(Theme) Blame and responsibility

Question 1

Blame and Responsibility: Characters

Answer 1

Priestley uses An Inspector Calls to highlight the unfair attitudes in society. Generally, the upper-class people refused to acknowledge how their actions affected the lower classes. The following characters accept no responsibility: Mr and Mrs Birling, and Gerald.

Question 2

Mr Birling

Answer 2

He refuses to accept any responsibility. Instead, he sees Eva as a troublemaker for wanting a pay raise.
He dismisses (plays down) the issue.
At the end, he is happy to forget the whole thing.

Question 3

Mrs Birling

Answer 3

She refuses to accept any responsibility.
She feels that the father of Eva’s child should be the one responsible – until she realises it is her own son.
She then pushes the blame onto Eric.
She still refuses to accept that she did anything wrong even in her charitable role.

Question 4

Gerald

Answer 4

He refuses to accept any responsibility.
He feels that he did his part in helping Eva. He does not feel guilt over making her his mistress.
He does not feel that he did anything wrong. He is very happy to forget the whole thing when he thinks the inspector is fake.

Question 5

The Birlings

Answer 5

Priestley uses Mr and Mrs Birling to highlight the belief that lower-class people deserve their misfortune, and that upper-class people are entitled to (have the right to have) fortune, wealth and easy lifestyles.

Question 6

Sheila

Answer 6

She is shocked when she learns what happened to Eva because of her actions.
She feels extreme guilt and accepts responsibility for her actions.
Although she acted like a spoilt child, she matures in the play and accepts the role she played in Eva’s suicide.
She even tells her parents off for refusing to accept responsibility for their own actions.

Question 7

Eric

Answer 7

He acknowledges that his actions were wrong.
He accepts responsibility for the role he played in damaging Eva’s life and for contributing towards her suicide.
He also tells his mother she should accept responsibility as well.

Question 8

Inspector Goole

Answer 8

His role is to help each character to understand the consequences of their individual selfishness.
His role is also to try to encourage them to accept some responsibility. He hopes this will change their attitudes and help them to become less selfish.