inspector calls

• Profit based industry is everything Marxists are against.
• Knowledge organiser: changes in identity, older and younger generations, guilt.
• Relationships: gender imbalances.
• Patriarchy, relationships between characters.
• Power: power, and misuse of power, wealth and capitalism, responsibly, and lack of responsibility.
• Conflict: Class and the class divide in society, equality and inequality, poverty.
• The burlings are at dinner celebrating Sheila's engagement to Gerald when a mysterious inspector Goole arrives.
• The inspector tells them he is investigating the death of pregnant Eva Smith, who committed suicide by drinking bleach.
• The inspector reveals how they are all to blame for her death: Mr Birling sacked her from his company for going on strike to get better, Shelia got her sacked from her job at Millwards, and Gerald had an affair with her for about 6 months.
• The inspector leaves and Gerald encourages Mr and Mrs Birling to make excuses and doubt what he says, or that he is even a real inspector.
• The phone rings and Mr Birling is told that the police are on their way to question the Birlings over the suicide of a young girl, leaving the question: who was Inspector Goole?
• Mr Birling: a wealthy business owner and public figure that fires Eva to protect profits.
• Inspector: the mysterious inspector who has each family member confess their involvement in Eva Smith's death.
• Mrs Birling: a self-righteous woman that turns a pregnant and desperate Eva Smith away from her charity.
• Sheila: a young ignorant girl who has Eva Smith fired out of jealousy, she is also engaged to Gerald.
• Gerald: the son of a wealthy family who keeps Eva Smith as a mistress while engaging Sheila.
• Eric: a young reckless drunk who impregnates Eva Smith and steals from his father.
• Eva Smith: a young girl who is constantly failed by her society and ends up taking her own life.
• Edna: the servant of the Birling household that quietly attends to their demands.
• Welfare state: a system that takes care of those in financial or Social need, offering monetary support or free health services.
• Dramatic irony: the audience/reader is aware of something the characters are not.
• Infantilise: to treat someone as a child or in a way which diminishes their maturity in age or experience.
• During the 1930s, Priestley became concerned about the consequences of social inequality in Britain and in 1942, Priestley and others set up a new political party, the Common Wealth Party, which argued for public ownership of land, greater democracy, a fairer economy and a new morality in politics.
• Objectification is treating someone like an object.
• Socialism is the belief that we are responsible for every member in society.
• Microcosm refers to a miniature example of a larger summer, community or issue.
• J.B. Priestley deliberately set his play in 1912 because society had clear class and gender divisions that he wanted to discuss.
• The party merged with Labour Party in 1945 but Priestley was influential in developing the idea of the welfare state.
• Superficiality refers to considering only surface appearance.
• Egalitarianism is the belief that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.
• The Inspector Calls portrays a divided society, with 87% of wealth owned by 5%.
• The welfare state protects and promotes the economic and social well being of the citizens.
• The Inspector Calls portrays several strikes by poorer people trying to improve their quality of life, including miners strikes.
• Misogynistic prejudice is a prejudice against women.
• Capitalism is the belief that we only look after ourselves and our families, it is up to others to look after their families.
• Women are less powerful than men.
• The Inspector Calls is still relevant today as we live in a highly capitalist society with a significant increase in poverty.
• The Inspector Calls is a didactic morality play, emphasizing the importance of being aware of the consequences of your own actions and that everyone in society should have equal rights.
• Well made plays are a play structure, designed by Eugene Scribe, which moves through 7 Stages, taking the characters and audience from ignorance to knowledge.
• 20% of UK workers are on strike over pay, all seeking a living wage.