Inspector Calls Themes Flashcards
How is capitalism vs socialism shown
MrB as a capitalist:
Mr B is the archetype of a capitalist symbol of ‘New money’ self made m greedy and selfish. Priestley gets us to view him through socialist lens Mr B success depends on suffering of others.
Mr B views the world through buisness Gerald’s father is his ‘rival’, his proposal to ‘work together’ shows his disregard of Sheila marriage and ‘lower costs and higher prices’ end the sentence showing how it is his ultimate goal for a capitalist. Presented by Priesteky as self absorbed and an amoral system
‘A man has to make his own way’, ‘I can’t accept responsibility’ shows capitalisms selfishness and lack of regard for others. Priestley pointing out the corrupt nature of employers over the lower class and their superiority over them
Inspector as socialist:
He represents Priestley (socialist) has a moral code and social responsibility he hold the B family accountable for their actions
‘We have to share our guilt’-acknowledges the responsibility split between people. The longing to ‘share’ and ‘guilt’ may be an allusion to division. Priestley wants country to come together
‘Lives ‘ are ‘intertwined’ and ‘members of one body’ - highlight the socialist ideals of Priestley as they demonstrate a sense of community shown by the metaphor of ‘one body’
Mr B ‘family celebration’ ruined by the Inspector ‘looking at what was left of Eva Smith’ shows how Mr B disregards the lower class (selfish) unlike the Inspector who feels empathetic
Contrast between the capitalist charcaters thinking of Evas death as business and Inspector thinking of it as a duty : ‘I don’t come into this suicide buisness’-Gerald , ‘Yes,yes. Horrible buisness’-Mr B. Inspector- ‘Its my duty to ask questions’, ‘Im on a duty’ reflects the different societal idealogies and their selfishness and selflesness
How is exploitation shown
Lower class depedant on the upper who exploited them. This is shown in the play through: Mr B used Eva for cheap labour, Sheila exploited her status to get her fiesd , Eric exploited her body for pleasure and Mrs B exploited her influence to deny aid. Priestley is presenting the exploitation of class system in Edwardian society
MR B wants ‘lower costs and high prices’ focus on buisness (profit)- capitalist ideals of selfishness
‘Every city and big town … look for cheap labour’- the phrase ‘every city and big town’ expresses how universal the problems of businesses seeking out cheap labour is
Eric objectifies Eva by describing her as ‘pretty and a good sport’ and uses Eva as if she was an animal’ - metaphor used to describe how Eva (working class women) was exploited by not only through cheap labour but also for her body (power of hiearchy).
How is theme of responsibility shown
Priestley uses theme of social responsibility to advocate for a welfare state. The play condems the people in power and their actions of war without thinking of effects
Capitalists responsible for only themselves and their business ‘bees in a hive-community and all that nonsense’ and ‘ its my duty to keep labour cost down’ implies his pursuit to exploit workers shown by how he feels it is a ‘duty’.
Mr B ‘can’t accept any resposnibility’- modal verb ‘can’t’ suggests how he believes he is not at fault and doesn’t want to take responsibility for the lower class
Mrs B thinks that Eva’s low position in society is justifiable to support her. Both ‘understand ‘ and ‘naturally’ show the barrier between classes. Mrs B head of a charity however is seen to not help Eva and is dismisisve to her (‘girls of that sort’)
Contrast between the repetition of ‘nothing ‘ and ‘behaving just as we did’ from Sheila and ‘well why shouldn’t we ‘ from Mrs B shows old gen as remorseless due to their powerful status . Priestley highlights the importance of holding the authorities accountable
How is old gen shown
Priestley shows through the B family how life experiences and era grown up in will affect morals and political identity
Mr and Mrs B presented to be stuck in traditional conservative values where they are self centre focused.
Mr B: nouveau riche (made his money) midde class , resistant to criticism, thinks poorly of you gen , capitalist buisness man.
He believes he is intelligible due to his experience: ‘you three young people listen in’ , ‘take my word for it’ , ‘good hard school of experience’
He is arrogant: ‘ we don’t guess- we’ve had experience - and we know’- wrong is foreign to Mr B his success has paved a way for him. His hubris leads to bold claims ‘there isn’t a chance of war’ and ‘unsinkable absolutely unsinkable’- Priestley displays dramatic irony and expresses his deluded ego
Traditional views: Mr B critical patronising young gen and struggles to accept change ‘what some of these boys get up to nowadays … ‘ money to spend and time to spare’- implies that old gen percieve young gen to have an easier life- the noun ‘boys’ is also belittling . He also likes to ‘lecture’ Eric and Gerald on how to be man believes that an easier life is emasculating
Mrs B: conservative, traditional character with an aristocratic background who is unrepentant to prejudice
Obbession with status: objects husband mannerism ‘ Aurther, your’re not supposed ro say such things’ after Aurther shows gratitude to cook- Priestley shows how old gen encouraged repression and secrecy over social conduct. She also disappeoves of Sheilas slang ‘squiffy’ by saying ‘the thing you girls pick up these days’ believes that this is unfeminime
Stubborn: ‘I don’t understand you inspector’ and ‘you have no power to make me change my mind’ reflects her stubborness on anyone who opposes her view. The use of the noun ‘power’ shows she doesn’ want to change as it challenges her authority
Reaction to Eva: ‘simply a piece of gross impertinence’ believes heating her name on a working class girl to be disrespectful (classist views). ‘Naturally … prejudiced me against her’ shameless in her bias.
How is gender shown by women
Priestley main message is that traditional gender sterotypes are damaging and actively stop society from progressing
Women began to have more of a role in society after the two world wars as women began to refuse upholding tradition which changed their viewpoint in society . Priestley confronts his audience with the harsh reality if these traditional were upheld.
Mrs B comes from an aristocratic family unlike Mr B although is his subordinate. Her conservative uphold patriarchal rule and her misogny is targeted at lower class women ‘girl of that class’. She also leads to the belief that men is in charge shown by ‘father can decide what we ought to do’ and upholds patriarchal rule.
Eva opposite to Mrs B endures hardship by being assertive, outspoken and determined which subverts the sterotypes of gender on women angering the B family ‘she’d had a lot to say’ by Mr B and she acted with ‘impertinence’ by Mrs B. Priestley explores the taboos women had to contend with e.g unwanted pregnancy- Eva had to introduce herself as Mrs B to make her story of a husband deserting her more respectable improving chances of aid (Eva left with consequence of Erics actions)
Sheila transforms from a sterotypical upper class girl to an independent women due to the inspector giving her a more prominent voice. At the start she was ‘jealous’ at Eva leading to her to be fired as she was a working class ‘pretty girl’. She also speaks to Gerald in a ‘half serious , half playful’ tone reflecting her position. Although she changes into someone who is no longer restrained shown by ‘why-you fool- he knows’. Sheila is an allegory for Women’s suffrage shows that views on women can change.
How is the hierachy shown
Priestley wanted to emphasise class inequality and the attitudes and prejudices that class hiearchy created was still ingrained in society.
‘Pink and intimate’ B family viewed world through rose tinted spectacles and felt undisturbed. Their success relies on the physical labour endured by working class
Eva symbolic for lower classes. The audience perspective of her is altered by the Birling classist remarks and personal bias.
Mr B nouvea riche and is concerned of social class. He is the symbolism of upper class privliege ‘I was an alderman’ , ‘Lord Mayor’ , ‘Magistrate’. Mr B views working class as greedy and unreasonable shown through the hyperbolic metaphor ‘they’d soon be asking for the Earth’. Mr B is inferior to Gerald’s family and attempts to become buisness prospects using his social position and Sheila.
Mrs B comes from an ariosticratic family and shows prejudice against lower classes shown by her assumptious and ‘cold’ demeanor - ‘Girls of that class’ , ‘was giving her ridiculous airs’ despite her head role in her charity expresing her lack of regard for the inferior.
Sheila and Inspector: Sheila is an epitome of upper class ignorsnce shown by how she ‘wish you hadn’t told me’ expresses selfish naivety of Eva’s brutal death although later becomes a socialist mouthpiece and exposes truth.
The inspector challenges authority over Mr B shown by how he disrupts Mr B speech when he rang the door and his response against Aurther’s remarks ‘better to ask for the Earth then take it’- insult towards capitalists who own the land and deny it from other (shows a clear hypocriscy)
Gerald says ‘we’re respectsble citizens not criminals’ and Inspector responds ‘There isn’t much of a difference’. Priestley wants to express how acts of upper class are more destructive then crimes. Trust of ‘respectable citizens’ is misplaced as it is influecned by reputation not by character.
Edna has very few lines and works to serve the Birlings commands. Priestley shows how difficult those in lower class are. They have voice, no one cares for them and have little future.
How is wealth and materialism shown
Wealth corrupts people and society as a whole. The social hierachies determined by wealth alongside capitalism lead to materialism.
When the play was written in 1945 the country had undergone two world wars and the great depression. The economy was struggling and people understood the danger of relying on money and encouraged friendship and support
As the play open the setting demonstrates the B family as wealthy ‘fairly large suburban house’ , ‘good solid furniture of the period’ , ‘evening dress of the period’ and is fixed in the same area throughout the play . Priestley attemps to show that wealth is a fixture in society and the reality of its role to confront Evas death. Furthermore, the Inspector leaves at the same place where they started which reflects how they can return to their comfy lives.
Sheila displays excitement over her ring ‘Isn’t it a beauty?’ bring her more joy than the engagement. ‘Now I really feel engaged’ gift of the ring connects her to Gerald than low.
Mr B focuses on keeping the ‘labour costs down’ for his business which paid a ‘heavy price’ for Eva when she striked. This shows Mr B capitalist greed . The ‘heavy price’ of Mr B to pay more costed Eva a ‘heavy price’
Upper class believe money is source of all problems. Both Gerald and Eric offered Eva money however rejected and abandoned her leading in her death. The men don’t understand their prejudice and are ignorant of their oppression as they only have money to give. Priestley shows audience to learn the value of emotional connection over wealth
How is new gen shown
Generational divide in Britain 1945 (Priestley part of the lost gen). Values inheritied from elders were no longer relevant after WW1 and when other returned to normalcy many found everyday life materialistic and emotionally meaningless.
young gen are curious , compassionate and accepting of responsibility- Priestley wants young gen to create a more progressive future for Britain
Eric: lives of younger gen were set out for them resulting in them to silently suffer under high expectations of older gen (alcohol addiction).
Challenges his father: willing to challwnge decisions of his father shown by when Gerald says Mr B ‘couldn’t have done anything else’ with Eva Eric replies ‘He could have kept her’. Furthermore, he asks ‘why shouldn’t they try for higher wages’- recognition of the exploitative capitalist system
Sheila: voice becomes more prominent and begins to call out on her parents selfish ideals.
Warns mother against ‘beginning all wrong’ and ‘build[ing] up a kind of wall’ between them
She also goes against her father ‘these girls aren’t cheap labour- they’re people’ reflects her left wing ideals unlike parents
Gerald claims he doesn’t ‘come into this suicide buisness’ and Sheila responds ‘I thought I didn’t half an hour ago .. you’ll see’ shows her realistic output on her actions and others
Priestley uses her shrewsness to expose thr ridicule of the old gen facades and encourages audience to be more like Sheila and Eric in terms of their idealogies
How is gender shown by men
The inspector breaks down gender stereotypes although he is male he isn’t hypermasculine ‘need not a big man but he creates at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefullness’. The inspector intelligence, compassion and patience overpowers Mr B shows Priestely hopes for the future.
Mr B symbolism for tradiitonal patriarchy and sexist values. This is shown through his address towards business with Gerald rather than Sheila from the marriage proposal. He also believes that men aren’t subject to their wives ‘you must understand a lot of young men’ Priestley shows how male dominance and solidarity has isolated ignored women
Eric is symbolism of the misogyny taught by fathers and the damage this can cause: for example his belief of authority of working class and women lead to Eric exploiting Eva for his own pleasure. Eric is also seen to not meet his fathers standards shown by how he is called ‘hysterical young fool’ and becomes distanced with him as Arther is not ‘the kind of father a chap could go to’ which implies the toxic masculinity prevalent in society.
Gerald silences Sheila and attempts to remove her ‘I think Miss Birling ought to be excused’.
Gerald ‘use’ Eva/Daisy for their own satisfaction- representing the immortality of the supposedly ‘superior’ upper classes although Gerald appears to have genuine feelings for Eva Smith and attempts to support her financially as he felt sympathy and displays actusl feelings for her ‘I’ve suddenly realised- taken it in properly- that she’s dead’ broken down speech shoes he is emotional
How is secrecy and deception shown
Gerald responds to the allegations of him staying away from Sheila lasts summer eith ‘awfully busy at the works all the time’
Gerald responds to the Inspector of Daisy Renton with ‘Why should I have known her?’
‘You must give me a list if those accounts. I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can’- Mr B
