Social Class and ambition Flashcards
what is the context
in 1912 land and factory owners were wealthy and powerful workers were poor.
The 2 classes rarely mixed
how does the setting reinforce the birlings have no idea about the suffereing of others
when the play begins the stage direction describes the lighting as pink and intimate - symbolises Birlings optimism they see everything through rose tinted glasses
what does Priestly use the play to do
1 to emphasise the divide between the rich and the poor and the differences between classes.
2 He shows how the 2 classes do not interact - 3 emphasised by how we only ever see 1 working class character on stage Edna the maid. she has a few lines and her role is to serve the Birlings - reinforcing idea that lower classes have no other purpose than doing the will of upper classes - no voice and no one cares for them except the inspector
what does Birling believe
1 that the country is improving economically
2 but he overlooks the poverty and disease experienced by lower classes
3 and does not consider that progress relies on the hard work of others
4believes each man for himself
what is Eva a symbol of
1 lower classes
2 never appears on stage so audience opinion is altered by Birlings classist remarks
What is Mr Birling a symbol of
1 the new rich - self made not inherited money.
2 Of all the Birlings he is the most concerned with his social class wanting to climb the social ladder
What does Birling do when he first meets the inspector and why
1 he boasts about his power and respectability by giving the details of his career
2 He expects to be treated differently by the inspector
how does Mr Birling treat the lower classes
1 he thinks it is his responsibility to put the lower classes in their place - contextually the upper classes saw any attempt by lower classes to stand up for themselves as being disrespectful
how is the difference in social class seen between the Crofts and the Birlings
1 because of increase in factories during industrial revolution people who didn’t come from nobility had the opportunity to become rich - new money.
2 This new money was judged as being less respectful from inherited old money
3 We see these difference in the tension between Gerald and Mr Birling. Both families are successful but the Crofts are of a higher class.
4 Mr Birling is keen for the marriage as it helps him climb the social ladder
4 Crofts are more reluctant because Gerald is marrying below them
how is Mrs Birling portrayed
shows upper class prejudice - she is cold, judgemental and blunt
she makes assumptions about Eva because she is working class and this leads to her denying Eva help
“. Girls of that class” understand suggests that working class are so different upper class can not understand their actions
has stereotype for lower class people - they are immoral and money hungry
how is Gerald portrayed
1 Gerald objects to inspectors treatment
“we are respectable citizens and not the criminals” -
how are the virtues of the different classes portrayed
1 at the beginning of the play Priestly outlines the values of the upper class -
2 they protect their own and think they are above the lower classes who they see as criminals
3 in the end Eva a working class girl is shown to be more moral than any Birling she refuses to take money from others especially when it is stolen and choses to protect Eric rather than save herself
why are the Crofts not at the engagement party
they do not approve of Sheila who is of a lower class
what are Mr Birlings ambitions
1 to gain social status - through Sheila’s marriage
he tells Gerald he is expecting a knighthood
2 he is of the comfortable middle class but strives for more
how does Priestly depict class prejudice
1 through several characters
2 Mrs Birling believes families like hers are at the top of the pile
and women like Eva are at the bottom “a girl in her position”
