Inspector calls

• The famous younger generation who know it all and they cant even tell a joke - Mr Birling
• You hysterical young fool - Mr Birling
• Community and all that nonsense - Mr Birling
• Ive got to cover this up as soon as i can - Mr Birling
• Probably a socialist or some sort of crank - Mr Birling


  Trying to say that what the inspector said meant nothing as he was socialist

  Prejudiced

  Belittles on others ideas
• Damned impudence! - Mr Birling


  Exclamatory sentences - passionate and convinced about what he's saying

  Short sharp sentences when inspector enters showing growing frustration and anger
• Staging


  "pink and intimate" (capitalist and nonchalant atmosphere, rose tinted glasses, sheltered by their wealth) to "brighter and harsher" (reality, shining a light on falsehood like an interrogation room, inspector is moral correctness)
• " Arthur Birling is a heavy looking rather portentous man "


  "heavy looking" - suggests he has a certain gravitas or a weight of character, well fed and therefore well off

  "portentous" - overly solemn as if trying to impress suggesting he takes himself to seriously
• "the titanic unsinkable absolutely unsinkable" - Mr Birling


  Didactic nature of Mr Birling and highlights Edwardian hubris (pride / confidence) of the time

  Unrealistically positive shows he thinks he knows it all

  Dramatic irony highlights his arrogance
• "I was almost certain for a knighthood in the next Honours List" - Mr Birling


  His dream is social climbing married a rich woman - shallow family

  His blind and ruthless nature isn't shown till later in the play when he only cares about Eva when it disrupts his ambition

  Truly, deeply selfish
• I did my duty - Mrs Birling


  Noun - 'Duty' - Used to expose Mrs Birlings perception of duty as limited to a capitalist social duty of keeping the rich rich and the poor poor

  In doing so she neglects her moral duty to help those in need
• The rude way he spoke... it was quite extraordinary - Mrs Birling


  Adjective 'Rude' reveals Mrs B perception of the inspector as disrespectful

  She tries to undermine his authority and devaluate his argument so they do not have to take responsibility for their actions
• Girls of that class - Mrs Birling


  Reinforces that her rejection of Eva's case was purely based on prejudice shown by her generalisation of the girls

  Determiner 'that' demonstrates contempt of the working class and further highlights the deep rooted class divide of the time
• A rather cold woman - Mrs Birling


  Would have been perceived as an oxymoron at the time. Contemporary social norms dictated that women were meant to be loving maternal and emotional.

  Describing Mrs B as emotionally 'cold' is an attempt by Priestly to convey that such a detached attitude to suffering is unnatural
• But these girls aren't cheap labour they are people - Sheila


  Demonstrates her instantaneous recognition of the inspectors message

  Objects to her fathers dehumanising and capitalist approach to business
• Everything's all right now Sheila - Gerald


  Patronising tone

  Over the course of the play he changed to a more moral and humanistic person but changed back to himself at the end

  Hasn't learnt anything from the inspector
• Once Eva smith is gone there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths


  Microcosm of lower class and populations that are being exploited

  Last speech so designed to have an impact on the Birlings
• We are men of one body - Inspector


  Biblical imagery

  Audience would have been Christian so links to moral purpose so he believes that Christians have to socialist
• Don't get into the police court and start a scandal - eh?


  Irony

  Foreshadowing inspectors arrival
• Yes yes horrid business


  Dismissive

  both Birling and Gerald annoyed believes it is a waste of time
• Only a boy - Mrs B


  Believes her kids are still young

  Distanced from them so doesn't realise they have matured

  Doesn't believe they have their own minds
• Wonderful fairy prince - Sheila


  She is less naïve than the start

  Gerald rescues eva from Joe Meggarty but is he really any better?
• We are responsible for each other - Inspector


  Voice of priestly on socialism
• I hate those hard eyed dough faced women - Gerald


  Motive - if he really hated it there why would he go there? Tying to convey himself as innocent

  Misogynistic view of women- unsympathetic about why they became prostitutes

  'Hard eyed' - been through a lot - cynical

  'dough faced' - implying they are older

  attracted to youthful innocence that is why he rescued Eva