wjec gcse english lit

heroes and an inspector calls key quotes and analysis

“we are all members of the same body” - inspector goole

the inspector is criticising mr and mrs birling for not believing in taking responsibility or believing in priestleys socialist views. this is a warning to 1940’s audience to make a change in society. it shows the themes of responsibility, justice and power.

fire and blood and anguish - inspector goole

this references ww1 and ww2. it shows dramatic irony - war is about to happen. this quote links into priestleys socialist views. this quote shows the themes of responsibility, consequences, injustice and capitalism v socialism.

hard headed man of business - mr birling

the term “man of business” presents mr birling as a capitalist. for him to be hard headed it is for him to believe that he is knowledgable and his word is fact.

dazzling movie star teeth

said by larry lasalle

movie star indicates a sense of fraud - fake.

does that one sin wipe away all of the good things

this creates the argument of whether someone is truly good or truly evil.

pied piper

larry was compared to the pied piper. this is demonstrated by the way that he lures young children away from their families and then into a life of trouble as we later find. the story of the pied piper also creates the impression of the children being taken advantage of which we see when larry assaults nicole.

sweet young things - larry

larry refers to nicole as one of his. “sweet young things'“. this creates the impression that larry has done what he did to nicole to other young children. larry also grooms the other children like francis.

you are all stars

he was our champion and we were happy to be in his presence - school children

a chap turns nasty - eric

eric is initially portrayed as sympathetic. later it is revealed that he was the one to abuse eva - it is hinted at sexual violence as we know eva did not want eric to enter her room that night. this quote exposes vulnerability of women of lower classes being overpowered by wealthy males.

girls of that class - sybil

sybil makes assumptions about the lower classes making them out to be inferior both socially and morally. sybil shows ignorance through her link of class and morality. her assumption that girls in working classes wouldn’t refuse stolen money. sybil is a hypocrite.

many eva and john smiths - inspector

a man has to make his own way.. - mr b

this quote emphasises mr birlings narrow minded view of society. his vocabulary creates an impression of individualism since he believes everybody is responsible only for themselves. this quote alludes to his patriarchal values of men being more powerful than women

i have no face - francis

he is giving us rope - so that we will hang ourselves