Inspector Calls
Birling
Represents selfishness and self absorption
• Inspector calls as Arthur tells Eric & Gerald that they must put their own interests before anyone else’s, and that socialist
ideas of human brotherhood are strange and not to be trusted. This is a capitalist attitude: care for profits, not workers..
Insecure man
• He is aware that his firm is not as successful as the Crofts’.
Concerned about reputation and business and wealth
• more upset that his family’s implication in the scandal would become public.
• “Your father and I have been friendly rivals in business…” shows Shelia’s and Gerald’s marriage is seen as a business deal.
• “Where did you get fifty pounds from?” shows he cares about the money and not about Eva Smith’s condition
Dismissive of youth
• “In the morning they’ll be as amused as we are.” - Treating the younger generations like little children.
Takes no Responsibility, does not want to face reality…shows no bravery
• “(Angrily) He wasn’t an Inspector.” - Birling is denying his responsibility by trying to find a way out.
• “…it has nothing to do with the wretched girl’s suicide. Eh, Inspector?” – wants to avoid any responsibility
o shows that he does not take the Inspector seriously, as he is addressing the Inspector informally using ‘Eh’
• “I can’t accept any responsibility. If we are all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we’d had anything to
do with, it would be very awkward, wouldn’t it?” - - shows Priestly is aimed at selfish capitalists who take no responsibility
Not as wise as you may think
• Says the Titanic is “unsinkable” – dramatic irony as it does
• Says that there “isn’t a chance of war” - dramatic irony as there is
• says that, “nobody wants war” - dramatic irony as we know that WW1 and WW2 follow
•
Mrs B (The matriarch of the Birling family.)
Represents selfishness and self absorption
• ‘But I think she had only herself to blame.’ - shows she has no compassion. This shows she is a cold woman.
• ‘shed Impertinently made use of our name’ - shows more concerned about Daisy using her name than her problem.
• She doesn’t want to help in the charity, she only has it to say she has one.
Takes no responsibility
• ‘I did nothing I’m ashamed of or that won’t bear investigation’ – she is denying responsibility for what she has done.
• ‘Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.’ - dramatic irony because it is her son’s responsibility!!!
Patronising, dismissive of youth
• “What’s the matter with that child?” - talking down to Sheila as if she wasn’t even there, even though she’s an adult
• ‘Silly boy! Where can he have gone to?” - Very patronising- he is not a child, but he is treated like one.
Highlights divide in class/ ignorant
• “Girls of that class” – shows her class prejudice
• Uses her class to assert herself over Inspector “You know of course that my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago
and that he’s still a magistrate.”
• “.. surely you don’t mean Alderman Meggarty?” shows she thinks high class people are better than others.
1
Birling
Represents selfishness and self absorption
• Inspector calls as Arthur tells Eric & Gerald that they must put their own interests before anyone else’s, and that socialist
ideas of human brotherhood are strange and not to be trusted. This is a capitalist attitude: care for profits, not workers..
Insecure man
• He is aware that his firm is not as successful as the Crofts’.
Concerned about reputation and business and wealth
• more upset that his family’s implication in the scandal would become public.
• “Your father and I have been friendly rivals in business…” shows Shelia’s and Gerald’s marriage is seen as a business deal.
• “Where did you get fifty pounds from?” shows he cares about the money and not about Eva Smith’s condition
Dismissive of youth
• “In the morning they’ll be as amused as we are.” - Treating the younger generations like little children.
Takes no Responsibility, does not want to face reality…shows no bravery
• “(Angrily) He wasn’t an Inspector.” - Birling is denying his responsibility by trying to find a way out.
• “…it has nothing to do with the wretched girl’s suicide. Eh, Inspector?” – wants to avoid any responsibility
o shows that he does not take the Inspector seriously, as he is addressing the Inspector informally using ‘Eh’
• “I can’t accept any responsibility. If we are all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we’d had anything to
do with, it would be very awkward, wouldn’t it?” - - shows Priestly is aimed at selfish capitalists who take no responsibility
Not as wise as you may think
• Says the Titanic is “unsinkable” – dramatic irony as it does
• Says that there “isn’t a chance of war” - dramatic irony as there is
• says that, “nobody wants war” - dramatic irony as we know that WW1 and WW2 follow
•
Mrs B (The matriarch of the Birling family.)
Represents selfishness and self absorption
• ‘But I think she had only herself to blame.’ - shows she has no compassion. This shows she is a cold woman.
• ‘shed Impertinently made use of our name’ - shows more concerned about Daisy using her name than her problem.
• She doesn’t want to help in the charity, she only has it to say she has one.
Takes no responsibility
• ‘I did nothing I’m ashamed of or that won’t bear investigation’ – she is denying responsibility for what she has done.
• ‘Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.’ - dramatic irony because it is her son’s responsibility!!!
Patronising, dismissive of youth
• “What’s the matter with that child?” - talking down to Sheila as if she wasn’t even there, even though she’s an adult
• ‘Silly boy! Where can he have gone to?” - Very patronising- he is not a child, but he is treated like one.
Highlights divide in class/ ignorant
• “Girls of that class” – shows her class prejudice
• Uses her class to assert herself over Inspector “You know of course that my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago
and that he’s still a magistrate.”
• “.. surely you don’t mean Alderman Meggarty?” shows she thinks high class people are better than others.
1
