An Inspector Calls Quotes

- Mrs Birling

- Act 2

- Classist Snob

- Highlights class division in 1912 in comparison to 1946 UK

responsibility"

- Mrs Birling

- Act 2

- Tries to pass the blame onto someone else

- Dramatic irony as Eric is the father

- Also ironic use of 'responsibility'

- Mr Birling

- Act 3

- Wouldn't increase wages but tries to bribe the Inspector

- Highlights Capitalist views

- Shows he has not understood the message from the Inspector of social responsibility and focused on wealth still

- Stage directions about Mr Birling

- Multiple connotations:
  *Physically appears heavy
  *Later on maybe he's 'heavy' with the suffering he's caused the lower classes

- 'Portentous' already shows the audience that Mr Birling is self-important

- Mr Birling about Sheila and Gerald's engagement

- Act 1

- Emphasises Capitalist views as he sees this emotional event as a method to improve his business and is motivated by the money he'll earn rather than his daughter's happiness

- Stage Directions

- Act 1

- Inspector's entrance cuts off Mr Birling's speech

- 'Sharp' connotes scissors which reflects the Inspector cutting through the Birling's innocent facade

- Also could represent that the Inspector is dividing the family as the old and young/socialist and capitalist become divided at the end

community and all that nonsense."

- Mir Birling

- Act 1

- Arrogance

- Reveals Priestley's ideas about class and contrasts Mr Birling's beliefs that classes should mix

- Mr Birling is a middle-class working man so he thinks he's better than the lower class

- However, WW2 caused the social classes to mix as people had to work together to help the war effort

well as priviliges."

- Inspector Goole cuts off Mr Birling 'massively'

- Act 2

- Blamed not only for actions but also for his failure to see his own social duties that come with a public position

- Conveys Priestley's Socialist views

- Inspector Goole

- Act 3, Final speech

- Semantic field of war or even hell

- Teaches both the Birlings and the audience the consequence of not taking social responsibility

- Set in 1912, it foreshadows the two World Wars, which would've been cemented in the 1946 audience's memory

- Also reflects the Russian revolution where poor workers and peasants fought and killed many aristocrats due to mistreatment

- Mr Birling

- Act 1

- Dramatic irony (the Titanic next week)

- Priestley engenders the audience to disregard Mr Birling's future beliefs as we already know he's incorrect on many things he's saying ("The Germans don't want war")

- Symbolises how Birling's political ideology is destined to sink, like the Titanic

- Failure of the Titanic suggests dangers of capitalistic hubris, which illustrates the risk to the entrepreneur (Mr Birling)

- Mr Birling to Eric

- Act 3

- Ignorance

- The message is clearly lost on Mr Birling as Priestley is trying to convey a social responsibility rather than singular blame

- Sheila

- Act 1

- Compassion

- Reveals that she is the first to become socially aware out of the Birlings

- Highlights perception of women at the time and also class

token of their self-respect"

- Mr Birling

- Act 1

- Sexist view on women

- The value of a woman is based on material possessions

- Eric

- Act 3

- Quotes the Inspector, highlights his social awareness of his responsibility

- Collective pronoun 'we'

- Emotive language with verb 'killed'

- Ironic use of the verb 'helped'

- Gerald Croft

- Act 2

- Superficial view

- Sexism towards women

- Reveals how women were treated at the time, had to suit the men's ideas about beauty

- Stage directions about the light

- Original lighting creates a cosy atmosphere, making the Birlings appear comfortable despite their horrible actions towards others

- New lighting resembles an interrogation light, the Birlings' immoral treatment of others are exposed

- Also emphasises discomfort

- Builds tension

responsible for each other"

- Inspector Goole

- Act 3, Final speech

- Priestley's main message about social responsibility

- Society is more important than individual interests

- Collective pronoun 'we'

- After WW1, social class division was nonexistent

- Mr Birling

- Act 3

- Dramatic irony