Key Quotes Flashcards
Lighting-‘pink and intimate’-at start
Cosy(complacement)start to play-evening of celebration.may suggest B family see themselves/life through rose-tinted glasses'.lighting shiftd when IG arrives:becomes brighter,harsher’:interrogation and realistion -he makes them see truth clearly.
SD:’pleased with themselves”
B family are arrogant/complacent at start.Self-congratulatory and self-absorbed.Pronoun ‘themselves’ shows their egotism.By end of the play,this is shattered.B family represent dangerous naivety and smugness of powerful classes at start of 20th century
Mr B:’absolutely unsinkable’
Dramatic irony:refrence to the Titanic.Shows misplaced confidence of Mr.B;challenged by IG.Audience invited to laugh at hus short-sightedness by P(a socialist,seeks to expose and criticise arrogance of Mr B’s capitilidt stupidy)
S-E:’You’re squiffy’
S notices what her parents choose not to E’s drinking problems:’squiffy’-colloquial,euphemism,pinpoints class and time of play’s setting.E’s drinking ignored/made light of by family;audience later see it has a dark side-violence ,theft,possible rape
Sh:’they’re not cheap labour,they’re people’
S and E-dynamic characters,willing to change(unlike static parents).S responds to IG’s revelations and is remorseful,dares to challenge her parent’s view.Mr B sees Eva as only ‘cheap labour’-a commodity for him to get richer.S sees the human side.S-representative of growing voice of suffragettes in 1912
Mr B:’the famous younger generation who know it all’
Mr B-quick to blame others and dismisd views if his children(constantly interrupts/undermines E/S).Dramatic irony-‘younger generation’ do know more than him,presents hope for the future
IG:’we are members of one body’
IG’s Final speech:language is very simple,clear,direct,almost biblical -speaks in parables.Metaphor of ‘body’ shows how all levels of society/people are interconnected and dependent on each other.Lesson he is attempted to teach B family.’we’ inclusive 1st person pronoun-addresses all of them ,audience included
IG:’fire and blood and anguish’
IG’s masterful rhetoric again;words are simple but powerful,carefully chosen.Polysyndetic list-slow,serious rhythm.Words symbolise WW1/2(violence,loss of life)-consequences of ignoring social responsibilty.Final noun ‘anguish’-intense pain
Mrs B:’girls of that class’
Mrs B:distancinf herself fron ES-ironic as 1.ES was carrying her grandchildren;2.Her job as charity head was to help these ‘girls’.Shows her hypocrisy and intense snobbery.’Girls’-perjorative,should be women.’That’ suggests a disdainful,distanced pointing
SD:’stare guiltily and dumbfounded’
Final stage direction of the play-compare with quote 2. B family are finally all caught out at end.Sense of justice/resolution.Adjective ‘dumbfounded’ and verb ‘stare’ show how they are lost for words /cannot say or do anything, esp.Mr and Mr B- always so quick to defend themselves
