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idek what my main quotes are man
“heavily comfortable but not cosy and homelike”
symbolise the materialistic values of edwardian society which priestley wished to dismantle
antagonistic difference between audience and birling family, as they reject the materialism the birling family seem to revel in
“men have important work to do”
hierarchical distinction between men and women
these hierarchical ideals are ingrained in edwardian society as it was a women who said this to shiela
“working together - for lower costs and higher prices”
birling is excited for shielas marriage due to the financial gain it will result in
conveys the capitalist ideals the socialist audience would have despised
“people say that war’s inevitable. And to that I say - fiddlesticks!”
dramatic irony, Birling is presented as a fool
lexical choice of “fiddlesticks” shows his dismissal is infuriating for an audience who has just gone through a tragic war
“community and all that nonsense”
this is the viewpoint that the play wishes to dismantle, Priestley wants to prove that community is an integral part of society.
these socialist views were an integral part of his Common Wealth Party which merged with Labour in 1945, and helped them win a landslide victory
“an impressions of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness”
lexical field of solidity
the inspector becomes the moral bedrock on which the play is founded, and he is a textual mechanism which Priestley employs to impart the plays didactic message
“I was an alderman for years - and Lord mayor”
has no ability to defend himself through his actions and substance, but rather must rely on his connections
conveys the corrupt way in which the powerful evade civic responsibility, something which Priestley wished to challenge
“it’s my duty to keep labour costs down”
lexical choice of duty highlights the disparity between what Mr Birling believes his responsibility is and what the Inspector thinks it ought to be
“duty” associate with duty of fighting for you country, and hearing Birling use it in reference to lining his pockets, would have been galling for a post war audience
“Run along.” “She’s obviously had about as much as she can stand”
belittling way in which he speaks to Sheila reflects Edwardian patriarchy, Birling believes he has control over his daughters actions, and Gerald thinks he has the right to speak on her behalf.
imperative and short snappy syntax further proves this point
“but these girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people”
sheila is learning the socialist message
the younger generation is susceptible to change, which is a theme which is continued throughout the play
“a nasty little mess you’ve made of it” “a nasty mess somebody’s made of it”
repetition of key phrases serves to highlight the disparity between Birling and the Inspector and the values they represent.
birling is insular whereas inpector is communal
“girls of that class”
snobbery of upper class, the belief that the value as a human is inextricably linked to her social class
“dropped her when it suited him” “young and fresh”
she is disposable to Gerald
“fresh” suggests vulnerability and youth, and gerald took advantage of this for his own ends.
“I consider I did my duty”
once again use of “duty” would have been a jarring choice for a post war audience
the conception of duty that Mr and Mrs Birling have is eternally different from the conception of duty Priesltey wishes to cultivate
“Eric you stole money!”
Birling’s obsessed with material values, their first concern is their wealth and status
“I threatened to make a row”
Eva is vunerable and powerless and Eric is a predator whose drunken desires outweigh what Eva wants
throughout the whole play Eva is an individual whose autonomy is monopolised by the will of others
“We don’t live alone.” “We are members of one body.” “We are responsible for each other”
all people in society should share a responsibility for each other
the metaphorical image of us being one body highlights this.
“fire and blood and anguish”
evocative for a post war audience who have just fought through two world wars
reinforces the fact that the natural consequence of a society that does not care for one another is war and conflict
“there’ll be a public scandal”
“everything’s all right now shiela”
juxtaposition between the inspector’s poignant speech, and then Birling’s immediate apprehension that his reputation may be damaged starkly demonstrates the difference in their values
shows that mr birling has not changed
gerald has not changed, and does not understand that everything is not all right
“what does it matter now whether you get a knighthood or not” “you don’t seem to have learnt anything”
shiela begins the play in a childlike materialistic way, however she matures throughout the play
they represent a more sociably responsible future, and priestley is trying to convey a message of hope that the younger generation can rebuild society into a fairer and more egalitarian place
“It’s wonderful! Look mummy!” - to rejection of the ring
first she is enamoured by it only then to reject it; she is rejecting the materialistic values she initially lived by
