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Act One (Context (Mrs Birling is described as "her husband's…
Act One
Context
The setting is "heavily comfortable, but not cosy and homelike"
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Mr Birling is demanding and authoritative as soon as the play begins. This foreshadows his behaviour and reactions to the crime.
His character contrast i shown through stage actions, demonstrating how he "involuntarily" reacts to things
Gerald's parents disapprove of him marrying people of a lower class. They go on holiday just to avoid the Birlings, as the marriage is essentially between their businesses rather than between their children.
Sheila's stage direction "trying to be light and easy" is evasive, inferring that she knows something is up
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Eric is uneasy when the Inspector arrives, as he knows he's done something wrong (which might not even be related to Eva Smith)
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The Inspector holds similar characteristics to Hyde, where Persona > Body (e.g. by mocking others by repeating ther own words)
The Inspector looks specifically at characters before speaking to them. This suggests that he already knows the truth of what they are going to say.
Mr Birling offers the Inspector whiskey when he arrives, as it is a working man's drink. This is to distinguish their relationship, and prove that he's better than him.
Own Opinions
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Birling is demanding of his children, and his actions have inflicted onto the personalities of his children
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"No, thank you, Mr Birling. I'm on duty"
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Why would an investigation happen in 1912? Wouldn't they be too expensive, particularly as a suicide is self explanatory?
Edna is the person who first meets the Inspector, and would thus see his identification.
If the Inspector wasn't who he said he was, Edna may have known all along and set up the family. Alternatively, Gerald may have contributed to take down the family (so his social status wouldn't have declined when he married Sheila)
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Eric uses alcohol for medicinal purposes, as a means of saviour
Eva Smith was the "head of a small group of girls" campaigning for higher wages in Birling's company. What happened to the other girls?
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Key Quotes
"Please, sir, an inspector's called" - Edna
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Language Techniques
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Irony
"you don't seem to understand" - children acquire more knowledge than their parents in the play, and end up knowing more than them
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