Generations Young vs Old

• Context:

  • 1945 had severe generational divide
  • those who fought in the war, those to young and those to old
  • those who knew life before the war and those who only knew war
  • lost generation
  • born 1883 - 1900
  • reached adulthood just during or after first world war
  • lost generation found everyday life materialistic and emotionally meaningless
• dialogue organised where either parent or child dominates the conversation
• Beggining

  • family is unified
  • all occupy same role as ignorant, complacent upper class people
  • dont challenge parents authority despite curiosity
  • want to emulate / imitate them
  • Inspector aims to split family permanently down generational lines
  • Priestley suggest impact world war had on society
  • change has to happen nd it has to be made
• Both Eric and Shiela undergo charchter arcs

  • start immature
  • desire to follow parents
  • end with maturity and understanding of real world

  contrast stasis of older generation

  • all prepared to continue in same way
  • determination to return to the way things were before suggests an incredible level of delusion
  • Morality and integrity mean nothing to them
• Ending:

  • ends how it started
  • mirroring suggests nothing changed
  • however audience know of family divide from beggining
  • cyclical structure could allude to two world wars
  • "pretend all over again"
  • history will repeat until people learn
• Priestley shows Mr Birling sees himself as a teacher to younger generations because of his age and experience

  "Now you three young people listen to this"

  • takes his own advice very serious
  • desire for attention
• Take my word for it, you youngsters - I've learnt in the good hard school of experience"

  • suggests knowledge and experience only comes with age
  • experience is ultimate form of education
  • age and superiority
  • patronising and mocking
• "We don't guess - we've had experience - and we know"

  • overconfident
  • his generation paved the way to the better world
• "Some people say that war is inevitable and to that say - fiddlesticks!"

  • absolute certainty in his predictions
  • men are taught their opinions were always valuable
  • dramatic irony
  • arrogance and overconfidence causes these disasters as they refuse to see them coming
• "The things you girls pick up these days!"

  • disapproves modern culture
  • rude and unladylike, threatening traditional femininity
• Older generation are deliberately ignorant and obstinate

  "I dont know what you talking about"

  "I dont understand you"

  • repetition of dont suggests older generation are incapable of entertaining suggestions of others
  • repetition of 'i dont understand' may imply she isolates herself from others
• "You have no power to make me change my mind"

  • doesnt want to change her mind because it suggest weakness or submission
  • challenges there authority
• • Eric and Shiela represent the changing face of British society
  • break free to think independently
  • accept responsibility
  • encourage other to do the same
  • linked to socialist ideologies
  • younger generations capable of starting revolution
  • empathetic and passionate
  • capable of taking care of others
• "And as you were saying, Dad, a man has to look after himself"

  • following in fathers footsteps
  • younger generations are likely to adopt and maintain tradition and values
  • repetition on father imply Eric is incapable of thinking for himself

  later Eric revisits lecture and "laughs bitterly"

  • younger generation have the ability to think for themselves
• "He could have kept her on instead of throwing her out"

  • older generations see no possibility of forgiveness
  • younger are open to acts of understanding and mercy
• "Why shouldn't they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices"

  • he recognises how the Capitalist system is selfish and exploitative
  • He sees workers being exploited
• Shiela becomes more vocal to parents

  • "build up a kind of wall"
  • "silly pretences"
  • portrays them as foolish and childish
  • "impertinent is such a silly word"
  • Birlings air of superiority is false
  • criticises mother
  • ironic - used this word to complain about Eva at Millwards
  • Broken free of mothers opinion
• "mean thing to do"

  "rotten shame"

  • portray Shiela as sympathetic and well-meaning
• "These girls arn't cheap labour - they're people"

  • going against capitalist ideas
  • reflects left wing politics
• "I expect you've done things your ashamed of too"

  • no longer views Gerald as perfect and virtuous
• Gerald claims he doesnt "come into this suicide buisness"

  Sheila responds "I thought I didnt, half and our ago … you'll see. you'll see

  • sees Gerald's denial
  • realises he is involved in some way aswell
  • ominous 'youll see' implies she is desperate to see there les broken down
• • younger generation are more realistic
  • able to avoid future mistakes
• "Yes, I know - but still"

  "Just let me finish Eric. you've a lot to learn yet"

  • older generation craved attention and respect
  • men = aggressive and domineering
  • competition for authority
  • younger generation not taken seriously because of their youth
• "please dont contradict me like that"

  "Shiela dont talk nonsense"

  • appear irritable and vain
  • ban people disagreeing with her
  • older generation wanted to stay in control
• "hysterical young fool"

  • younger generation is irrational sensitive stupid
  • not sympathetic to children
• Parents are quick to point fingers

  • "your the one I blame for this"
  • Eric, I'm absolutely ashamed of you"
  • blaming assured they arn't burdened with responsibility
  • didnt learn from inspectors message
  • stuck in their ways
  • alludes to the fact the elders left the younger generations to recover from damage of war despite not starting it
• Eric and Shiela able to identify shared guilt

  • "I dont blame you"
  • "I behaved badly too. I know I did. I'm ashamed of it'"
  • accepting responsibility
  • only younger generation able to improve society
  • older continue living in ignorance and denial
• Younger generation in agreement that whether he was "really a police inspector" or not doesnt "make a real difference"

  • moral and conscientious generation who recognise other people's feelings over their own
• Mr and Mrs Birling think "it matter a devil of a lot" if the inspector wasnt real

  "exited" to know he was "a fake"

  • more concerned of what the inspector can use against him and the impact on their reputation
• "The moneys not the the important thing. its what happened to the girl an what we all did to her that matters"

  • rejecting money
  • going against capitalist views
• "but now you're beggining all over again to pretend that nothing much has happened"

  • wilful ignorance in order to protect and comfort themselves
  • life changing for younger however older are unchanged
  • used to the confrontation
• "you began to learn something. And now you've stopped. your ready to go on in the same old way"