Responsibility

Question 1

Priestley uses the Birling family as a vehicle to reveal what about responsibility?

Answer 1

Priestley promotes the view that societal problems can only be solved if the upper class -who the Birling family are representative of- accept collective responsibility and support one another, treating each other as equal irrespective of their socio-economic backgrounds. (A direct criticism of the post war society and there viewpoints towards the lower class)

Question 2

Initially point

Answer 2

Initially Priestly uses the play as a vehicle to criticise upper class views through his depiction of the Birling family, whilst highlighting that the entire Birling family refuses to accept responsibility for the death of Eva Smith in order to criticise how the upper class refuse to accept responsibility for the well being of the lower class.

Question 3

Initially… (quote 1)-what does Birling say about responsibility?

Answer 3

“ it’s about time you learnt a think or two about responsibility” whereby Mr Birling is mocking the inspector by suggesting that he knows what responsibility is about.
-ironic because he just said “nobody wants a war”- and a contemporary audience had just experienced two world wars and therefore, his claims lack credibility

Question 4

Initially… (quote 2)-how does Birling dismiss his responsibility as an employer?

Answer 4

“I only did what any employer would have done”. 
This connotes that the actions he took are similar to that of other employers of the time. Through this, Mr Birling is refusing to accept responsibility for his actions, but is dismissing them by suggesting that if anyone is at fault, it is everyone’s fault. This would shock a middle class audience because they would not expect someone who is going to get a knighthood to behave like this

Question 5

However point

Answer 5

However as the play develops, there is a disparity between the views of the younger and older generations of the Birling family because the younger generation are able to accept responsibility whilst the older generation are unable to accept responsibility for their actions. Through this portrayal, Priestly promotes his ideology that the younger generation are more susceptible to change.

Question 6

However… (quote 1)-sheila recognises she is to blame

Answer 6

“I know I’m to blame”

-Sheila has recognised that she is partially responsible and shows genuine remorse for her actions, a quality that Priestley hopes to promote to his audience

Question 7

However… (quote 2) -who’s fault is it?

Answer 7

“I can’t believe it’s simply my fault”

• Priestley is highlighting the fact that collective responsibility for actions must be taken, and that the blame should not and cannot be pushed off onto one person
• Sheila recognises and begins to embody the key socialist values

Question 8

Ultimately point

Answer 8

Ultimately, Mr Birling refuses to accept responsibility for the death of Eva Smith due to his internalised capitalistic morals. Furthermore, he refuses to accept collective responsibility for the deaths of the amalgam of women that Eva Smith represents, in order to evoke moral reform amongst Preistleys’ upper class audience as well as promoting his socialist viewpoint

Question 9

Ultimately… (quote 1)-What does Birling say about his next action after the inspector leaves?

Answer 9

“I’ve got to cover this up as quickly as possible”

-Me Birling shows a lack of remorse and a distinct unwillingness to accept responsibility for his actions. He is more bothered by the way in which society perceive him, and he wishes for his reputation to be retained

Question 10

Ultimately… (quote 2)-What does Birling say there will be if the news gets out?

Answer 10

“There’ll be a public scandal”
-Mr Birling is only affected by his facade of being an upper class business man who is about to receive a knighthood, he shows no remorse for his actions or for the death of the “millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John smiths”