Responsibility and Guilt Flashcards
What verb do both Mr and Mrs Birling use when talking about responsibility?
“accept” - this suggests that they feel they have a choice about whether they are responsible or not for Eva’s death.
What does Mr Birling say to Eric about responsibility?
“It’s about time you learnt to face a few responsibilities.”
How is Sheila’s guilt immediately obvious?
She runs from the room crying when she sees the photograph of Eva.
How does Sheila’s speech demonstrate she is more accepting of responsibility in Act One?
She asks a lot of questions about Eva. She also says: “So I’m really responsible?” and says “It was my own fault” when questioned whether Eva was to blame for her “furious temper”.
How does Gerald initially try and avoid responsibility?
He asks Sheila not to tell the Inspector about his affair. He says “We can keep it from him.”
What does the Inspector say to Sheila about guilt?
“If there’s nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt.”
What did Gerald say about how Eva reacted to their affair ending?
“She didn’t blame me at all”
How did Mrs Birling respond to Sheila saying “Mother, she’s just died a horrible death - don’t forget”?
“I’m very sorry. But I think she only had herself to blame.”
What does Mrs Birling say about the father of the baby?
“He should be made an example of.”
“He ought to be dealt with very severely”
“He’d be entirely responsible”
“Make sure he’s compelled to confess in public”
What metaphor does the Inspector use to describe social responsibility in his final speech?
“We are members of one body”
