An Inspector Calls
Sheila's Character - ANSWER Sheila emerges as being suspicious: "except for all last summer when you never came near me."
"That's what YOU say."
"Now I really feel engagaed.": superficial/ ma
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An Inspector Calls
Sheila's Character - ANSWER Sheila emerges as being suspicious: "except for all last summer when you never came near me."
"That's what YOU say."
"Now I really feel engagaed.": superficial/ materialistic
Sheila's involvement: "last real steady job" in Milwards: "I was in a furious temper"/ "It was my own fault"/ "You used the power you had"/ "I'm really responsible.": contrast to her father
Gerald's involvement begins to emerge: "you knew her very well" - euphemism for an affair.
"He knows. Of course he knows.": Sheila aware not to underestimate the inspector's power.
Juxtaposition of Sheila "in triumph" vs. Gerald "crushed".
"She feels responsible"/ "She'll be alone with her responsibility.": Rejecting the capitalist view - "We'll have to share our guilt" - repetition of "share": enforcing socialist perspective.
The "young ones" are "more impressionable": Priestley's voice coming out through the Inspector: urging change: children follow the adults' lead.
Gerald is seen as a "hero"/ "Fairy Prince" - sarcasm employed by Shiela.
"Between us we killed her": shared responsibility.
"She hands him the ring": signals Shiela's change in character: suspicions from Act I are confirmed: headstrong/ independent.
An Inspector Calls
Atmosphere - ANSWER "Pink and intimate" vs "brighter and harder": the idea of 'rose tinted glasses' (idealised view of an idyllic scene): Arrival of the inspector: interrogation/ symbol of truth/ reality/ voice of moral/ reason.
"Not cosy and homelike": The make-up/ decor of the house is reflective of the family relationship.
Arrival of Inspector: "Goole": shadow-like/ ghostly. - "Give us some more light": "light" is symbolic of reality/ morality.
An Inspector Calls
Mr Birling's Character - ANSWER Mr Birling: "It's one of the happiest nights of my life"/ "You're just the kind of son-in-law I always wanted" (rejection of Eric)/ "business opportunity"/ "when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing."
"Shiela's a lucky girl": Gerlad's social status/ reputation: appearances are very important.
Strong use of dramatic irony: progressively makes Mr Birling look more idiotic and pathetic: "silly pessimistic talk"/ "The Germans don't want war"/ "the Titanic [...] absolutely unsinkable."
Mr Birling sees himself as a "hard-headed practical man of business.": repetitive.
Strong capitalist point of view: "a man has to make his own way.": socialists are "cranks" who believe "everybody has to look after everybody else".
Mr Birling is highly self-righteous: "I might find my way into the next Honours list"/ "I was Lord Mayor"/ "I gather".
Investigating suicide of young girl, Eva Smith: Mr Birling fired her: "She had a lot to say [...] so she had to go.": no voice for women. "Several hundred women"/ "they keep changing": no relationship with workers: Eva Smith is a microcosm for society (there are many in her position).
"I can't accept any responsibility" vs "It's about time you learnt to face a few responsibilities.": Mr Birling is pathetic/ hypocritical.
Power struggle emerges between the Inspector and Mr Birling: "cutting in"/ "I don't like that tone"/ "It's my duty".
"He's only a boy" (Eric) vs "You're a man" (Gerald): higher level of respect.
"Public men [...] have responsibilities as well as privileges": Inspector's response to Mr Birling attempting to enforce status/power.
An Inspector Calls
The Inspector (dun dun duuuuuuuuun....) - ANSWER "Pink and intimate" vs "brighter and harder": the idea of 'rose tinted glasses' (idealised view of an idyllic scene): Arrival of the inspector: interrogation/ symbol of truth/ reality/ voice of moral/ reason.
Arrival of Inspector: "Goole": shadow-like/ ghostly. - "Give us some more light": "light" is symbolic of reality/ morality.
Inspector has "an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness."
Power struggle emerges between the Inspector and Mr Birling: "cutting in"/ "I don't like that tone"/ "It's my duty".
"Chain of events"/ "What happened to her then may have determined what happened to her afterwards."
"He knows. Of course he knows.": Shiela aware not to underestimate the Inspector's power.
"She feels responsible"/ "She'll be alone with her responsibility.": Rejecting the capitalist view - "We'll have to share our guilt" - repetition of "share": enforcing socialist perspective.
The "young ones" are "more impressionable": Priestley's voice coming out through the Inspector: urging change: children follow the adults' lead.
Symbolic "wall" exists between classes: the Inspector's (Priestley's) aim is to break it.
Eva Smith Now "Daisy Renton": "She wanted to be Daisy Renton and not Eva Smith".
"Public men [...] have responsibilities as well as privileges.": Inspector's response to Mr Birling attempting to enforce status/ power.
"This was the end": a last resort as she was going to have a baby.
Mrs Birling "used her influence" (CONTEXT) and "did [her] duty".
Inspector's Final Message:
Where Priestley's voice is heavily emphasised: voice of reason.
"Each of you helped to kill her": shared responsibility.
"There are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us.": hyperbole for effect: stressing that there is still time for change.
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