AIC REVISION
An Inspector Calls
Context
Religion
- Seven deadly sins – pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, sloth
- Seven holy virtues – humility, charity, chastity, gratitude, temperance, patience, diligence
- Priestley’s parents had religious devotion
- Priestley remained a committed believer all his life but he has theological doubts
Class
- 1911 Census – richest 1% owned 70% of wealth
- Titanic sunk in 1912 – 62% of passengers were first-class
- 1935 – Penguin paperbacks – literature available to the masses
- Priestley worked as a junior clerk at a wool firm
Gender
- 1919 – Removal of Sex Disqualification Act – women could have professional careers
- Marriage Bar abolished in 1946 (prohibited married women from joining the civil service)
- 1903 - Women’s Social and Political Union formed to campaign for women’s suffrage
- Women over 30 allowed to vote in 1918
- Women over 21 allowed to vote in 1928
- 1920 – Women at Oxford Uni allowed to receive degrees
- 1928 version of Book of Common Prayer (Church of England prayer book) – women agreed to “obey” their
husbands in their wedding vows
Socialism vs Capitalism
- 1911 National Insurance Act – protecting working people against illness and unemployment
- 1912 Coal strike – secured minimum wage law after 37 days
- 1924 – First Labour Prime Minister – Ramsay MacDonald
- 1942 – Beveridge Report – idleness, ignorance, disease, squalor and want
- 1945 – Labour won General Election with 393 seats (majority)
- 1945 – Labour government introduce Welfare State
- 1948 – Introduction of NHS
Mrs Birling
1. Social responsibility
“It was her business to make him responsible”
“I did nothing I’m ashamed of”
2. Gender
“Her husband’s social superior”
“I don’t think you ought to talk business on an occasion like this”
“When you’re married you’ll realise that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend all their time and
energy on their business"
3. Class
An Inspector Calls
Context
Religion
- Seven deadly sins – pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, sloth
- Seven holy virtues – humility, charity, chastity, gratitude, temperance, patience, diligence
- Priestley’s parents had religious devotion
- Priestley remained a committed believer all his life but he has theological doubts
Class
- 1911 Census – richest 1% owned 70% of wealth
- Titanic sunk in 1912 – 62% of passengers were first-class
- 1935 – Penguin paperbacks – literature available to the masses
- Priestley worked as a junior clerk at a wool firm
Gender
- 1919 – Removal of Sex Disqualification Act – women could have professional careers
- Marriage Bar abolished in 1946 (prohibited married women from joining the civil service)
- 1903 - Women’s Social and Political Union formed to campaign for women’s suffrage
- Women over 30 allowed to vote in 1918
- Women over 21 allowed to vote in 1928
- 1920 – Women at Oxford Uni allowed to receive degrees
- 1928 version of Book of Common Prayer (Church of England prayer book) – women agreed to “obey” their
husbands in their wedding vows
Socialism vs Capitalism
- 1911 National Insurance Act – protecting working people against illness and unemployment
- 1912 Coal strike – secured minimum wage law after 37 days
- 1924 – First Labour Prime Minister – Ramsay MacDonald
- 1942 – Beveridge Report – idleness, ignorance, disease, squalor and want
- 1945 – Labour won General Election with 393 seats (majority)
- 1945 – Labour government introduce Welfare State
- 1948 – Introduction of NHS
Mrs Birling
1. Social responsibility
“It was her business to make him responsible”
“I did nothing I’m ashamed of”
2. Gender
“Her husband’s social superior”
“I don’t think you ought to talk business on an occasion like this”
“When you’re married you’ll realise that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend all their time and
energy on their business"
3. Class
