P2 Lit: Inspector Calls

Question 1

Context:

Patriarchy: diff between eva/sheila, oppression(recurring case), exploitation of the lower class women, entitlement of men, power

Answer 1

• the thing that equates sheila and eva is thier role in society: to please men and get married to them, hence, they are pitted against eachother - Priestly wants to show how the patriarchy, enforced by capitalism, runs on conflict like this - ‘she looked pretty-i couldnt feel sorry for her’ - shows how shes been conditioned to justify her threat becoz of the patriarchy thriving from this - even with sheilas status, she is diminished becoz of her identity as a female
• ‘millions and millions of Eva smiths’ - shows how common this oppression is - that people like Gerald can justify such acts of exploitation becoz ‘shed been happier than ever before’ - captures how men in positions of power will always use it to oppress - it is in capitalist nature - priestly demonises capitalism to idealise socialism
• entitlement of men: ‘youll have to get used to it just as i did’ shows how women are conditioned from birth becoz of the patriarchy to blame themselves and conform to mens convience, they are socially expected to remain subservient - ‘it was my fault really that she was so desperate’ - reinforces how women are always to blame, men are the victims - caputres injustice and supression of women in patriarchal society
• sheila does not have power to change society even tho she embodies the ‘New Woman’ since shed be seen as a ‘hysterical child’ and that ‘if men will not learn…’ - priestly addresses only ‘men’ as it would be redundant to mention women in 1912 society due to their suppression

Question 2

Context:

Capitalism: lack of responsibility, war

Answer 2

• ‘that state when a chap easily turns nasty’ & ‘any man wouldve done’ - shows that capitalist constructs all have a self-deceiving nature to them, that they refuse to accept responsibility since they dehumanize the lower class to the point that they are deemed insignificant ‘a nice little promising life there and a nasty mess someones made of it’
• capitalism, contrary to Birlings self deception, runs of the foundations of conflict - ‘nothing to gain and everything to lose by war’ - in reality, textiles companies like Birling and co benefit most becoz of production of army uniforms and apparel - he refuses to aknowledge this becoz of his disproportionate avarice for money vs his compassion for his employees as humans - anti-war play demonzies capitalism to show true ideal christian path

Question 3

Context:

Religion: morality play, socialism, equality

Answer 3

• capitalist constructs display all 7 deadly sins, which henceforth, idealises audience towards socialism instead e.g. ‘a man has to mind his own busiess and look after himself and his own’ - capturing ‘his own’ as an afterthought to his business - hence demonizing capitalism since christianity empahsises kinship
• socialism portrayed as christian ideal since it mitigates any potential of deadly sins - links to how priestly was a labour party supporter since it brings about equality and promotes ‘New Women’