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An Inspector Calls, Themes - Responsibility - Notes I - Coggle Diagram
An Inspector Calls, Themes - Responsibility - Notes I
Introduction
The Inspector goes to the Birling’s to encourage them to be accountable for their actions and take responsibility for other
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The play condemns those in power for not protecting the people they were supposed to, and leading the country into war
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Mr Birling
Overview
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Like ‘bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense’ his intolerance of Socialism reflects the political climate of the 1910s,
Mr Birling thinks the idea of community is nonsense, ‘as if’ his comments on the titanic have already discredited him, so the audience knows his statements on community will also be challenged
Priestly implies Capitalists feel they have a responsibility to make a profit by not a responsibility to their workers
It becomes even more shocking when the audience learns Eva was not ‘protected’ by the Birlings or her society
‘It is my duty to keep labour costs down’ implies his business pursuits require him to exploit his workers, he feels a duty to his business by not his society
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Mrs Birling
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Responsiblity
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She readily sacrifices her beliefs about duty to protect her son, ‘I didn’t know it was you, - I never dreamt’ this suggests the upper classes’ idea of duty is superficial and hypocritical
Class prejudices
‘Naturally I don’t know anything about this girl’ she implies her social status means she is automatically above suspicion, Eva’s life is completely separate from her own, so she can’t be involved
Situational irony, as her involvement is soon revealed
‘Girls of the class’ She thinks that Eva’s lower social status is a justifiable reason to abandon her
The upper classes particularly the older generation are governed by bigotry and are unrepentant in their actions
‘Naturally this was one of the things that prejudiced me against her’ showing she believes there is an intrinsic barrier between social classes, and that she is entitled to act unfairly to the lower classes
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Moral duty
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Shows her ignorance as it was her duty to give Eva help, not judge her
Priestley suggests Mrs Birling thinks her duty is to judge to monetary worth of women's classes and stop the working class telling 'packs of lies# to the charity of money
She is unmoved by Eva's suffering, signifyin the heratlessness of the upper casses
Contrast with Sheila
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Mrs Birling says she blames 'the girl herself', Sheila 'bitterly' reports 'For letting father and me have her chucked out of her jobs'
Priestley demonstrates how the older generation are content to blame the poor for their own problems.
The younger generation understand that the lower classes are subjected to events beyond their control
When Sheila says 'there's nothing to be sorry for' Mrs Bilring respons 'well, why should we'. Presents the older generation as remoresless
Mrs Birling knows they won't face any consequences, so sees no reason to chanfe her ways
Priestley conveys his attitude to the audience the imporance of holding the authorities accountable, without challenging those in power, there will be no change