Inspector Goole Flashcards
Priestley’s Ideas:
Convey P views on socialism - mouthpiece to highlight corruption and selfish attitudes of upper classes.
Audience question his existence - ‘goole’ suggests mysterious quality, pun on ‘ghoul’.
Acts as storyteller, linking separate incidents - ‘chain of events’.
‘Millions and millions and millions’
Repetition of ‘millions’ - suggests many vulnerable people beyond the Birling’s class.
Indicates Birling’s should not be so self contained and to look after people how are less fortunate then themselves.
‘Eva Smiths and John Smiths’
‘Eva Smiths and John Smiths’ - common names in society, shows they are lower class.
Represents men/women exploited on daily basis by greed of capitalism.
‘We are members of one body’
Metaphor suggests class division should not exist as everyone in the world is one society, connotations of a human body, because if one part of the body, such as the heart, was to stop working the whole of the body would shut down. Pronoun 'we' suggests Inspector is addressing everyone as they are all guilty, a collection of people - shows upper class everyone is equal.
‘If men will not learn a lesson, then they will be taught’
Verb ‘taught’ - could represent Inspector as teacher who has ‘taught’ the family to change their ways.
Noun ‘lesson’ shows Inspector has given them and Birling’s have learnt a great deal about themselves and Eva.
Could mean he is a messenger sent by God to teach the family the right way to act like Jesus in the Bible.
‘I tell you that the time will soon come’
Suggest he can tell future with adverb ‘soon’ - omnipotent, knows about consequences in the near future.
Mysterious as he doesn’t include time it will happen but threatening it will happen ‘soon’ - secret.
Maybe he choose fate depending on how each choose to amend family’s wrong doings, like the power that God has.
‘Fire, blood and anguish’
Rule of 3 - connotes imagery of hell, signifying he’ll send family to death if they do not change, linking to the theme of God.
Could be Karma they endure for the pain and suffering caused to Eva.
Nouns could represent death and destruction which is a consequence of war - play after war, highlights Inspector’s omnipotence.
‘Brighter and harder’ contrasts with ‘pink and intimate’
- Stage directions
Suggesting Inspector will put actions of Birling family under harsh light, shedding light on ‘chain of events’.
Birling’s not aware if harsh realities of world, looking through rose-tinted glasses.
‘Impression of massiveness’
- Stage direction
Gives his words authority.
Shows his power over Birling’s and refusal to be intimidated by their social class.
