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An Inspector Calls :male-detective: - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Mrs Birling believes class defines you - foil to Inspector Goole
      - Nouns
      - suggests that Mrs Birling is extremely prejudicial towards the poor (especially poor girls)
        
        Probably because girls that are extremely desperate may join prostitution
      - could also suggest that she is trying to separate herself from 'that' probably because she sees them as inferior or of less value
        
        She would (of course) never want to associate with someone of a lower class
      - Also suggests that the rich/upper class, like Sybil have these ideologies engrained in their head as she is a great representation of the Upper class
        
        Probably because of societies stereotypes
        
        She believes a person is defined by wealth or income and doesn't think about individuals morals or characteristics
      - "Girls" - it strips individuality and personalities of other girls
        
        this becomes a breeding ground for prejudice and negative stereotypes
        
        Passes that prejudicial thinking onto her children - "If they didn't get rid of that girl..."
      - Priestley highlights the Ignorance and prejudice in the upper class and is evidently calling for change
      - Also suggests that she doesn't see them as human beings and just a waste of the population
        
        Links to Thomas Malthus saying how the population is surplus
        
        emphasises how old - fashioned the Ideology of society especially the upper class
      - Reflects how badly the Lower classes were looked upon - seen as a mere objects and as bad as each other
      - "that" - determiner - emphasises how much she despises the lower class
        
        also suggest that she seems to point fingers at them
      - Shows that Mrs Birling is very contradictory and hypocritical
      - She is very duplicitous
        
        She has 2 sides to herself : a public side, private prejudicial side
  - - - Washing her hands from guilt
      - This suggests that she is now trying to push away the guilt and blame onto her family
      - Also reveals that Mrs Birling has a narcissistic, selfish and ignorant character
        
        She acts this way because she knows that this will destroy her reputation so she has to protect it
        
        She is fending for herself and only her
      - It also reflects the class difference between them as a family as Mrs Birling is Mr Birling's 'social superior'
      - A foil to her daughter - Sheila is ashamed of her actions and wants to take responsibility while her mother on the other hand childishly tries to push the blame away from her
        
        Its almost as if there has been a role reversal as in the beginning Sheila was very childish but near the she matures and becomes more of a mother
      - "Unlike the other three" could suggest that Mrs Birling is trying to shoo away the guilt and responsibility and blame to the others and is condemning them by using "unlike" as if to say they are the bad influence
        
        She betrays and backstabs her family and observing her tone it seems that she doesn't even care about the situation that she has put them in
        
        suggests that even the family are separated
        
        The interesting thing here is that when she pushes the blame of herself she does it shamelessly and makes it extremely obvious whereas all the male characters (excluding Inspector) pushes the blame away from them implicitly or saying how they can't have done it
      - It conveys that she has non-motherly traits as she throws not only her husband but also her children under the bus aswell
        
        no maternal instincts
        
        Feels challenged by Sheila breaking free
        
        strange as she doesn't seem to follow female standards - to be a great mother and be submissive to their husbands
        
        Could suggest class > gender
      - She is the implicit leader and matriarch of the family -control
        
        stamps authority with language
      - Implicitly telling the others to be ashamed of themselves
  - - - She has a major superiority complex
        
        She believes she is on top of the case probably because she is used to being in charge
        
        Links to "Absolutely Unsinkable" - as it suggests that the family believe they are "unsinkable"
      - Her tone suggests that she is a bit shaken by the Inspector and is desperate to get herself of the case
      - She knows that her actions are wrong and is desperately trying to cover it up so she can deflect the blame of herself
        
        She is too naive to realise that the Inspector knows the part she played in the case
      - Eva Smith's death doesn't seem to impact her personally so it is impersonal therefore she has no emotion towards her
        
        she instead blames Eva
      - pronoun - "you" - it is directed at the Inspector to reduce his power - using language to control the situation
        
        She is not used to having others control her
      - "know" verb - dramatic irony - kind of ironic as the audience knows that the Inspector knows everything
        
        Makes the reader view Mrs Birling as pathetic and childlike as she is trying so hard to hide and push away the blame from herself when the Inspector already knows all the events that took place
      - Adverb "Simply" - juxtaposes the situation as it is not simple but extremely complex and it doesn't help that people aren't withdrawing information easily
        
        Also reveals that Mrs Birling is very naive and narrow minded and arrogant as it suggests she sees this as a very simple matter - a committed suicide - but doesn't see how her actions have impacted the victim
        
        It reveals she is not ready to accept any responsibility over Eva Smith's death
      - Her tone kind of implies that she is trying to play victim