generalization (“on the young ones”), implied criticism.
Act and Character: Act 1, Inspector Goole.
Quote: “You’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble.”
Theme: Inspector Goole revealing the lack of support from certain authority figures.
Language Devices: Irony (highlighting Mr. Birling’s inadequacies as a father), implied criticism.
Act and Character: Act 2, Eric Birling.
Gender Roles
Quote: “But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people.”
Theme: Challenging traditional gender roles by emphasizing the humanity of women.
Language Devices: Euphemism (“cheap labour”), emphasis on humanity.
Act and Character: Act 2, Sheila Birling.
Quote: “And you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things?”
Theme: Critique of traditional paternalistic attitudes toward women.
Language Devices: Rhetorical question, sarcasm.
Act and Character: Act 1, Sheila Birling.
Quote: “Men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business.”
Theme: Mr. Birling’s justification of traditional gender roles and the prioritization of men’s work.
Language Devices: Generalization (“Men with important work”), dismissive tone.
Act and Character: Act 1, Mr. Birling.
Quote: “But these girls aren’t the same ones. This one’s been made to feel responsible.”
Theme: Recognizing the impact of societal expectations on women’s behavior.
Language Devices: Euphemism (“made to feel responsible”), passive voice.
Act and Character: Act 2, Sheila Birling.
Capitalism and Greed
Quote: “A man has to make his own way—has to look after himself—and his family too, of course, when he has one—and so long as he does that, he won’t come to much harm.”
Theme: Mr. Birling’s individualistic view, emphasizing self-interest in capitalism.
Language Devices: Repetition (“has to”), emphasis on individual responsibility.
Act and Character: Act 1, Mr. Birling.
Quote: “You seem to be a nice well-behaved family—”
Theme: Inspector Goole’s critique of the superficial appearance of respectability and the hidden greed beneath.
Language Devices: Irony (contrasting appearance with reality), understatement.
Act and Character: Act 1, Inspector Goole.
Quote: “You lot may be letting yourselves out nicely, but I can’t.”
Theme: Eva Smith’s struggle against the exploitation inherent in capitalism.
Language Devices: Euphemism (“letting yourselves out nicely”), emphasis on personal struggle.
Act and Character: Act 2, Eva Smith (through Inspector Goole).
Quote: “I was almost certain for a knighthood in the next Honours List.”
Theme: Mr. Birling’s obsession with social status and material success.
Language Devices: Irony (prioritizing a knighthood over moral values), self-centered language.
Act and Character: Act 1, Mr. Birling.
Collective Guilt
Quote: “We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”
Theme: Emphasis on collective responsibility and guilt.
Language Devices: Metaphor (“members of one body”), inclusive pronoun (“we”).
Act and Character: Act 3, Inspector Goole.
Quote: “But each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it.”
Theme: Highlighting the shared culpability of the characters.
Language Devices: Imperative (commanding tone), emphatic repetition (“Never forget it”).
Act and Character: Act 3, Inspector Goole.
Quote: “You’re each of you to blame - and I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.”
Theme: Warning about the consequences of not acknowledging collective guilt.
Language Devices: Metaphor (“fire and blood and anguish”), foreshadowing.
Act and Character: Act 3, Inspector Goole.
Quote: “It’s the same rotten story whether it’s been told to a police inspector or to somebody else.”
Theme: Recognition of the recurring pattern of collective guilt and irresponsibility.
Language Devices: Metaphor (“rotten story”), colloquial language.
Act and Character: Act 2, Eric Birling.
Generational Conflict
Quote: “The famous younger generation who know it all. And they can’t even take a joke—”
Theme: Mr. Birling’s dismissive attitude towards the younger generation’s values and ideas.
Language Devices: Irony (highlighting the older generation’s ignorance), sarcasm.
Act and Character: Act 1, Mr. Birling.
Quote: “I don’t think you ought to talk to me like that.”
Theme: Sheila’s assertiveness and challenge to the traditional authority of her parents.
Language Devices: Politeness, assertive tone.
Act and Character: Act 1, Sheila Birling.
Quote: “But these girls aren’t the same ones. This one’s been made to feel responsible.”
Theme: Sheila acknowledging the generational differences and changes in societal expectations.
Language Devices: Euphemism (“made to feel responsible”), passive voice.
Act and Character: Act 2, Sheila Birling.
Quote: “The young ones. They’re more impressionable.”
Theme: Inspector Goole recognizing the vulnerability and impressionability of the younger generation.
Language Devices: Generalization (“the young ones”), implied criticism.
Act and Character: Act 1, Inspector Goole
Inspector as a Symbol of Conscience
Act 1, Scene 1 - Dialogue:
Language Device 1: Dramatic Irony
Language Device 2: Metaphor
Quote: “We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.” - Inspector Goole
In this quote, the Inspector employs dramatic irony as the characters are initially unaware of the true meaning and implications of his words. The metaphor of being “members of one body” emphasizes the interconnectedness of humanity and the moral duty individuals have towards each other. Through this language, the Inspector serves as a conscience-provoking figure, highlighting the characters’ collective responsibility for their actions.
Act 2, Scene 1 - Monologue:
Language Device 1: Repetition
Language Device 2: Allegory
Quote: “Each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it.” - Inspector Goole
The repetition of “Each of you” emphasizes individual accountability and implicates every character in Eva Smith’s demise. The use of the word “kill” is symbolic, representing the characters’ moral culpability for their actions, which ultimately led to Eva’s death. Through this repetition and allegorical language, the Inspector reinforces his role as a symbol of conscience, urging the characters to acknowledge their guilt and remember their responsibility.
Act 3, Scene 1 - Dialogue:
Language Device 1: Euphemism
Language Device 2: Imagery
Quote: “Public men, Mr. Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges.” - Inspector Goole
The use of the euphemism “public men” alludes to the upper-class characters’ social status and power. By reminding Mr. Birling of his responsibilities alongside his privileges, the Inspector employs euphemism to convey a deeper meaning. The imagery evoked by “responsibilities as well as privileges” underscores the moral duty individuals have towards society, regardless of their social standing. Through this dialogue, the Inspector confronts Mr. Birling’s self-serving beliefs and emphasizes the overarching theme of social responsibility, positioning himself as a conscience-guiding figure.
