Themes

Question 1

Morality: How is Mr Birling linked to the sin of greed?

Answer 1

His wish for more money and status.

Question 2

Morality: How is Eric linked to list and gluttony?

Answer 2

He used Eva for sexual gratification and he drinks too much.

Question 3

Morality: What was Sheila envious of?

Answer 3

Eva’s prettiness.

Question 4

Morality: Where is Mrs Birling shown to consider herself as morally superior to others?

Answer 4

When she refers to her status or her belief that she has the right to judge others.

Question 5

Morality: Inspector, “you might be said to have been jealous of her?” (Act 1)

Answer 5

“Jealous” links Sheila to this sin. Use of the seven deadly sins by Priestly.

Question 6

Morality: Mrs Birling, “She called herself Mrs Birling […] a piece of gross impertinence” (Act 2)

Answer 6

Noun phrase, “gross impertinence” shows that she was superior to Eva, her pride in her family name, not knowing she has a claim to the name.

Question 7

Morality: Eric, “I wasn’t in love with her or anything” (Act 3)

Answer 7

Eric’s admission that he didn’t love Eva includes the phrase, “or anything” to emphasise how shallow his feelings were.

Question 8

Survival of the Fittest: Who does Mr Birling encourage to follow self-interest?

Answer 8

Eric and Gerald

Question 9

Survival of the Fittest: What is symbolic about the arrival of the inspector?

Answer 9

It interrupts Mr Birling’s promotion of self-interest.

Question 10

Survival of the Fittest: How does Eva represent the consequences of self-interest?

Answer 10

Her life is ruined because people followed their own interests not hers.

Question 11

Survival of the Fittest: How are Mr Birling’s words about self-interest refused by Eric in Act 3?

Answer 11

He points out the irony of them, given what the Inspector exposed.

Question 12

Survival of the Fittest: Mr Birling, “a man has to make his own way” (Act 1)

Answer 12

Shows his self-interest nature that he’s only looking out for #1. Also shows his capitalist mindset.
Verb “has” supports this.

Question 13

Survival of the Fittest: Inspector (about Eva): “But she died in misery and agony - hating life” (Act 2)

Answer 13

Emotive language condemns the effects of Mr Birling’s outlook on life, if you don’t do well enough you die out.

Question 14

Survival of the Fittest: Inspector: “all intertwined with our lives, with what we think and say and do” (Act 3)

Answer 14

The metaphor and the pattern of 3, is the inspector’s way of how society needs to change and work together not selfishly.

Question 15

Social Responsibility: What does the Inspector believe we should do for the less fortunate people in society?

Answer 15

Other financial, emotional and educational support.

Question 16

Social Responsibility: What is Mr Birling’s opinion of social responsibility?

Answer 16

It’s nonsense.

Question 17

Social Responsibility: In what ways does Mrs Birling only pretend to have social responsibility?

Answer 17

She does charitable work but it is to make her look good; she looks down on the girls who ask for help.

Question 18

Social Responsibility: Mr Birling, “like bees in a hive - community and all that nonsense” (Act 1)

Answer 18

The simile and how he sums up his view on social responsibility with the adjective “nonsense”, shows that he doesn’t believe in it at all.

Question 19

Social Responsibility: Inspector, “it would do us all a bit of good if sometimes we tried to put ourselves in the place of these young women” (Act 1)

Answer 19

Showing how the characters of the upper class can reform and show their social responsibility but they won’t do it and revert back to their normal selfish self.

Question 20

Social Responsibility: Inspector, “You must of known what she was feeling. And you slammed the door in her face” (Act 2)

Answer 20

The inspector’s criticism of Mrs Birling through emotive language and the door metaphor to highlight her callous behaviour.
Or
The inspector’s more positive language about empathy and the use of his plural pronouns to emphasise the idea of joining together.

Question 21

Social Responsibility: Who does the influence of the Inspector change certain characters viewpoints?

Answer 21

He changes Mrs Birling and Eric’s social viewpoint but Mr and Mrs Birling, and Gerald quickly return to their old selfishness.

Question 22

Personal Responsibility: Which characters take responsibility for their actions?

Answer 22

Sheila, Eric and - to some extent - Gerald.

Question 23

Personal Responsibility: What word does Sheila use to describe the process of admitting what they did?

Answer 23

“Confess”

Question 24

Personal Responsibility: What do Mr and Mrs Birling do instead of taking responsibility?

Answer 24

Deny involvement and blame others.

Question 25

Personal Responsibility: Inspector: “Remember” (Act 3)

Answer 25

The repetition of the imperative “remember” shows the importance of personal responsibility. You have to accept the consequences of your own actions.

Question 26

Personal Responsibility: Mrs Birling, “He certainly didn’t make me confess - as you call it” (Act 3)

Answer 26

Mrs Birling’s continued denial of the evening’s events with her emphasis on “confess” showing that she feels she has nothing to feel guilty about.

Question 27

Personal Responsibility: Eric, “It’s what happened to the girl and what we did to her that matters.” (Act 3)

Answer 27

Eric’s use of the verb, “did” to accept his responsibility and his assertion and that actions have consequences, show that he starts to take personal responsibility.

Question 28

Personal Responsibility: The inspector encourages each character to take personal responsibility for the death of Eva Smith. Who accepts responsibility then doesn’t?

Answer 28

Gerald.

He seems to show remorse but this fades when he thinks the story can be kept a secret.

Question 29

Inequality: Why is Eva socially unequal?

Answer 29

Because she is working class and a women. There is always someone more powerful trying to control her life.

Question 30

Inequality: What things suggest the Birlings have greater power and opportunities?

Answer 30

Their home, their money, Eric’s education and Mr Birling’s status.

Question 31

Inequality: How do the Birlings benefit from social inequality?

Answer 31

Being able to keep labour costs down means that the family business makes more money.

Question 32

Inequality: Mr Birling: “we’re in for a time of steadily increasing prosperity” (Act 1)

Answer 32

His disinterest in social inequality, the use of “we” doesn’t even include the likes of Eva Smith.

Question 33

Inequality: Sheila, “these girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people” (Act 1)

Answer 33

Her dramatic pause and emphasis on “people” to show her understanding that the poor are individuals rather than a workforce to be exploited. Shows her political want for change.

Question 34

Inequality: Gerald, “she was desperately hard up” (Act 2)

Answer 34

The adverb “desperately” shows the extent of Eva’s inequality. She is trying to catch up all the time with people.

Question 35

Young and Old: What does Mr Birling show about the older generation at the start of the play?

Answer 35

They expect to be in charge.

Question 36

Young and Old: What does Sheila show about the younger generation at the start of the play?

Answer 36

They follow social expectations of respect for their elders.

Question 37

Young and Old: Why does Priestley make Sheila and Eric come into conflict with their parents?

Answer 37

To show that the older generation have old-fashioned views that are harmful to society as a whole, whereas the young people can change and contribute to a better future.

Question 38

Young and Old: What do the Birling children represent at the end of the play?

Answer 38

Hope in the future generation, unlike their parents, they can learn and change.

Question 39

Young and Old: Mr Birling, “But you youngsters just remember what I said” (Act 1)

Answer 39

His patronising “youngsters” and his imperative shows the difference in influence and respect towards the generation, thinks he’s better than all of them, have less experience then him.

Question 40

Young and Old: Sheila (to Mr Birling), “Oh - sorry. I didn’t know. Mummy sent me to ask you.” (Act 1)

Answer 40

Her polite apology to her father and the fact she’s following her mother’s instructions shows she’s very submissive and shows the older generation are more controlling and “know what’s right”. “Mummy” also shows her immature nature and this shows a change later on in the play.

Question 41

Young and Old: Eric “[shouting] And I say the girl’s dead and we all helped to kill her - and that’s what matters - “ (Act 3)

Answer 41

His tone of voice as he contradicts his father’s view of what is important (using “I” to assert himself and accusatory language to challenge Mr Birling’s denial of blame).

Question 42

Time: What is the effect of the play being a short time-scale?

Answer 42

It intensifies the events on stage.

Question 43

Time: How is the past used to show the audience something about Mr Birling?

Answer 43

By setting the play in the past, we can see that he isn’t as wise as he thinks.
“Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable” Mr Birling on the titanic.
Naive, Capitalism is shown in “Fiddlesticks! The Germans don’t want war. Nobody wants war.”

Question 44

Time: What’s the effect of setting the play over one evening?

Answer 44

It intensifies the situation and the emotions or tension being created.

Question 45

Time: Why does Priestley use flash backs in the play?

Answer 45

To emphasise particular events and their consequences.

Question 46

Time: How do Sheila and and Eric respond to the past differently to Mr and Mrs Birling?

Answer 46

Sheila and Eric admit and want to remedy the past, whereas Mr and Mrs Birling want to deny and conceal the past.

Question 47

Time: Inspector, “A chain of events” (Act 1)

Answer 47

He is being very mysterious and not specifying what events that actually is so tension rise until those events are explained.

Question 48

Time: Inspector to Mrs Birling, “you’re going to spend the rest of your life regretting it” (Act 2)

Answer 48

Tension is created through his threatening tone towards Mrs Birling about the regret she’ll feel later as a result of causing Eva’s detach.

Question 49

Time: Inspector, “I haven’t much time” (Act 3)

Answer 49

He urgently speeds up the revelations and the conflict (while in retrospect suggesting he knew the real police would soon be on their way all along).
Causing tension to rise.

Question 50

Love: Where is marriage presented positively?

Answer 50

At the start of the play with the happy engagement party.

Question 51

Love: How does Mrs Birling present a negative aspect of marriage?

Answer 51

Telling Shiela she’ll have to get used to her husband putting work before his marriage.
Shows the inequality in society between men and women.

Question 52

Love: What is different about men and women’s attitudes to love in the play?

Answer 52

Women appear to value faithfulness and romance more than men.
Gerald has an affair and then dumps Eva.
Mr Birling appears to think that unfaithfulness is easy to forgive and Eric uses Eva for his sexual pleasure.

Question 53

Love: How is Eric’s relationship with Eva presented as being about sex?

Answer 53

Eric says he doesn’t love her, she was just good fun.

Question 54

Love: Gerald (about Eva), “She told me she’d been happier that she’d ever been before - but that she knew it couldn’t last” (Act 2)

Answer 54

There is a lot of negatives being used showing this was a failure from the start.
His contrast between negative and positive language, the defeatism in the negative modal “couldn’t” and “happier”. She is seen as having a lack of hope here.

Question 55

Love: Eric (about Eva), “I wasn’t in love with her or anything” (Act 3)

Answer 55

His dismissal of love with the phrase “or anything” shows how little he felt for Eva, it was indeed just pure FUN.

Question 56

Gerald: “Everything’s alright now, Sheila. [Holds up the ring.] What about this ring?” (Act 3)

Answer 56

His general sweeping of “everything’s alright now” and the symbolic offering of a monetary object rather than a genuine apology, shows that he is truly in love with her, but only sees wealth as fixing it. He believe his affair can be forgotten about.