An Inspector Calls Character And Quote Analysis

Women are obsessed with pretty clothes, shopping and weddings

Young middle and upper class women are to be protected from "unpleasant and disturbing things"

Women are proud, vain, petty and jealous

Women often get "hysterical"

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Sheila’s relationship with Gerald is perhaps the most functional and honest in the play.

Sheila’s relationship with Gerald is is an example of what happens when two people speak to each other about their misdeeds, and then attempt afterward to reconcile.

Sheila’s relationship with Gerald is damaged beyond repair when she learns of the role he played in the death of Eva Smith because she realises that she cannot trust him to be honest with her.

At the end of the play, Sheila and Gerald leave open the possibility that they might reunite as a couple, even after what they have learned about each other.

Sheila respects Gerald more after his revelations about his relationship with Eva

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She wanted twenty-five shillings a week instead of twenty-two and six

She was not a good worker

Mr. Birling wanted to use her firing to strike fear into the hearts of other women who might be tempted to go on strike

She was involved in an inappropriate relationship with Mr. Birling's son

She was brave and spoke out against the low wages being paid by Birling and co.

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He agrees with Mr. Birling that the ringleaders of the strike had to be fired

He believes that young women like Eva are to be protected from "unpleasant things"

He learns from his mistakes and grows and changes throughout the play

Priestley uses him to suggest that a more caring future is not inevitable -people can choose to change or remain set in their ways

He is one of the younger generation but he remains unchanged

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Stereotype

Dramatic irony

Imagery

Women are obsessed with pretty clothes, shopping and weddings

Sheila is superficial and materialistic

Sheila needs an expensive symbol of Gerald's love

Women often get "hysterical"

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Mr.Birling believes that hard work is sufficient enough to allow a person to “get ahead.”

Mr. Birling's worldview is one of total individualism, where society is understood as a collection of persons and their families, each of which tries to maximize his or her own financial and social happiness

Mr. Birling is a capitalist who cares only about himself and his family

Mr. Birling will not hesitate to exploit anyone he can

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He disagrees with Mr.Birling and does not believe that hard work is sufficient enough to allow a person to “get ahead.”

He believes that Mr. Birling's worldview is wrong -society is not simply a collection of persons and their families, each unaffected by the actions of others as each tries to maximize his or her own financial and social happiness

Unlike Mr. Birling, he is a socialist who thinks that "We are all members of one body"

Mr. Birling's speech ignores many of the advantages that Arthur and his family have enjoyed, simply because of their social class

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We have an obligation to look after the poor and vulnerable members of society

A world that provides privileges to one set of citizens and ignores the connections between people and the plight of the oppressed, poor and exploited is not a stable world

We are not all connected and trying to connect with others or take responsibility for our actions might have dire consequences

The clash between individual and collective interests will result in war and bloodshed like that spoken of in the book of Revelation in the Bible

If, as a society, we stop now and start to think about and meet the needs of the vulnerable members of society, we might avoid the death, destruction and devastation that will otherwise occur

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Eva questions and challenges the decision re. wages of her employer instead of simply accepting them

Instead of relying on a man to save her, Eva refuses to accept Eric's money and tries to save herself

Sheila interrupts and challenges her father and Gerald at different point in the play

Sheila starts to state her own opinion openly and no longer gives her opinions in a "half joking" manner

Sheila uses her power as a valued customer to get Eva fired

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Sheila’s relationship with Gerald is perhaps the most functional and honest in the play.

Sheila’s relationship with Gerald is is an example of what happens when two people speak to each other about their misdeeds, and then attempt afterward to reconcile.

Sheila’s relationship with Gerald is damaged beyond repair when she learns of the role he played in the death of Eva Smith because she realises that she cannot trust him to be honest with her.

At the end of the play, Sheila and Gerald leave open the possibility that they might reunite as a couple, even after what they have learned about each other.

Sheila respects Gerald more after his revelations about his relationship with Eva

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All of the above

Sybil refuses to believe that what she has done is wrong

Sybil believes that she upheld the procedures of the charity

Sybil has no guilt about using her power to prevent Daisy/Eva accessing desperately needed help

Sybil refuses to allow the Inspector to make her feel guilty about her actions

Sybil thinks that she is the only member of the family who has done nothing to feel embarrassed about

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Priestley’s play presents believable characters in a realistic upper-middle-class situation

Characters speak in “prose” rather than in “verse.”

The presence of the “Inspector” marks within An Inspector Calls the possibility of actions beyond rational reasoning

Priestley uses the play to explore the impact of industrial power and the question of human worth

An Inspector Calls is a historical drama, as it is set in the run-up to the World War One

An Inspector Calls is an example of immediate post-war drama, which means that it was written after World War Two.

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Priestley suggests that while social class is important to the normal functioning of society, individuals can choose to act differently

Priestley uses the play to explore how ill-considered actions on the individual scale can have fatal, if unintentional, consequences

Priestley uses dramatic irony to present Mr. Birling as a short-sighted, opinionated man who does not know as much as he thinks he knows

Priestley challenges the audience's view of women by allowing Sheila to get stronger while Mr. Birling, Gerald and Eric get weaker as the play develops

Priestley uses the issue of class to drive the plot and shape the characters

The characters in the play represent the social classes present in society and Priestley challenges their views and behaviour in order to challenge the class hierarchy

Priestley uses the Birling's arrogant, thoughtless behaviour toward Eva Smith/Daisy Renton to suggest that this type of behaviour was comnon among the middle and upper classes

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Society was firmly divided along class lines

The Labour Party was formed in 1906 to represent the interests of the working class

Only men who owned property could vote

Charities like Mrs. Birling's were very important as there was not much government help for people like Eva who needed financial or other support

Middle-class women were expected to plan parties, go shopping, marry into money and do domestic jobs like cook, wash and clean

Gender roles (how men and women were expected to behave) were clearly defined for the wealthy middle class

Men were expected to work and protect women - especially their wives and daughters

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Sheila's language makes her seem childish at first

She abused her power and status as a wealthy customer of Milwards when she insisted that Eva Smith be fired

Priestley uses her as a moral judge at the end of the play

The Inspector's revelations change her for good

Priestley presents her as a strong-willed, intelligent young woman

Unlike her parents, Sheila has moral standards

Sheila becomes a bit like the iInspector. She adopts some of the Inspector's techniques asking questions and forcing the others to confront the role they played in the death of Eva Smith

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At the start of the play she uses childish, simple language

By the end of the play, she is confident and assertive

As the play progresses, she uses simple, plain and sometimes blunt language - just like the Inspector

Priestley makes her voice sound full of emotion and her language seems honest and heartfelt

Priestley presents her as a strong-willed, intelligent young woman who as the play unfolds, begins to disagree openly with her parents

By making Sheila seem young, naive and immature at the start of the play, Priestley mkes her involvement in the death of Eva Smith/Daisy Renton easier to forgive because it would appear that her actions were prompted more by immaturity than by malice or class prejudice

Sheila becomes a bit like the Inspector. She adopts some of the Inspector's techniques asking questions and forcing the others to confront the role they played in the death of Eva Smith

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He seems to come from outside the class system, so he is in effect classless

The Inspector disagrees with the Birling's ideas about social class and social responsibility

Priestley uses the Inspector as his mouthpiece, so that his views are spoken by the Inspector

Eric and Sheila realise that the Inspector's moral judgement is as important as or even more important than his legal power s

The Inspector does not share Mr. Birling's interests or values and he is not impressed by Mr. Birling's status and power

The Inspector passes on capitalist messages about the dangers of social class and teaches the other characters as well as the audience a lesson

He does not follow etiquette (normal rules of social behaviour) because he interrupts, repeats, pauses in ways which were not the norm in middle-class prewar England

He represents an all-knowing god-like force that holds the characters responsible for their actions

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He drives the plot

The Inspector passes on Priestley's message about social responsibility

Priestley uses the Inspector as his mouthpiece, to show the dangers of class prejudice

He has a strong sense of morality

The Inspector believes in equality and does not share Mr. Birling's interests or values nor he is not impressed by Mr. Birling's status and power

Priestley presents him as a mysterious, all-seeing god-like figure who is outside any class

He does not follow etiquette (normal rules of social behaviour) because he interrupts, repeats, pauses in ways which were not the norm in middle-class prewar England

He shatters the illusion of the 'perfect' family

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Sybil is Mr. Birling's 'social superior', so she is from a family with a higher social status that Mr. Birling

Sybil lives by strict social standards that make her prejudiced against people from a lower social class

Priestley uses Sybil and her husband to suggest that some people are beyond redemption because they refuse to accept responsibility for their actions

Sybil is a self-centred woman who ha snot noticed her son's alcholism and dismisses her daughters concerns about her fiance's whereabouts the previous summer

Sybil learns from the Inspector's message and regrets not "having asked him a few more questions"

Priestley presents Sybil as traditional, proud, prejudiced and cruel

Sybil is outraged that Eva Smith/Daisy Renton would pretend to have "the fine feelings" of a woman of the middle or upper class

Sybil strictly follows the rules of etiquette because a good reputation is an important part of upholding status in society

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Gerald shares many of Mr. Birling's views, particularly about business.

For example, his statement that Arthur "couldn't have done anything else" with regards to firing Eva Smith shows that, Like Mr. Birling, Gerald lacks social responsibility and thinks that is it acceptable to prioritise profit over his employees' well-being.

The similarity between Gerald and Mr. Birling is also shown at the end of the play when they are both happy to believe that the Inspector was a fake and it had all been a hoax.

Gerald shares many of Mr. Birling's views, particularly about business.

For example, his statement that Arthur "couldn't have done anything else" with regards to firing Eva Smith shows that, Like Mr. Birling, Gerald lacks social responsibility and thinks that is it acceptable to prioritise profit over his employees' well-being.

The similarity between Gerald and Mr. Birling is also shown at the end of the play when they are both happy to believe that the Inspector was a fake and it had all been a hoax.

Gerald shares many of Mr. Birling's views, particularly about business.

For example, his statement that Arthur "couldn't have done anything else" with regards to firing Eva Smith shows that, Like Mr. Birling, Gerald lacks social responsibility and thinks that is it acceptable to prioritise profit over his employees' well-being.

Like Mr. Birling, Gerald lacks social responsibility and thinks that is it acceptable to prioritise profit over his employees' well-being.

The similarity between Gerald and Mr. Birling is also shown at the end of the play when they are both happy to believe that the Inspector was a fake and it had all been a hoax.

Gerald shares many of Mr. Birling's views, particularly about business.

For example, his statement that Arthur "couldn't have done anything else" with regards to firing Eva Smith shows that, Like Mr. Birling, Gerald lacks social responsibility and thinks that is it acceptable to prioritise profit over his employees' well-being.

Like Mr. Birling, Gerald lacks social responsibility and thinks that is it acceptable to prioritise profit over his employees' well-being.

The similarity between Gerald and Mr. Birling is also shown at the end of the play when they are both happy to believe that the Inspector was a fake and it had all been a hoax.