Key quotes Flashcards
“a rather cold woman …
… and her husband’s social superior” - Act 1
” a rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior”
Which other word do you think Priestley could have used in these opening stage directions to describe Sybil?
A. understanding
B. stubborn
C. uncertain
D. carefree
B. Sybil is stubborn — she refuses to accept blame for her actions, doesn’t listen properly to other people and won’t change her views about society.
” a rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior”
Give an example from the play to show that Sybil is “cold” towards the Inspector.
Sybil tells the Inspector that “I don’t think we can help you much”, suggesting to him that he should leave before she’s even met him. She also speaks to the Inspector “haughtily” to emphasise her own importance and try to undermine his influence.
” a rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior”
Why do you think Priestley mentions that Sybil is Arthur’s “social superior”?
Priestley mentions this so that the director and the actors playing Arthur and Sybil understand how important class is to both characters. Their relationship to each other and to other people in society relies heavily on class, so it’s significant that Sybil is Arthur’s “social superior”, even if this is not mentioned in the play.
” a rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior”
What does this stage direction suggest about the way Priestley wants the audience to respond to Sybil? Explain your answer.
It suggests that Priestley wants the audience to be unsympathetic towards Sybil, because she is unsympathetic towards the needs of others. This initial description of Sybil does little to suggest that the audience will like or respect her.
“not quite at ease, . . .
. . . half shy, half assertive” - Act One
“not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive”
Who do these stage directions refer to?
These stage directions refer to Eric
“not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive”
Why do you think this character is “not quite at ease” at the start of the play?
Eric is uneasy at the start of the play because he doesn’t fit in well with his family. He thinks his parents don’t understand him, and he is hiding his troubles from them.
“not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive”
Give an example from elsewhere in the play to show that this character is:
a) shy
b) assertive
a) Eric appears shy in Act One when he
begins a story, then “checks himself” and
becomes “confused”, before refusing to
carry on.
b) Eric appears assertive in Act Three when
he contradicts his mother directly, telling
her “Sheila’s right” that it doesn’t matter
whether or not the Inspector was a fake.
“not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive”
What does the repetition of “half” suggest about this character?
The repetition of “half” suggests that Eric is a complex character who is struggling with his identity. He isn’t completely “shy” or “assertive”, just as he isn’t entirely ‘good’ or ‘bad’.
“not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive”
Do you think this description still applies to the character at the end of the play?
Explain your answer.
It mostly still applies, because Eric is still a troubled character who feels uneasy about his place in the family and his treatment of Eva / Daisy. However, Eric has become more assertive by the end of the play, as he openly expresses his views to his parents.
“I speak as a hard-headed . . .
. . . business man” - Act One
“I speak as a hard-headed business man”
Who says this quote and when?
Arthur says this quote in Act One, when he is giving his speech about the future of society
“I speak as a hard-headed business man”
What do you think this character means when he describes himself as “hard-headed”?
Arthur means that he sees himself as practical and rational. The term can also mean ‘unsympathetic’, so Arthur may be suggesting that this is also part of his character.
“I speak as a hard-headed business man”
Shortly after saying this quote, the character describes himself as a “hard-headed, practical man of business” and then as one of the “hard-headed practical business men” of the world. What is the effect of this repetition?
The repetition makes Arthur appear comical. He’s trying to emphasise that he is a practical, straight-talking businessman, but he ends up saying very little and sounding foolish.
“I speak as a hard-headed business man”
Do you think Priestley suggests in the play as a whole that it is a good thing or a bad thing to be a “a hard-headed business man”? Explain your answer.
- Priestley suggests that it is a bad thing
because Arthur’s selfish business-focused
approach led to him sacking Eva / Daisy,
which is presented as being one of the
contributing factors to her suicide. - The Inspector’s strong message about social
responsibility suggests that Priestley thinks
people like Arthur need to change their
“hard-headed” approach and acknowledge
their “responsibilities” in looking after the
people they employ.
“And I say . . .
. . . there isn’t a chance of war.” - Act One
“And I say there isn’t a chance of war.”
Who is Arthur replying to in this quote?
He is replying to Eric, who asked about a war.
“And I say there isn’t a chance of war.”
What reasons doe Arthur give for thinking that war is very unlikely?
He explains that war is unlikely because “The Germans don’t want war” and “There’s too much at stake these days”. He goes on to explain that “The world’s developing so fast” that there’s no possibility of a war.
“And I say there isn’t a chance of war.”
Why is this quote ironic?
The quote is ironic because the First World War broke out in 1914, just two years after the play is set. The audience knows this, so this quote creates dramatic irony.
“And I say there isn’t a chance of war.”
Explain why the other characters’ reaction to this line would be different to the audience’s reaction.
The other characters might be worried about war, but don’t know for sure that it will happen — they could believe Arthur. On the other hand, the audience know that war will break out, so this line makes them see Arthur as overconfident and foolish.
“And I say there isn’t a chance of war.”
Which war was still taking place when Priestley was writing An Inspector Calls?
Why do you think this is important?
The Second World War was still taking place when Priestley wrote An Inspector Calls. This is important because priestly is suggesting in the play that it’s time for people to build a new society in which people take better care of each other. He was pushing for social change at the time when so many people’s lives had been ruined by the two world wars.
“You seem to be a nice . . .
. . . well-behaved family” - Act One
“You seem to be a nice well-behaved family”
Who says this quote, and who is the speaker talking to at the time?
Gerald says this when he is speaking to Arthur about his knighthood.
“You seem to be a nice well-behaved family”
How does this quote turn out to be ironic?
This quote turns out to be ironic because, after the Inspector arrives, it slowly emerges that the Birlings aren’t such a “nice well-behaved family” after all. Each of them played a part in the death of Eva / Daisy due to their selfish actions.
“You seem to be a nice well-behaved family”
Just before this quote, Arthur “Laughs complacently”.
Why do you think Priestley included this stage direction?
Priestley wants to emphasise how content and overconfident Arthur is at this point in the play, because this makes it ironic and dramatic when things start to go wrong.
“You seem to be a nice well-behaved family”
What does this suggest about the relationship between appearance and reality in the play?
This query highlights the fact that there is often a big difference between appearance and reality in the play. Although the Birlings appear to be a “nice” family, in reality they often act selfishly and immorally. This theme is explored elsewhere in the play, for example Gerald appears to be a great match for Sheila, but it turns out that he has been having an affair. Similarly, the Inspector ‘appears’ to be a real inspector, but in reality it turns out he isn’t.
“these girls aren’t . . .
. . . cheap labour — they’re people” - Act 1
“these girls aren’t cheap labour — they’re people”
Who are the “girls” that Sheila is referring to in this quote?
Sheila is referring to working-class women like Eva / Daisy, who work for very little money.
“these girls aren’t cheap labour — they’re people”
Which character described the girls as “cheap labour” in the first place?
Why does he/she do this?
The Inspector first describes the girls as “cheap labour” — he wants to demonstrate the attitude of factory owners like Arthur towards working-class women.
“these girls aren’t cheap labour — they’re people”
Does the Inspector agree with what Sheila says in this quote?
The Inspector agrees with Sheila — he suggests “dryly” that he’s “had that notion” himself, suggesting that Sheila has just expressed something that he is trying to teach the Birlings.
“these girls aren’t cheap labour — they’re people”
What does this quote tell you about how Sheila is feeling at this point in the play?
Sheila is feeling upset that Eva / Daisy was sacked and frustrated at her father’s stubborn attitude to a woman like her. The emphasis on the word “people” highlights this frustration.
“these girls aren’t cheap labour — they’re people”
Explain how this quote helps to show the differences between Sheila and Arthur.
This quote shows that Sheila is able to empathise with Eva / Daisy and other working class people, while her father is not. Arthur made this made the decision to sack Eva / Daisy because it made economic sense to do so — he doesn’t believe that he can be responsible for what happened to her afterwards. Sheila recognises that Eva / Daisy was a real person who suffered because of her father’s actions.
“he’s giving us rope — . . .
. . . so that we’ll hang ourselves” - Act Three
“he’s giving us rope — so that we’ll hang ourselves”
Who is the ‘he’ that Sheila is referring to in this quote?
the Inspector.
