Inspector Calls Key Characters Flashcards
Eva smith Characterisation
Good virtues:
Responsible- ‘saved a little money’ and ‘lived econmically’- contrasts Eric
Honourable/understanding- ‘she didn’t blame me at all’
Hardworking ‘she was a good worker’ said by Mr B (biased)
Resilient- Overturned in strike however looked for work and aid to survive.
She was reasonable- organised a strike , predicted outcome with Gerald and understood Eric didn’t love her. Priestley uses Eva to challenge the B family assumption of the working class and women
She was pretty:
Birling: ‘ good-looking girl!
Gerald-‘very pretty’ , ‘young fresh and charming’
Eva Smith role
Symbolism for the working class who suffer from capitalism ( B family). Priestely uses Eva as a representative for the majority oppressed by higher classes ‘there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths ‘ reinforced by how “She had a lot to say-far too much- so she had to go” (Mr B suppressed her voice)
Eva displays problems of being female and of working class in a patriarchal and class society. She is reliant on a ‘wonderful stroke of luck” although being a “good worker too” [Birling] and Mrs Birling - “she was lucky to get taken on at Milwards”
Eva is objectified:
Birling - “country bred” sounds as if she is bred like animals.
Sheila - “these girls aren’t cheap labour”
Lower class can be controlled by higher classes:
Gerald-”I insisted”,”I made her”,”I made her”
Eric-”yes I insisted” in reference to taking her back to her “lodgings” before raping her
She is reliant on job roles from middle/upper class or is reliant on kindness of others e.g Gerald or from aid (Brumley women Charity Organisation)
Inspector characterisation
supernatural element to his character:
• Inspector Goole – (sounds like ‘ghoul’)
• His influence remains even when he is not physically present
• He questions the Birlings about deah of Eva who dies after his leave; he knows things ahead of time; he left the infirmary ‘two hours’ before getting to the Birlings so the time scale makes the extent of his knowledge surprising
• His final speech sounds like a prophecy (of the ‘fire and blood and anguish’ of the world wars/ hell)
Ordinary:
man ‘in his fifties, dressed in a plain, darkish suit’ – ‘ordinary’ appearance
• he doesn’t play golf, although he appears to have a respected job – so not poor, lower class, but not wealthy middle/ upper class
• Can therefore ‘represent’ the ‘ordinary’ person – speaking out for the ‘millions’ of Eva Smiths and John Smiths in the world
Powerful/ influential:
• creates an ‘impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness’
• frequently interrupts the Birlings (from the first ring of the bell that interrupts Mr Birling’s speech) – despite their supposed influence in society
• he can control the sequencing of the conversation – progressing one step at a time
• stares hard at people before speaking (controls the pace of the conversation)
• seems to control who enters/ exits the stage (holds up his hand at the end of Act 2 and Eric enters; he shows the photo to Sheila and she goes off crying)
Mysterious:
• Some odd questioning for an inspector – asking Gerald whether he loved Daisy
• Seems to know more than he could be expected to
Inspectors role
Voice of conscience and responsibility as a ‘ghoul) haunts the Birlings as Eva (working class)
Reveals/ attempts to reveal the truth:
lighting change from the ‘ros[y]’ view of the world that the Birling family have at the start of the play to becoming ‘brighter and harder’ as he enters
• the truth between ‘respectable citizens’ and criminals’; the truth of the hypocrisy of the middle/upper classes
• the truth revealed to Mr and Mrs Birling about their children: that they are actually adults; that they know more about the world than their parents think (eg about prostitution; about men like Alderman Meggarty); Eric’s drinking
As a spokesperson for Priestley socialist views:
shown by his last speech and how he interuppts Birlings speech of capitalism ‘a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own –‘
Catalyst for maturation of young gen:
Priest like- Extracts ‘confessions’ from each character in the family
• Speaks using biblical language in his final speech – referring to everyone as being ‘members of one body’ and threatening ‘fire and blood and anguish’ take social responsibility
Inspector as a spokeperson :
significant that he is let into the house by the nearly silent Edna (working-class, female) – who also changes the lighting - and that he speaks on behalf of the silent and invisible (literally and metaphorically) Eva Smith
He is a male ans nor of poor, lower class so is able to question the Birlings
Sheila Birling characterisation
Materialism/superficial:
She only feels “really … engaged” when she gets the ring. She’s only certain since she gets the ring.
She asks if Daisy Renton is “pretty”
Sympathetic/empathetic:
Oh - how horrible! Was it an accident?- Reaction to Eva Smiths death
Compassionate for Eva ‘I can’t help thinking about this girl.’; ‘It’s a rotten shame’ and looks as if she’s been crying]
‘They’re people’ contrasts Bieling who views Eva as just workers
Charcter development (power):
Voice becomes most prominent towards the end as she takes the role of the inspector. This gives the audience hope for the future of society as a female voice (challenges patriarchy and capitalist mindset)
Maturation: ‘Mummy’ and ‘Daddy’ to ‘Mother’ and ‘Father’
Upset from hearing Eva death- ‘I wish you hadn’t told me.’
Admits to her faults: she states it “was [her] own fault”
[urgently cutting in] then getting pressured by Mrs Birling she [slowing , carefully now] resisting pressure from her mother shows her increasing maturity.
Sheila Birling role
Breaks gender sterotypes:
Sheila is silent as Gerlad speaks for her behalf
Act 2 - ‘she’s nothing more to tell you.’; ‘She’s had a long, exciting and tiring day.’ - Trying to silence her.
End- more speech, even going as far as taking the role of inspector (“I am not a child”).
Voice for lower class:
These girls aren’t cheap labour, they’re people” - contrasts Birling who sees workers as a way to profit financially.
Highlights poor parenting: Constant childish belittling from parents (“Run along”)
Mrs Birlings characterisation
Blindness to harsh reality:
Women of the town?”
“[staggered] It isn’t true”( Eric’s drinking problem
[staggered] well really! Alderman Meggarty - views the world through rose tinted spectacles
Classist:
Claiming elaborate fine feeling and scruples” , “Girl of that class”
Dismissive to children:
Nothing but morbid curiosity” to Sheila
“Over-excited” - dismisses Sheila again like a child
“Over - tired” - last lines shows how she still treats them like children even down to the last scene
Stubborn:
“All a lot of nonsense” -does not answer question directly
“It”s his responsibility” won’t admit responsibility
Mrs Birlings role
Represents upper class (aristocratic- old money) inability to change:
Reluctant to answer question or admit responsibility
viewing world through rose tinted spectacles (staggered at the revelation of Eric’s drinking problem and Alderman Meggarty).
“I’ve done nothing wrong and you know it”
Normalisation of patriarchy: “And you’re a man - you must know it isn’t true” - to Gerald
Just be quiet so your father can decide what we ought to do”
Mrs B comes from an aristocratic family however is still dependant on the man
Upper class blindness:
Staggered at the idea of “women of the town” and that a high standing member of society like Alderman Meggarty could be a ‘womanizer’, ‘sot’ and ‘rogue’.
[staggered] of Eric’s drinking problem
Eric Birling characterisation
Uncomfortable character:
Randomly laughed at moments and was described as a bit ‘squiffy’.
Does try to challenge Mr Birling from early on, but has no impact on his father’s views - Mr Birling just keeps talking
‘Hald shy, half assertive’
Has a problem with alcohol:
Constantly wanted to have a drink of alcohol throughout the play and shown to be drunk in his past when with Eva Smith.
‘Im afraid he may had rather too much to drink tonight-Mr B
Sense of morality:
[involuntarily]’my God’ -shows emotion to the unfortunate death of Eva Smith
‘Hellish thing’
‘you’re beginning to pretend now that nothing’s really happened’
‘Same rotten story’
‘As if she were an animal, a thing, not a person. ‘- recognises the tragic treatment of Eva from the B family and views her on the same level as himself (human).
Dismissive towards lower class society (speech and actions):
‘Yes. And that’s when it happened. And I didn’t even remember … how stupid it all is’ - The euphemism diminishes the sense of his responsibility and the horror of his actions
The impact of parenting on his upbringing:
‘Not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble’
Eric Birlings role
He plays the role of someone who is young but is still more emotionally mature than his parents who treat him like he is still a child
Eric condemns his father’s capitalist view of his workers and challenges this through the question “why shouldn’t they try for higher wages?” - significant that this challenge comes early on in the play - shows how the younger generation might be moving towards socialism, but this view is still squashed by those with influence and power - because Mr Birling dismisses him (trapped in a cultural nexus)
Eric changes, but less than Sheila, and he plays a supportive role (to Sheila) in the dialogue at the end - perhaps emphasising the idea that women’s voices are to be valued and that the power imbalance between men and women in the younger generation can be shifted.
Eric owns up to stealing money from Birling, knowing how much his father cares about money. Eric also owns up to raping Daisy Renton, as bad as it is, he seems to have more sense of accountability and less care for his reputation. Because he is a younger character - might suggest hope for the future.
Gerald croft characterisation
Gerald croft as a capitalist:
He sides with Mr Birling when Mr Birling is talking about the time he fired Eva Smith - ‘you couldn’t have done anything else’.
Empathy for Eva:
He says ‘Sorry-I-well, I’ve suddenly realised- taken it in properly- that she’s dead’. The continuous dashes show a breakdown in his speech and could show he is becoming emotional.
He leaves as he says ‘in that case as I’m more upset at this business than I may look to be’ - upset of the suicide of Eva Smith
Guilt: stage direction [gravely] ‘I see. Well I never saw her again, and that’s all I can tell you’. Disjointed speech displays his emotions
Gerald Croft role
Upper class:
Parents both Sir George and Lady Croft
upper class are able to show empathy for others (he is upset by the whole business of Daisy’s death)
If he is trying to ‘prove’ that Goole is not a real Inspector, then perhaps P is showing that the upper classes think they are more important than the law
Upper classes have an absolute confidence in themselves
Patriarchy:
‘She’s nothing more to tell you’ and ‘You heard her’. He speaks on behalf of her which shows the inequality between male and female in society
‘But I’m coming back - if I may.’ Shows the potential of men to develop greater respect for women/ the potential of the upper class to grow in empathy for lower classes.
Evasive: ‘All right. I knew her. Let’s leave it at that’ - shows how - especially at the top of society - reputation is key
Mr Birling characterisation
Lack of confidence in social standing:
“As a matter of fact, Finchley told me it’s exactly the same port your father gets from him.” tries to fit in with the upper class. However Sheila’s challenge Mr Birling, saying that he doesn’t ‘know all about port’
“Tell cook for me” - not familiar with behaviour of upper class
Inspector resists Mr Birling’s assertions of authority and attempts of intimidation ‘I was an alderman for years ‘ and a ‘magistrate’
business rivalry between the Crofts and the Birlings as ‘friendly’ but still focuses on the superiority the Crofts hold, in terms of business - Mr Birling’s rare acceptance of having a ‘lower’ place in the hierarchy might only be due to the supposed surety that Sheila is going to be engaged to Gerald
Naive optimism/misinformed: “unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable” (Titanic)
“talking nonsense… making a fuss about nothing” (people talking about war)
“We’ve passed the worst of it” (‘labour trouble’)
Egotistical:
run along”- to Sheila, “youngsters”, “young fellows” etc - belittles Sheila and Eric
“a man has to make his own way - has to look after himself - and’
Lack of responsibilty/focus on buisness:
You stole money?” - doesn’t focus on the worse problem of the rape but on money
“I only did what any employer would have done”
Mr Birling role
Capitalism: As if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive” (mocking of socialist views)
‘Hard-headed practical man of business’ (represents the affluent businessmen who callously took advantage of the suffering of war for financial gain and self-benefit)
“a man has to make his own way - has to look after himself”
Patriarchy:
‘several hundred young women” - anonymous mass shows lack of respect for individual women
you must take a little tonight” - controlling of Mrs Birling
“Yes my dear, I know - I’m talking too much. But you youngsters…”
Mr B as fair-Represents a part of the judicial system as a magistrate - Priestley therefore highlighting the potential inadequacies of this system given Birling’s lack of fairness as a character
Mr B as a class of ruling-(magistrate, alderman, Lord Mayor) - shows the flaws in these classes and how they might be at least challenged by the ‘ordinary man’ (represented by the Inspector)
Edna characters characterisation
‘parlour-maid’
‘Givingus the port Edna?
No free thinking - does as told “Yes ma’am”
The fact that she is only on stage twice - and only to introduce other characters (and clear the table) - shows how the people in lower-classes are overlooked and often go unnoticed, believed to be of lesser worth; however, without them society would fail to function properly.
The upper-class have a dependence on the lower-class which fails to be acknowledged, as they take it as granted: ‘Edna’ll answer it’
