an inspector calls

Created by

Flo John

Cards (38)

The theme of guilt is also significant, as the characters are forced to confront their past actions and face the consequences.
(opening stage directions) ‘heavily comfortable, but not cosy and homelike’
(opening stage directions, lighting) ‘pink and intimate’ then ‘brighter and harder’
(about mr birling) ‘portentous man … but rather provincial in his speech’
(about mrs birling) ‘a rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior’
(about sheila) ‘a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited.’
(about gerald) ‘the easy well-bred young man about town’
(about eric) ‘not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive’
(mr birling to edna) ‘Giving us the port, Edna? That’s right.’
(mr birling about sheila to gerald) ‘She’ll make you happy, and I’m sure you’ll make her happy,’
(mr birling) ‘The Germans don’t want war’ / ‘And I say, there isn’t a chance of war’
(mr birling) ‘The Titanic.... unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable’
(mr birling) ‘a man has to make his own way – has to look after himself – and his family too, of course’
(mr birling) ‘as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense’
(mr birling) ‘a man has to look after himself and his own – and –‘ We hear the sharp ring of a doorbell. Birling stops to listen.’
(about the inspector) ‘an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness.’
(the inspector) ‘Because what happened to her then may have determined what happened to her afterwards, and what happened to her afterwards, may have driven her to suicide. A chain of events.’
(sheila about her ring) ‘Look – Mummy – isn’t it a beauty?‘
(sheila to the inspector) ‘I’ve been so happy tonight. Oh I wish you hadn't told me’
(sheila to the inspector about eva) ‘Pretty?’
(sheila) ‘Mummy sent me in’.
(mr birling to sheila) ‘Nothing to do with you Sheila. Run along.’
(sheila about the factory workers) But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people.’
(sheila to gerald about knowing eva) ‘Oh don’t be stupid… you gave yourself away as soon as he mentioned the other name’
(sheila to gerald) ‘You fool – he knows.’
(gerald) ‘I don’t come into this suicide business’
(gerald) I think Miss Birling ought to be excused any more of this questioning […] she’s had a long, exciting and tiring day [..] she’s obviously had about as much as she can stand.’
(gerald about the prostitutes) ‘I hate those hard-eyed, dough-faced women.’
(gerald about eva) ‘She was very pretty – soft brown hair and big dark eyes.’
(gerald about eva) ‘I didn’t install her there so that I could make love to her.’
(the inspector) if men will not learn that lesson, they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish
(the inspector) we are members of one body. we are responsible for each other  
christian imagery (it comes directly from a christian service) - priestly wants to say that you cannot be capitalist and a christian
(mrs birling) ‘girls of that class’ 
she sees herself as socially and morally superior to eva smith because of her class. she is not worthy of respect
(eric) i was in that state where a chap easily turns nasty  
patriarchal control. he distances himself from the sexual abuse of eva to excuse his actions. (wider) patriarchal society allows these men to abuse eva, even encouraging it (she turns to prostitution)
why is the play a cyclical narrative? (ending with a new inspector and the death of a girl)
to show that the birlings have not learned their lesson
(sheila) ‘no, not yet, it’s too soon, i must think’  
calls into question whether sheila can truly act upon the lesson she has learned, she may just go back to him as she might not be able to ‘do better’. patriarchal
(birling) ‘im talking as a hard headed, practical man of business’ 
‘hard headed‘ presents mr birling (and therefore capitalism) as unfeeling. link to ‘that a man has to mind his own business’
(sheila about eva) ‘she looked as if she could take care of herself‘ 
sheila assumes that since eva is pretty, she can get a man to provide for her financially easily, and won’t have to work to earn her living. anti patriarchy as women’s reliance on men leads to evas downfall