young v old

• • Priestly uses the older and younger generations as a construct
  • the older generations are static, compared to the younger generation being the generation of change
  • however, the tragedy of the play is presented as the younger generation is the generation of death due to war
  • Priestley suggesting that society has to create change
• 1. how do the older generation react to change?
  2. how do the younger generation react to change?
  3. the generation of death
• how do the older generation react to change?

  • Mr Birling and Mrs Birling are ignorant, who are incredibly reluctant to change
  • at the beginning, they constantly try to impose their ideas onto their children, which works as their children emulate them
  • they constantly cannot accept responsiblity for what they have done
  • by the end of the novel, Mr Birling returns to a cyclical structure of no change
• how do the younger generation react to change?

  • Eric and Sheils start off as characters who emualted their capitalist parents
  • as the Inspector comes in, they are more open to change
  • by the end of the novel, they mirror the Inspector and his attitude towards growth and change in society
• the generation of death:

  • despite Eric and Sheila making the most change, the impacts of their change will not be felt
  • it is most posible that: Eric will die in WW1, Sheila will possibly have children, but who will die in WW2
  • their deaths will be caused by men like their own father
  • Priestley uses the Birling family as a microcosm for the population
  • the younger generation fight so much for power, to immediately lose their power to older generations due to war in the next generation