But I didn’t know it was you – I never dreamt. Besides, you’re not the type – you don’t get drunk
- Mrs Birling
Mrs Birling’s ignorance of the true reality of her son mirrors her more fundamental reality of society and the world, her ignorant attitude towards the poor.
Mrs Birling has a highly erroneous view of her son but also a highly erroneous view of the world and the poor in general.
Because you’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble
- Eric
lack of love and attentiveness in the family
probably why Eric’s behaviour is socially awkward
- has no support
Then – you killed her. She came to you to protect me – and you turned her away – yes, and you killed her –
your own grandchild - you killed them both
- Eric
large amount of grief-stricken, angry emotion
attempts to get his mother to understand that her responsibility towards a stranger is just as important as her feelings towards him, a key pillar of Social Responsibility
proclamation of utter hatred and fury shows a complete breakdown of the relationship as they both blame one another and have lost one another’s trust
millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths
- Inspector
asyndetic list
repetition of millions
- emphasises the gravity and extent of the issue by commenting on the amount of people that suffer the same as Eva did, opening it up to global concern
we are members of one body
- Inspector
opposite of Mr Birling’s ideology
if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish
- Inspector
dramatic irony
joint allusion to the Biblical doomsday and the world wars
would speak to an audience just emerging from the very real horrors of the war, as they would connect their shortcomings to the reason it occurred
I wasn’t in love with her or anything - but I liked her - she was pretty and a good sport
- Eric
non-committal
- avoiding being close to her
- reducing his blame
shallow values
- focus on physical appearance
dehumanising
- only a game to him
- misogynistic
I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can
- Mr Birling
cares more about his reputation(money stealing) than the fate of his son
your trouble is- you’ve been spoilt
- Mr Birling
has been brought up in a bourgeoisie lifestyle yet he still doesn’t know anything about real life in Mr. Birling’s eyes
Mr. B cannot comprehend anyone being more intelligent than him
links to gender
- Mr Birling is belittling Eric for being spoilt and having an easy life
- Sheila who is naïve and lives in a bubble isn’t checked for that
each of you helped to kill her. Remember that
- Inspector
forcing each of the family to take accountability
it’s you two who are being childish - trying not to face the facts
generational gap
- elder Birlings prioritise things such as status, reputation, image and the suffering of a human being is either secondary or even irrelevant.
- Sheila understands that the bigger picture and understanding the Inspector was trying to expose
- they now seem like small, petty things in the grander scheme of human suffering and the lack of a fairer society
You’re the one I blame for this
- Mr Birling
to Eric
refuses to accept that he was a part
There’ll be a public scandal… I was almost certain for a knighthood
- Mr Birling
cares more about status and reputation than the bigger implications
selfish
You’re beginning all over again to pretend that nothing much has happened
- Sheila
more conscientious and sensitive than her parents
- She regrets the mistakes that she has made in the past and is trying to learn from them - She has learnt her lesson but believes that her parents are acting very irresponsibly and unintelligently
You don’t seem to have learnt anything
- Sheila
calling her father out on his lack of empathy and his failure to learn anything from the Inspector’s visit
Sheila sees the wider issues
it doesn’t matter who it was who made us confess. And it was true
- Sheila
Priestley is using Sheila is the voice of morality
- a figure of hope for a better Britain with her more moral and humane attitudes
Priestley is saying, through Sheila, that rather than the rich focusing on whether they will get caught or not for any harsh behaviour towards the poor, they should look inside, to their inner self, their inner morality and reflect, and if required have a sense of shame and guilt.
That man wasn’t a police officer
- Gerald
Gerald is middle ground between the two generations of the Birling family
- presents Gerald in favour of the capitalist agenda in the end scene
- uses it as a shield against the allegations if of great import
reasons Priestley chose the character Gerald to deduce this
- Gerald is the future of their society, the one’s who will make all the decisions, and therefore perpetuate a immoral system
- due to the fact he is a member of elite aristocracy, he has been handed everything on a silver platter and has never been held accountable before
It frightens me the way you talk
- Sheila
Sheila has changed from a naïve character to an assertive woman who accepts blame, unlike her parents
stark differences in attitudes toward responsibility
now look at the pair of them - the famous younger generation who know it all
- Mr Birling
ironic quote shows that the younger generation have accepted responsibility while the parents are not taking it at all seriously
Everything’s all right now, Shelia. (Holds up the ring.
- Gerald
quick to forget his part in Eva’s life
- wasn’t truly sorry
