THE MAIN QUOTES + ANALYSIS

• "unsinkable absolutely unsinkable"

  • referring to the titanic as

  "unsinkable" is DRAMATIC

  IRONY to make him look stupid, foolish and a symbol of a rich capitalist to make them look stupid too.

  • METAPHOR- could be representitive of the upper classes- Preistley wants to show that their power and privellage will also be sunk by the peace and election which will follow the second world war.
  • capitalism to look vulnerable and something from the past that can now be changed and sunk- audience to be the iceberg.
• "we are members of one body"

  CONTRASTS- mr birling that

  'every man has to look after himself"

  echoes communion (the eucharist) and links his socialist message to the christian message since majority of society would already be christians- SOCIALISM =

  CHRISTIANITY

  much more persuasive

  because it tells his audience that only a moral christian society can be socialists.

  • "we" COLLECTIVE

  PRONOUN- emphasises we all have a duty to look after each other and cannot act alone
• "these girls are not cheap labour, they are people"

  • PLOSIVES to express her utter disgust and shock
  • socialist message- caring for each other- we must think of the workers of people.
  • inherent sexism of the way she speaks- "these girls"
  • she also belittles them in her language they are "girls" they are still inferior
  • has these prejudices because this is what society of the time gave her. now in 1945, we should be viewing these "girls" as women with complete independence
• "I was in that state where a chap turns easily nasty"

  • "states" being drunk justifies the wrong doings
  • "chap" has carefree

  connotations which juxtaposes the semantic field of violence of

  "nasty, row, threaten"

  • "row" hints at a verbal argument - clear eric hinted at physical violence - - "nasty" is alluding to physical and sexual abuse - euphemism
  • distances himself from this by refusing to use the personal pronoun "i" so that he doesn't feel responsible
  • "nasty" amplifies the state is common to all men
  • "that" implies it is common and not a sin
• "no, not yet, it's too soon. I must think"

  • leaves the audience wondering what she'll do
  • almost as soon as Sheila doesn't completely reject
  • Gerald's offer (rejecting capitalism and learning the inspectors lesson) the phone

  RINGS almost as if they had summoned him because she hasn't properly learnt his lesson or else she'd reject him completely.

  • sheila will be unable to resist marrying him because she ultimately won't find a better husband which is a tragic conclusion
• "It happened that a friend let me have the key to a nice little set of rooms"

  • PREMEDITATED- that he wants the room for sexual adventure - makes it seem like he's helping her by providing her accommodation when he's only doing it so he doesn't have to pay for sex hence why she is kicked out as soon as the friend returned
  • "it happened" is a lie-SOPHISTRY - he already knew his plan
  • having to pay for a flat for her would cost a lot more than what he pays her already
• “if men will not learn that lesson they’ll be taught it in fire and blood and anguish” 

  • allusion to war
  • RELIGIOUS IMAGERY- comparing capitalism to hell which would scare the majority christian society
  • POLYSYNDETIC LIST- slows down reader and emphasises each individual thing also can be used to give the reader a sense of overwhelmingness
  • blaming only men for war- FEMINIST PLAY- that men caused war