Themes

• Arthur Birling- key ideas

  7 sins: GREED

  Arrogant, opinionated, pompous, narrow minded

  Provincial accent and vocabulary, stubbornly lacking in subtlety, give evidence of his upward social mobility

  Dominant and controlling

  Priestley discredits him using dramatic irony

  His view of this future prosperity are naive and with hindsight, unfounded suggesting...

  His political and ideological ideas are flawed

  Believes progress is measured by industrial advances

  Makes desperate gestures that seem futile in the face of the Inspector- weak and backward looking

  Demonstrates the generation gap as he has issues with Eric

  Brings the audience to respond in frustration

  Represents an obstacle HOWEVER reassures us that with the passing of Edwardian age and the knowledge of the next 30 years

  He is the past
• Sybil Birling- Key ideas

  7 sins: PRIDE

  Cold, lacking emotions- a product of Victorian stoicisim

  Socially superior to her husband

  Different to Mr Birling: aware of the differences between the social classes yet seeks to maintain the status quo

  Incapable of humility, self-examination:

  Believes that because of their position in the community they are above criticism

  Insulated by her husbands wealth

  Motivated by her controlling nature

  Embodiment of what is obnoxious of the ruling class

  The most resistant to the Inspector

  Grasps eagerly at the idea that if the Inspector is not genuine, they can and indeed go on behaving as they have
• Gerald- key ideas


  Irresponsible, insulated

  His duplicitous and complacent way of life will jeopardise his plan to marry Sheila- punishment?

  To marry Sheila would be to ignore his misbehaviour

  Does not admit his involvement at first in an attempt to protect his interests

  Gerald drives the theory that the Inspector is fake

  Does not change by the end of the play, protects his reputation

  Birling's ideal son. To him, Gerald represents integrity and guarantees profit HOWEVER he repeats an ongoing lie
• Eric- key ideas


  7 sins: Lust

  Awkward and unsure of himself- a product of his parent's behaviour

  Clear tension between his father, resents him for his coldness and distance

  Challenges his father

  Has no support, neglected

  Frustration motivates his behaviour and heavy drinking

  Explosive- unequipped to reach the outside world

  Sense of sympathy shared with Sheila, both ashamed of their parents

  A sense of responsibility upon discovering Eva's preganancy

  Guilty and remorseful HOWEVER unhappy, rebellious, weak young man. Not a leader who can drive forward reform
• Sheila- key ideas


  7 sins: ENVY

  Frivolous, carefree, vain, jealous, vengeful

  Voice of conscience and guilt

  Compassionate

  Remorseful

  Perceptive

  Her anger with her parents is born of frustration at their lack of remorse- the audience relates

  Shown to be more impressionable, receptive than the older generation

  Accepts the notion of social responsibility and changes as a character becoming:

  Less emotional and superficial, more judgemental and challenges

  Represents the idea that social change will only be possible if we adjust our social morality

  A leader? Birling's view is that she is young and unexperienced WHILE she is presented as a much stronger character after the Inspector
• The Inspector- key ideas

  Massive, portentous, lugubrious

  Dominant and forceful character

  Drives the central conflict of the play- must now take action

  Purpose is to establish guilt to reform their values, behaviour and morality

  Methodical and systematic- adds tension, mystery and gives him control

  Authoritative figure, unintimidated

  Struggled to separate respectable citizens and criminals

  Deliver's Priestley's central message of social responsibility

  The close of the play emphasises the mystique of his character

  Doctrine of individualism

  Authenticity of the Inspector doesn't matter, their consciences have been inspected
• How does Eric show he is neglected by his parents?

  'Not the kind of father a chap would go to when he's in trouble'

  'Mother never did... Understand anything'

  RELATIONSHIPS, YOUTH AND AGE
• What quote embodies the ideas of Eric possibly being a leader?

  'Not quite at ease, half-shy, half assertive' Act 1

  POWER
• How does Eric show he is remorseful?

  'My God- I'm not likely to forget'

  RESPONSIBILITY
• How is Eric's attitude shown towards his parents by the end of the play?

  'I'm ashamed of you as well- both of you'

  'The girls dead and we helped to kill her'

  RESPONSIBILITY, RELATIONSHIPS, YOUTH AND AGE
• Which quote shows how Sheila behaves before the Inspector arrives?

  'I'm sorry, Daddy. She looks attentive, as they all do.'

  POWER, RELATIONSHIPS, YOUTH AND AGE
• How does Sheila challenge her father?

  'But these girls aren't cheap labour- they're people.'

  SOCIALISM, CLASS, RESPONSIBILITY
• How does Sheila demonstrate she has changed?

  'You and I are not the same people who sat down to dinner here'

  RELATIONSHIPS, RESPONSIBILITY
• How does Sheila show remorse?

  'I'll never, never do it again to anybody'

  RESPONSIBILITY
• How does Sheila warn her family?

  'He's giving us the rope- so that we'll hang ourselves'

  RESPONSIBILITY, SOCIALISM
• What quote embodies the ideas of Sheila possibly being a leader?

  'Not yet'

  'It's too soon. I must think.'

  RELATIONSHIPS
• How does Gerald describe his relationship with Eva?

  'Inevitable'

  'I didn't feel the same about her as she did about me.'

  RELATIONSHIPS
• On the one hand, how is Gerald shown to be not guilty?

  'She didn't blame me.'

  'made her happy for a time.' 'At least you cared'

  RESPONSIBILITY, RELATIONSHIPS
• On the other, how is Gerald shown to be involved and attempt to hide, being guilty?

  'I don't come into this suicide business.'

  'we can keep it from him'

  TRUTH AND LIES, POWER, RESPONSIBILITY
• How is Mrs Birling's relationship demonstrated?

  'Arthur- you're not supposed to say such things!'

  POWER, CLASS
• How does Mrs Birling show that she is not empathetic?

  'Put up with it'- check!

  Mrs Birling may have been cheated on in the past, but turns to her own daughter and says this. Covers

  Gerald

  'You've had children. You must know what she was feeling'

  RELATIONSHIPS, POWER
• How is Mrs Birling's attitude towards the lower class demonstrated?

  'Girls of that class'

  CLASS
• How is Mrs Birling made to look idiotic through dramatic irony?

  'Go and look for the father of the child. It's his responsibility.'

  RESPONSIBILITY, RELATIONSHIPS
• How is Mrs Birling shown to have been unaffected by the Inspector?

  'I accept no blame for it at all'

  RESPONSIBILITY, SOCIALISM
• How are Mr Birling's capitalist views highlighted?

  'For lower costs and higher prices'

  CAPITALISM
• How does Mr Birling challenge socialist views?

  'Cranks'

  'Community and all that nonsense'

  CAPITALISM
• How is Mr Birling portrayed as idiotic through dramatic irony?'

  'Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable'

  'If you don't come down sharply on these people they'd soon be asking for the Earth'

  DRAMATIC IRONY

  CAPITALISM
• How is Mr Birling shown to be unimpressionable?

  'Hard headed man of business'

  POWER, CAPITALISM
• How is Mr Birling shown to be unchanged?

  'But the whole things different now.'

  'There's every excuse for what your mother and I did'

  'I've got to cover this up as soon as I can'

  TRUTH AND LIES, RESPONSIBILITY
• How is Mr Birling shown to criticise the younger generation?


  'The famous younger generation who know it all'

  YOUTH AND AGE
• How does the Inspector highlight the Birling's hypocrisy?

  'But after all it's better to ask for the world than to take it'

  SOCIALISM
• How does the Inspector show the difference between him and Mr Birling?

  'I don't play golf'

  SOCIALISM
• How does the Inspector highlight the damage the Birling's irresponsible behaviour has resulted in, and show that Eva is a victim?

  'A nice little promising life there... And a nasty mess somebody's made of it'

  CLASS, POWER
• How does the Inspector present the Birlings as criminals?

  'I wouldn't know where to draw the line' (between respectable citizens and criminals)

  POWER, RESPONSIBILITY, TRUTH AND LIES
• How does the Inspector encompass the socialist view?

  'If there's nothing else, we'll have to share our guilt.' Act 2

  'We are members of one body'

  SOCIALISM, RESPONSIBILITY
• How does the inspector compare Sheila and Eva and show they're not so different?

  'Your daughter isn't living on the moon.'

  RELATIONSHIPS, CLASS
• How does the Inspector warn the Birlings of the future?

  'Fire and blood and anguish'

  Biblical reference

  SOCIALISM
• How does Eric challenge his father?


  'What about the war?
• Which quotes speak of Eva/Daisy?

  'she had a lot to say- far too much'

  'I didn't feel the same about her as she did about me.'

  'she didn't blame me'

  'a good worker'

  'a good sport'

  'a very pretty girl too- with big dark eyes
• How is Eric's attitude to women portrayed?

  'As if she was an animal, a thing, no a person.