An Inspector calls
theme and character analysis with a few quotes
- Created by: Abigailharrison
- Created on: 20-03-16 11:24
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- An Inspector Calls
- Themes
- Responsibility
- Priestly uses responsibility to show the two different views: capitalist (Birling) and socialist (Inspector)
- The idea of the play is what happens to Eva Smith represents what happens to all poor workers
- Social Class
- Mrs Birliing is Mr Birling's social superior as is Gerald to Sheila
- Mrs Birrling refers to Eva as "of that class"
- Priestley was interested in the class system and how it determines the decisions thnat people make.
- Gender
- In the play it is showed that women are used as possessions by men and that they don't have the same rights.
- Mr Birling has a patronizing and stereotypical view of women whereas Gerald is very superficial in his view of women. Even though Mrs Birling is a woman, she is just as cruel and old fashioned as the men.
- Age
- There is significant contrast between the younger and older generations.
- Arthur and Sybil refuse to accept the responsibility in Eva's death whereas Eric and Sheila are shaken up by the Inspector message and take great responsibility.
- Priestly suggests a more communally responsible socialist future.
- Time
- Priestly believed in Dunne's theory that people could see backwards and forwards in times.He thought that meant you could be warned by visitors from the future about how tio behave
- Responsibility
- Characters
- Mr Birling
- He's highly conscious of social status.
- He says he has a "good chance of a knighthood" was an alderman", was "Lord Mayor" two years ago, is "on the bench" and "plays golf" with "our Chief Constable".
- Mr Birling is an arch capitalist and hates socialism.
- He represents the greed, self-importance and stupidity of capitalism
- "a Socialist or some sort of crank - he talked like one"
- He's highly conscious of social status.
- Inspector Goole
- The term Goole sounds like "ghoul". he is ghost-like in the sense that he doesn't exist.
- The Inspector represents the voice of socialism and Priestly.
- "we are all responsible for each other"
- Sheila
- Sheila is optimistic and unlike her parents, shows remorse for the suicide of Eva Smith.
- She is sympathetic to the ideas of socialism and displays a free-thinking spiritedness
- Mrs Birling
- Mrs Birling is a cold, dull and unsympathetic woman who represents the upper class of women.
- She refuses to believe Eva Smith's story because she is of lower class.
- Gerald
- Gerald represents the aristocracy. he is stuck in the middle between socialist and capitalist.
- At the end, Gerald turns out to be more relieved than repentant about the hoax of Eva Smiths death.
- Eric
- He shows regret and guilt towards Eva Smith, and shows that, despite his initial brutishness, he does have a tender and paternal side.
- By the end of the play, he stands firmly on the side of socialism.
- Mr Birling
- Themes
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