Vocabulary and Quotations

Someone who is not very well educated or informed about the world.

Ignorant

Born into a life with special rights and advantages

Privileged

Speaking about something like it isn't even worth thinking about

Dismissive

An organisation or a system controlled by men

Patriarchal

Sheila Stage Directions

'A pretty girl, very pleased with life and rather excited.'

Sybil Birling Stage directions

'A rather cold woman and her husband's social superior'

Arthur Birling talking about workers (Act 1)

AB: 'for lower costs and higher prices G: 'Hear, hear'

Act Two - Sybil about Eva/Daisy

“As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!”

Act One - Sheila Birling about Eva being fired

“These girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people!”

Act Two - Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft

“You and I aren’t the same people who sat down to dinner”

Act Two - Gerald about women at the Palace Bar

“I hate those hard-eyed, dough-faced women.”

Act 3 - Eric talking about assaulting Eva

“I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty”

Act Three - Eric to the whole family

“the girl’s dead and we all helped to kill her”

Act Three - The Inspector

“We don’t live alone. We are members of one body.”

Naturally commanding and in control

Authoritative

Not feeling sorry for what you've done

Unremorseful

Not knowing much yet about the world, like a child

Naive

Understanding other people's emotions

Compassionate

Willing to think about new ideas

Open-minded

Someone who believes that they should make money and keep it as personal profit (2)

Capitalist
Mr Birling is a capitalist who believes that he should use his money to 'look after himself and his own'

Someone who believes money should be used to help everyone, especially those in need

Socialist
The Inspector is a mouthpiece for Priestley's socialist views, and Sheila and Eric begin to agree with him

How did the Second World war affect the classes? (2)

It helped to break down class barriers

all the different social classes worked together in the armed forces, and discovered they had a lot in common

What technique does Priestley use when Birling says that the Titanic is 'unsinkable', but the audience knows it sank?

Dramatic irony
Priestley uses this to show how we should not listen to Mr Birling