Themes

• Social superiors:

  Mrs Birling to Birling:

  • family has higher social status then Birling.

  •tells Birling off for saying ' Tell cook for me' -> mention of lower class was impolite.

  Gerald to Birling:

  • family are 'sir' and 'lady'.

  • 'old country family'

  • 'done better for yourself socially'
• Social Class:

  Working: Eva

  -> 'she'd no money left'.

  Middle: Birling family

  -> 'crofts limited are both older and bigger than Birlings'.

  Upper: Croft family

  -> 'Sir George' and 'Lady Croft'.
• Sterotypes destroyed:

  • Get weaker: Birling, Gerald and Eric

  • Get stronger: Shelia

  • Gerald '(she hands him the ring)'

  -> rejected despite higher social status

  • Birling, who night undermines authority, 'panic-stricken' in last speech

  • Sheila 'you're ready to go on in the same old way'

  -> exploits and undermines unresponsible behaviour
• Challenging sterotypes:

  Eva/Daisy

  • questions Mr Birling (her boss)

  -> 'had a lot to say'

  • doesn't rely on men

  -> 'refused to take any more' (money)

  Sheila

  • interrupts and challenges

  • 'don't interfere'

  • 'these girls aren't cheap labour - they're people'
• Youngest oldest man (Gerald):

  • used to show younger generation can chose to change or not

  -> critise upper class (set in ways)

  • same age to Sheila/Eric but has old attitudes like Mr/Mrs Birling

  -> marriage for business reasons

  -> agrees with Mr Birling 'I should say so!'

  • doesn't learn anything 'everythings alright now Sheila'

  -> thinks engagement is back on
• Younger generation:

  Eva/Daisy

  • ambitious, determind

  -> 'had a lot to say - too much'

  Challenge authority

  • 'don't interfere' - Sheila to Mrs Birling

  -> Mrs Birling replies with 'better keep quiet'

  Learns lesson

  • 'frightens me the way you talk' - Sheila to everyone

  • 'I agree with Sheila' - Eric
• Older generation:

  •traditional views

  -> 'woman ought to be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things'

  -> 'clothes mean something quite different to a woman ... make 'em look prettier'

  -> 'girls of that sort'

  -> 'girls of that class'

  -> 'Sheila you better keep quiet'
• Hierarchy gone:

  • destroyed by Inspector

  • without parents' influence Sheila and Eric can think for themselves

  -> marrying Gerald: 'It's too soon. I must think.'

  -> ideas of parenthood, Eric says to Mrs Birling she doesn't 'understand anything' and Mr Birling's 'not the kind of father a chap could go to'
• Tension in family life:

  •wants everyone to think they're the perfect family

  -> clear gender roles

  • tension building:

  -> Mrs Birling correcting family's social mistakes (Mr Birling says 'tell cook for me' she says 'not suppose to say such things')

  -> Eric's behaviour ('suddenly guffaws')

  -> Sheila 'half serious' about Geralds whereabouts last summer
• Acting due to class:

  Eva/Daisy

  • expected to have low morals

  -> 'as if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money'

  -> 'not a good cause'

  Sheila and Eric

  • turn against class views

  -> 'why shouldn't they try for higher wages' (Eric)

  -> refuse to 'go on behaving just as we did' (Sheila)