The Inspector Flashcards
‘it’s better to ask for the earth than to take it’
L - hyperbolic metaphor
This emphasizes unreasonable nature of Mr. Birling’s exploitation of his workers. They have asked for a pay rise but he exploits them for low wages without asking.
‘lonely, half starved, desperate’
L - emotive language
The Inspector uses emotive language to try to provoke a sense of guilt in the Birlings so they feel responsible for what happened to the girl.
R - this makes the audience sympathise with Eva and realise how vulnerable she is.
‘young ones…more impressionable’
C - this reflects Priestley’s hope that social change lay with the younger generation.
R - this targeted at the younger middle clas audience member post World War II to change the society for the better. For example, NHS was set up in 1948.
‘your daughter isn’t living on the moon’
L - hyperbolic imagery
Sheila should know what is happening in her world and not be protected from it. Only by understanding her world can she begin to change it for better.
‘we are members of one body. We are responsible for each other’
L - metaphor
Health if the body depends on its component parts.
D - the society depends on how the individuals in the society treat each other.
‘fire and blood and anguish’
L - violent tricolon
This emphasizes his message of need for social change.
R - the audience in 1946 lived through the two world wars. They realise the need for social change to avoid more suffering.
D - Priestley uses the Birling family as a microcosmic illustration of what occurred globally as a result of not learning the mistakes of World War I, history will repeat itself.
‘you slammed the door in her face’
L - metaphor
The violence of image emphasizes the terrible consequences of Mrs. Birling’s refusal to help Daisy.
R - audience feels disgust at her behaviour.
‘used her as if she was an animal, a thing. not a person’
L - noun
Emphasizes how Eric dehumanised her.
R - audience feels horror at his treatment of her.
D - Priestley is critical of capitalist economy that reduces people to things as Eva is bought for sex in the capitalist society.
‘public men…have responsibilities as well as privileges’
L - noun
Emphasizes that any person in public office have a responsibility to protect other members of society and treat them with equality not abuse their position of power for personal privilege.
‘we’ll have to share our guilt’
L - verb
We are all responsible for each other in society and our actions actions have an impact on others.
‘a chain of events’
L - metaphor
One action leads to another and all actions have consequences. No one person is responsible for what happened to Eva.
‘I don’t play golf’
The Inspector is not intimidated by Mr. Birling’s social status or the powerful people he knows. He is determined that the Birlings will learn to accept responsibility for their abuse of power towards a poor, defenceless girl.
‘the lighting should be pink and intimate, until the Inspector arrives, and then it should be brighter and harder’
D - the Inspector will be putting the family’s behaviours under the spotlight to make them think hard about their behaviours towards others.
‘he’s giving us the rope - so that we’ll hang ourselves’
L - metaphor
The Birlings will condemn themselves with their own words.
‘each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it’
L - imperative verb
The Inspector is commanding them to learn lessons and not forget the responsibility for others.
