inspector calls quotes

Mr Birling - “a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own” theme of hypocrisy/ reputation

• incapsulates mr Birlings core beliefs in individualism and capitalism as “mind his own business” highlights selfishness and how he has no regard for the wider community”

• Irony- Birling business gets disclosed throughout the play and could be karma as they all are involved into Eva smiths business

• This speech is interrupted by arrival of inspector which is a dramatic device to challenge Birlings ideology, as he stands for socialism

• Can be seen as: Business, yourself, then others as “himself and his own” ignores vulnerable people like the Eva smiths

• Repetition of of possessive pronouns showing his fixation on property and ownership, even of his family

Shiela- “These girls aren’t cheap labour- they’re people” theme of gender

• “Labour” they all used Eva in some way

• Creates a generational divide and is symbol of hope and progress as younger generation is likely to accept socialism

• The dash adds emotions and it creates a pause showing Sheila’s outrage

• marks a significant moment in Shiela character development as she begins to challenge capitalist attitudes

• “Cheap labour” reveals dehumanising language used by upper class reducing them to an economic resource

“If we are all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we had anything to do with, it would be very awkward, wouldn’t it?

• Dismissing the idea of collective responsibility

• Birling family is wiping there hands from responsibility of anything

• Because they don’t take responsibility they treat people badly which in the end catches up to them

• “Wouldnt it?” Is a rhetorical question and is sarcastic/ mocking showing his lack of empathy and unwillingness to accept that his actions have consequences

• “Awkward” downplays how serious his actions actually are which shows his selfishness as he says it inconvenience

• Long winded and circular structure of sentence also shows birilings attemp to try justify his behaviour

Mrs Birling - “first, the girl herself… secondly, I blame the young man who was the father of the child… he should be made an example of” theme of hypocrisy/ reputation

• Dramatic irony because Eric is the father as she says “the father should be made example of”

• Reveals mr Birlings obstinate nature and her refusal to take responsibility embodying the theme of hypocrisy of upper class

• the fact she blames Eva “first” highlights how she protects her own status

• Links to morality as mrs Birling says good and bad is dependent on who does it

• Believes her family is so superior that it’s too ridiculous for her family to have done it/ someone she loves

• Absolves herself from the blame

Eric act 3 - “I wasn’t in love with her or anything- but I liked her- she was pretty and a good sport” theme of gender/ exploitation

• Reflects the exploitation of women by men and “wasnt in love with her” but still used her for company reveals how he treated her as a temporary thing rather than a real person

• Eric and Gerald use her then move on from her treating her badly based on the difference in power

• Links to injustice, gender. Patriarchy, capitalism

• “Pretty” shows how Eric was focused on physical appearance portraying his shallow values this language is patronising and dismissive showing Eric saw someone to have fun with not as equal

• Represents the misogynistic views of the time

• Preistly uses Eric’s behaviour to explore how privileged men exploit women without considering impacts

Inspector final speech- “We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other” theme of social responsibility

• This quote is the core moral message of the play and represents socialism

• This line calls for collective responsibility

• Powerful didactic message and 3 short blunt sentences are used to emphasise

• “Members of one body” is a metaphor that evokes Christian and socialist imagery to suggests that like limbs of our body we cannot survive without each other

• Purposely uses Christian imagery to appeal to the audience moral conscience

• By delivering this line just before his exit the inspector leaves the audience with a final challenge to reflect on their own role in society and their actions

Act 3, Sheila- “the point is you don’t seem to have learnt anything” theme of generational divide

• Shiela expresses her frustration to her parents and Gerald which shows how Sheila has matured and embodied a sense of moral accountability while her parents remain blinded to their faults

• Sheila becomes a mouthpiece for the people who don’t have a voice which creates conflict between family

• Highlights the generational divide in the play and how younger generations become more socially aware

• Shows that social change is possible if people are willing to learn for their mistakes

“There are millions of Eva smiths all intertwined with our lives … if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire blood and anguish”- inspectors final speech- Theme: capitalism vs socialism, social responsibility, class inequality, responsibility

• this quote is the climax of the inspectors final speech and acts as preistleys raisonneur

• Repetition of “millions and millions” emphasises the scales of social injustice as Eva smith is a symbol for the entire working class who suffer under capitalism

• “if men will not learn that lesson” shifts the tone to threatening

• The triplet of “fire,blood and anguish” is loaded with biblical and apocalyptic imagery evoking the horrors of war and revolution

• As for original 1945 audience who had just lived through 2 wars this would feeling chillingly real showing how lack of social responsibility leads to turmoil

• The direct address “we are members of one body” earlier in the speech combined with powerful conclusion creates a moral reckoning

Mrs Birling. Act 1- “When you’re married, you’ll realise that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend all their time and energy on their business” - theme of gender

• deeply patriarchal mindset and reinforces the rigid gender roles of the early 20th century Britain that are also embedded in women like mrs Birling

• Edwardian women expect to follow husbands wishes and have to get used to being second choice as men’s careers and status is more valuable

• “You’ll realise”- patronising tone to show how mrs Birling is undermining Shiela intelligence which shows she is snobbish and cold

• She is instructing Shiela to accept male dominance

• “When your married” carries on the patronising tone assuming Sheila will one day accept the same submissive role that Mrs birilings has

• Preistly uses this line to criticise the conservative values of the Edwardian upper class showing how older generations even women help maintain gender inequality

• Sheila response to Gerald’s betrayal and her new moral awareness shows a rejection of this outdated mindset by highlighting the generation divide

“Clothes mean something quite different to a women” - mr Birling- theme of gender roles, social class, appearance, hypocrisy

• This line reveals the birilings patronising and stereotypical views of women

• This reinforces priestlys critique of Edwardian gender roles at the time

• Reflects the mysoginistic views held by men of his class who believed women were defined by looks and status

• This links to consumerism and class as Birling assumes that women use clothes to express social positions as appearance was a tool for maintaining class

• This is also foreshadowing Shiela as her reaction to Eva smith being dismissed from Millwards over a dress becomes a moment of moral awakening

“Unsinkable absolutely, unsinkable” - theme of socialisms vs capitalism and ignorance of upper class

• Symbolism as the titanic could be a symbol of patriarchy and capitalism and reflects his arrogance in social responsibility

• Exposes birilings arrogance and lack of insight by the use of dramatic irony

• Repetition of unsinkable followed by the emphatic “absolutely” intensifies his certainty

• Undermines Birling credibility

• Immediately Turns the audience against capitalism

• Titanic becomes a metaphor for the Birlings and their class appearing strong but their refusal to change sees them become doomed

Gerald- “everything’s all right now Shiela, how about that ring”

• “What about this ring” reveals his deep desire to restore social order

• Casual tone represented by “everthing all right now” highlights his belief about their actions being meaningless without legal consequences

• Symbolism of ring represents the return to the gender roles where women are expected to forgive and accept male dominance

• Gerald is used to represent how upper class are focused on appearance and reputation

• Themes of responsibility, class, gender roles,

“Public men have responsibility as well as privileges”

• “Public men” carries a tone of formality and irony as Birling views his status as having entitlement but inspector uses it as moral obligation

• Juxtaposition between “responsibility” and “ privilege” showing he enjoys his status but rejects any duty to others

• Didactic tone to show his power and moral figure

Mrs Birling tries to deflect the attention onto husband and daughter saying they are to blame

Eva refused money as she knows it was stolen showing she has morals

Act 3 Eric arrives

Growing conflict between Eric and parents as they believe he was very irresponsible

Play ends with a sharp ring of phone