Older vs younger gen

• Older vs younger generation: effect of the inspector

  -The inspector's arrival disrupted the families united front, and stopped children from wanting to emulate parents

  -Inspector splits the family down generational lines, as the ideologies cannot be reconciled, mimicing the effect that the World wars had on the lost generation and the other generations (society)

  -Suggesting society is at a tipping point where change is needed
• Effect of cyclical structure

  • -Could allude to the world wars, evoking the idea of "pretending all over again". Priestley suggests history will keep repeating itself until people learn
  • -Mirroring where an inspector calls at the end of the play could highlight how archaic the elder generation is because how nothing has changed, however the audience knows that the family has divided and changed
• Older vs younger generation: Mr birling

  • Mr birling has made his own money (noveau rich)
  • Mr birling is resistant to criticism
  • He thinks his life experiences makes him wise and infalliable (incapable of being wrong)
• Older vs younger generation: Mr birling as a teacher

  • Mr birling thinks he is a teacher to the younger generation because of his experience
  • Priestley presents the older generation as arrogant and controlling towards the younger generation
• Quote for Mr Birling as a teacher

  "Now you three young people, just listen to this-and remember what I'm telling you now"

  -Imperative "listen" and "remember" emphasises Mr Birlings desire for attention and for the younger generation to be his disciples

  -He wants to have an impact on the younger generation
• Older vs younger gen: Mr Birling-patronising quote

  "Take my word for it you youngsters-- and I've learnt it the good hard school experience"

  • suggests he thinks knowledge can only come with age
  • thinks that "experience" is the ultimate form of education, shown by the metaphor "school"
  • noun "youngsters" is patronising and mocking, showing Mr Birling is fixated on age and superiority
• Arrogance of older generation

  -Priestley presents elder generation as over confident (especially men)

  -Mr Birling thinks that because he lived throughout a successful era, he believes his generation paved the way for a better world
• The idea of age and generational identity runs throughout the play.
• The Birling family is split into two generations: the parents and the children.
• The generational divide in Britain in 1945 was possibly the most severe it had ever been.
• The Lost Generation refers to those born between 1883 and 1900, meaning they reached adulthood during or just after the end of the First World War.
• Many members of the Lost Generation had fought in the Great War and found living in the new postwar era difficult.
• In the early postwar years, the war’s survivors felt confused and aimless.
• The values they had inherited from their elders were no longer relevant and as others tried to return to 'normalcy', many members of the Lost Generation found everyday life materialistic and emotionally meaningless.
• Priestley portrays the older generation as being stuck in their old ways, used to their comforts and conservative values.
• The parents in the play refuse to be self-aware or accept responsibility, caring only for themselves.
• In contrast, the younger generation are curious and compassionate, and quick to rectify their ignorance.
• Priestley suggests the younger generations should learn from the mistakes of their elders in order to create a more peaceful and progressive future for Britain.
• Eric disagrees with Gerald's claim that he couldn't have done anything else about firing Eva, suggesting that the older generations are not open to acts of understanding and mercy.
• The younger generation have the ability to challenge tradition and change the future.
• Sheila questions her father's actions, stating that his decision to sack Eva was a "mean thing to do" and a "rotten shame".
• Sheila tries to show others her age that they are wrong too, stating to Gerald, "I expect you've done things you're ashamed of too".
• Eric recognises that the Capitalist system is selfish and exploitative, stating that workers don't benefit from the company's high profits.
• Sheila criticises her mother's use of the adjective "impertinent", which is ironic as this is the word she used to complain about Eva to Milwards, resulting in Eva getting fired.
• Sheila admits and learns from her mistakes, identifying lessons that the other characters need to learn.
• Sheila identifies the mistakes she and those before her made and tries to stop the cycle.
• Sheila becomes more vocal against her parents as the play progresses, calling them out for their continued snobbery and denial.
• Sheila goes against capitalist ideas, stating that workers are people, not just labour.
• Priestley uses Sheila to expose the ridiculousness of the older generations' facades, encouraging his audience to view their elders with cynicism and realise they are performing rather than being genuine.
• Structure and form are important to this theme because of how Priestley uses them to emphasise the divide between the generations.
• The use of the noun "power" could suggest Mrs Birling doesn’t want to change her mind because it is a sign of weakness or submission.
• Mrs Birling doesn’t listen to the opinions of others, reinforcing the idea that the older generations are deliberately ignorant and obstinate.
• Mrs Birling rejects any view that opposes her own, is impertinent, and the repetition of "I don't understand you" may imply she isolates herself from others.
• Priestley implies the older generations did not trust the younger generations to act in an appropriate manner, with their lives dictated by arbitrary rules and a desire to appear sophisticated, rather than living freely.
• Priestley suggests the older generations saw any alternative suggestions as a challenge to their authority, with Mrs Birling's prejudices, especially classism, revealed in her reaction to Eva Smith coming to the charity for help.
• Mrs Birling is a very conservative, traditional character who is unrepentant about her prejudices, showing how the older generations were stubborn and stuck in their ways.
• Mrs Birling describes Eva introducing herself as "Mrs Birling" as a "piece of gross impertinence - quite deliberate", showing her disdain for a working class girl using her name.
• The use of derogatory words like "cranks", "bees in a hive", and "nonsense" show how Mr Birling actively mocks socialists, rather than just disagreeing with them.
• Priestley suggests the older generations did not respect Socialism as a valid political system, presenting them as cruel and narrow-minded.
• The older generations will be stuck in the past.