LIT1 - AIC - General info Flashcards
Describe the form and structure of the play:
a well-made play - where all the events happen in real time, often in 3 acts
whodunnit/murder mystery - unlike the convention, everyone present is responsible in some way for Eva’s death
revelatory structure - a series of revelations in the form of interrogations, particularly near the end
Name the 6 methods of interrogation used by the Inspector:
-blunt
-polite + professional
-series of questions
-hyperbole
-imperatives
-pauses (“I don’t know - yet”)
(BP, SHIP)
What does the Inspector do in the play?
-IG’s moral force is used to preach Priestley’s didactic message of SR throughout the play, resistant to the corruption of the capitalist older generation
-he is a force for change and encourages the younger generation to break away from the older generation’s selfishness
How is the Inspector generally presented in the play?
-he is dressed in a minimal “plain darkish suit” and is initially seen by others as a typical police inspector
-however, as the play progresses, he is seen as a supernatural being from some higher ethical court, as suggested by the homophone, “Goole”
What does the Inspector’s final speech suggest about his character, and what does he do in it?
-supports the idea that he is not a conventional police inspector
-warns the audience of the consequences of continuing to live in the same individualistic fashion, and how Eva’s significance extends beyond her as an individual, representing the proletariats
-leaves everyone in shock, even Sybil, showing his immense control over the room (“Mrs Birling has collapsed into a chair”)
How does Mr Birling not appeal to an audience of 1945?
he has unwavering confidence in certain views, which to an audience of 1945, are totally wrong
Why is Mr Birling make to be dislikable?
-so that his views are also disliked, so the audience associates those views with negative connotations
-makes the audience more inclined to adopt socialist views
What is Mr Birling’s say about the Titanic, and what does it represent?
-“unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable”
-shows Birling’s blind optimisim and pride
-represents the hierarchical, class-ridden society in its different decks and classes of accommodation
-a symbol of failure that foreshadows the downfall of the older generation
Why does Mr Birling boast a lot?
he is provincial and feels the need to boast because he is insecure about the aristocrats (Crofts family) thinking of him as less sophisticated as he is not from the main city
How is Mr Birling presented throughout the play?
-a typical capitalist businessman who treats his workers as commodities
-he is proud of his status and is a beacon of the capitalist society of 1912
What is Sybil committed to doing?
-resisting the suffrage movement that undermine traditional gender roles, as they threaten her comfortable lifestyle
-wants to maintain the patriarchal status quo (the current situation)
Why is Sybil not nice to the Inspector? How is this shown in her dialogue?
-she regards him as morally inferior, and is outraged at the fact she is being dictated by someone of a lower class
-shown by a passive aggressive tone and posh language
What is Sybil’s purpose in the play?
to demonstrate how the upper class of 1912 would decide their own prejudices on who was deserving of care and sympathy and who wasn’t
What are Sybil’s views about the class system? What do they represent?
-she retains firm convictions (beliefs) about the class system throughout the play, particularly about how the working class should be regarded as inferior
-her unwavering beliefs represents the recalcitrant older generation, resistant to the Inspector’s didactic message
What does Gerald do in response to a problem? Give an example:
-lies as it doesn’t usually concern him, his changes are merely superficial
-“why should I have known her?”
