An inspector calls Character summary and quotes

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someone. As the play progresses sheila becomes much more insightful, at several points in the play it's clear that sheila can see and understand things the other characters cannot. Sheila is the only character that quickly sees her faults and changes her selfish viewpoints and makes it obvious that her sympathy and selflessness are there. Evidence: "Yes of course it is, that's what I meant when I talked about building up a wall that's sure to be knocked flat. It makes it all harder to bear" sheila uses the metaphor of a wall that the inspector will knock down therefore showing her understanding of the power the inspector has and his methods. She knows if they try to keep anything from him it'll make things worse, she notices this far quicker than the rest of the characters do. At the end of the play: By the end of the play, the audience watches sheilas growth from an immature, giddy and childish girl to a strong independent assertive intelligent and insightful young woman. Sheila allows Priestley to show his opinions on youth, he believed that there was hope in the young people of post-war Britain. He saw them as the ones to solve problems such as class, gender and social responsibility which are key themes in the play. Social responsibility is deeply shown in how sheila is affected by Eva's death. Quotes bank: Act 1 -'Yes - except for all last summer, when you never came near me, and I wondered what had happened to you.' - 'Neither do I all wrong' - 1910s Sexism/view of women '(Excited) Oh - Gerald - you've got it - is it the one [ring] you wanted me to have?' 2 Sheila didn't have a say in what ring she would like Gerald chose for her. -'Oh-its wonderful! Look- Mummy- isn't it a beauty? Oh - darling - [She kisses Gerald hastily]' -'Oh-sorry. I didn't know. Mummy [Mrs Birling] sent me in to ask you why you didn't come along Displays Sheila's curiosity 'What's this all about?' Only one to react and care about Eva's death (Eric also manages later) 'Oh, how horrible! Was it an accident?' 'What was she like? Quite young?' Socialist View 'But these girls aren't cheap labour - they're people.' 'I was there this afternoon- (archly to Gerald) for your benefit.' '(a little cry gives a half-stifled sob)' You knew it was me all the time, didn't you? '(Miserably) So I'm responsible?' 3 'I'd been in a bad temper anyhow.' 'No, not really. It was my fault. (Suddenly, to Gerald) All right, Gerald, you needn't look at me like that. At least, I'm trying to tell the truth. I expect you've done things you're ashamed of too.' Apologetic 'No, not it was my fault.' -Jealousy 'I couldn't be sorry for her.' 'I told him that if they didn't get rid of that girl, I'd never go near the place again and I'd persuade mother to close our account with them Spoilt Brat - Rude to Miss Francis for no reason 'I was furious I was very rude to both of them.' Apologetic 'I'll never, never do it again.' 'And if I could help her now, I would' '(laughs rather hysterically) Why - you fool - he knows. Of course, he knows. And I hate to think how much he knows that we don't know yet. You'll see. You'll see.' 4 Act 2 Context 'Then I'm staying.' Context (To Gerald) 'So that's what you think I'm like.' The first to accept responsibility and take some blame 'I know I'm to blame - and I'm desperately sorry' (to Inspector) 'There's something I don't understand about you (slowly, carefully now) You mustn't try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl. If you do, then the Inspector will just break it down. And it'll be all the worse when he does.' 'He's giving us the rope- so that we'll hang ourselves.' 'Of course, Mother. It was obvious from the start (cutting in, as he hesitates) I know. Somehow he makes you. 'You might as well admit to it 'Mother, I think that was cruel and vile' 5 '(with sudden alarm) Mother - stop - stop!" -(to Gerald) 'I would rather respect you more than I've ever done.' 'This isn't my fault Act 3 '(who is crying quietly) That's the worst of it But that's not what I'm talking about. I don't care about that. The point is, you don't seem to have learnt anything. '(with sudden alarm) Mother-stop-Stop!' 'Between us, we drove that girl to commit suicide.' 'Don't you see, if all that's come out tonight is true, then it doesn't matter who it was who made us confess. And it was true, wasn't it? You turned the girl out of one job, and I had her turned out of another. Gerald kept her - at a time when he was supposed to be too busy to see me. Eric - well, we know what Eric did. And mother hardened her heart and gave her the final push that finished her. That's what's important – and not 6 whether the man is a police inspector or not. 'But that won't bring Eva Smith back to life, will it?' 'You're forgetting one thing I still can't forget. Everything we said had happened. If it didn't end tragically, then that's lucky for us. But it might have done.' 'No, because I remember what he said, How he looked, and what he made me feel. Fire and blood and anguish. And it frightens me the way you talk' Affected by Inspector's message 'I tell you - whoever that Inspector was, it was anything but a joke.' Huge change in character, compared to previous quotes (see: Pg5 quote) and for the common role of women at the time. 'I must think.' I don't dislike you as I did half an hour ago, Gerald. In fact, in some odd way, I rather respect you more than I've ever done before. I knew anyhow you were lying about those months last year when you hardly came near me. I knew there was something fishy about that time. And now at least you've been honest. And I believe what you told us about the way you helped her at first. Just out of pity. And it was my fault really that she was so desperate when you first met her. But this has made a difference. You and I aren't the same people who sat down to dinner here. We'd have to start all over again, getting to know each other. 7 Eva Smith/Daisy Renton: Character analysis: -strong-willed -sense of humour -sensitive In the play/novella we don't meet Eva smith however she is an important character as her death is the reason for this whole drama unravelling throughout the play. The audience learns about sheila through the inspector, who has read a letter from a diary she kept while she was alive. They also learn about her through the characters she interacted with, most information about her is inferred. Evidence: - From the incident at Mr Birling's factory it's inferred that she's strong-willed. - From her interaction with Sheila we can infer that she has a sense of humour - Her relationship with Gerald where she changed her name to Daisy Renton highlights her sensitivity - By the time the audience learns of her interactions with Sybil and Eric it's obvious that she is desperate and resourceful Eva is always referred to in a positive light however the inspector never lets the characters and audience forget her gruesome death. The inspector's final speech reveals Priestleys reasoning that there are many young girls out in the world like Eva smith who are being exploited and that it must come to an end. 8 How is Eva Smith like this? Evidence Analysis Strong Eva Smith shows willed that she is Birling: "...she'd been working in one of our strong-willed machine shops for over a when she year. A good worker too. organises a strike In factbusinessmenn for higher wages. there told me he was This shows that ready to promote her into she is not afraid to what we call a leading stand up to 'hard-headed' businessmen like Mr Birling. operator - head of a small group of girls. But after they came back from their holidays that August, they were all rather restless, and they suddenly decided to ask for more money." r Sense Eva shows that of she has a sense of humou humour when she smiles as Sheila tries on a dress that doesn't suit her. The audience warm to Eva and see her as human. 9 "Well, when I tried the thing on and looked at myself and knew that it was all wrong, I caught sight of this girl smiling at Miss Francis - as if to say: 'doesn't she look awful' - and I was absolutely furious." Even by Mr Birling's own admission, Eva Smith had lots of qualities that showed her strong will - she was lively, worked well and was in line for a promotion. He sees her asking for more money as a bad thing, as Eric later states 'I don't see why she should have been sacked just because she's a bit more spirit than the others. You said yourself she was a good worker.' The same strong will that made her stand out as a good worker eventually got her the sack. Here the audience would empathise with Eva and see her laughing at Sheila as showing that she has a good sense of humour and a human side. If Priestley had not shown this side to Eva then she might have come across as 'too good to be true' and would not be believable as a character. sensiti The diary Eva ve kept after her 10 affair with Gerald ended shows that she felt emotions very deeply and the audience empathises with her as a result. Inspector: "She kept a rough sort of diary. And she said there that she had to go away and be quiet and remember 'just to make it last longer'. She felt there'd never be anything as good again for her - so she had to make it last longer". The Inspector explains how Eva Smith went away to be 'quiet' and to 'remember'. These words clearly show that Eva was emotionally sensitive. The fact she also felt that 'there'd never be anything as good again for her' make us realise how devastated she was when Gerald ended their relationship. The fact that Gerald just got back on with his life and relationship with Sheila makes the audience empathise even more with the sensitive Eva. ★ Eva smith is a secondary/ marginalised character in the play. Priestley used Eva smith as a symbol to represent the divide between the working class and the poor in contrast to the rich, he also uses her to represent how the working class are exploited by capitalists such as the Birling family and Gerald Croft. Mrs Birling: 11 Prideful Snobbish Cold-hearted ignorant Character analysis: Mrs Birling makes it clear she has no sympathy for the poor from the start. She also shows that she still sees her children Eric and Sheila as children even though one is engaged and one is of age to drink. In the opening of the play she is cold and snobbish despite being a prominent member of a local womans charity. Throughout dinner she tells off Eric and Sheila for things she deems impolite, whilst ignorantly turning a blind eye to Eric's amount of drinking too much. Her cold-hearted and uncaring nature leads to her downfall as the inspector forces her to unknowingly condemn her son. Evidence: Cold Mrs Birling is extremely insensitive while describing Eva's position, she assumes that because she is pregnant and single she is a bad person. "She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position" this quote shows that Mrs Birling believes that because Eva is pregnant she's incapable of having fine feelings which is an extremely cruel and cold feeling to have. Ignorant Mrs birling is ignorant when the inspector suggests that Eric is used to drinking. She's fast to jump in and defend him. "No of course not he's only a boy" then later "[staggered] it isn't true" this shows her ignorance in two ways, the first way is by defending Eric when the inspector speaks on his drinking. The second way is by stating Eric is only a boy which shows that even though Eric is old enough to drink she doesn't see him as more than a child as he's nothing close to a boy but a young man but she refuses to see this. When she staggered and says "it isn't true" further shows this as it highlights her shock of revelation. Snobbish Mrs birling shows this when she constantly criticises her family for their behaviour. "What an expression Sheila! The things you girls pick up these days". 12 She shouts at Sheila for using the word "squiffy" meaning drunk. Mrs Birling had snobbish opinions that people should speak and behave properly and in not doing so it made her look down upon them. Mrs Birling represents middle-class snobbery that existed before the World Wars. Priestley made it known that he hoped these beliefs and mindsets died out and use Mrs Birling to show what the mindset can lead to (cold and thoughtless behaviour) Mrs Birling and Hubris Hubris = excessive pride - the term comes from Greek tragedy and is often applied to modern tragedies. Hubris refers to extreme/ excessive pride or arrogance almost to the point of foolishness. Hubris often indicates loss of contact with reality and an overestimate of one's competence accomplishment or capabilities. Mrs Birling represents Hubris completely as she says "Oh- she had some fancy reason as if a girl of her class would refuse money!" this shows her hubris as she's implying that any one of the lower class is money hungry and greedy. Her lack of knowledge of the "norm" outside her class makes her sound even more arrogant. Is there a reason why she's represented this way? Priestly may have represented her this way to show how capitalists are unkind and sobby. This shows how Priestley was trying to show the audience that capitalism is bad, this leads there to be a deterrence (people would most likely not want to be like Mrs Birling due to this). This is likely as Priestley was openly against capitalism. Mrs Birling Quotes: 'Arthur you're not supposed to say such things' 'Sheila! What an expression! Really, the things you girls pick up these days!' 'Sheila! What an expression! Really, the things you girls pick up these days!' 'Now Arthur, I don't think you ought to talk business on an occasion 13 like this.' Thinks her family are perfect '(staggered) It isn't true. You know him, Gerald - and you're a man - you must know it isn't true.' Pg 30: Classist Snob. Thinks she is socially and morally superior 'I don't suppose for a moment that we can understand why the girl committed suicide. Girls of that class=' - Pg 30: 'That - I consider - is a trifle impertinent, Inspector' - Pg 30: 'Please don't contradict me like that' Pg 30: Accuses Sheila of staying for: 'Nothing but morbid curiosity' Pg 31: 'I'm talking to the inspector now if you don't mind' - Pg 31: Intimidation 'You know of course that my husband was lord Mayor only two years ago and that he's still a magistrate.' Pg 32: Lying to cover her back 'Though naturally, I don't know anything about this girl' Pg 33: 'Over excited... And she refuses to go.' Pg 34: Ignorant 'It would be much better if Sheila didn't listen to this story at all' Pg 35: Thinks upper class are perfect '(staggered) Well, really! Aldermand Meggarty! I must say, we are learning something tonight' Pg 38: 'I don't think we want any further details of this disgusting affair' - Pg 38: 'It's disgusting to me.' Facade to make her look good '(with dignity) Yes. We've done a great deal of useful work in helping deserving cases.' Page 41: 'I don't understand you Inspector'Page 42: 'And if I was, what business is it of yours?' Pg 43: Classist Snob because Eva used her name. 'Yes I think it was simply a piece of gross impertinence.' Pg 43: 'Yes, I think it was simply a piece of gross impertinence - 14 quite deliberate - and naturally that was one of the things that prejudiced me against her case.' 'But I think she had only herself to blame' 'If you think you can bring any pressure to bear upon me, Inspector, you're quite mistaken. Unlike the other three, I did nothing I'm ashamed of or that won't bear investigation.' 'You have no power to make me change my mind.' I didn't like her manner. She'd impertinently made use of our name, though she pretended afterwards it just happened to be the first she thought of. She had to admit, after I began questioning her, that she had no claim to the name, that she wasn't married, and that the story she told me first - about a husband who'd deserted her - was quite false. It didn't take me long to get the truth - or some of the truth - out of her. 'Simply a gross piece of impertinence' Gets rid of blame on her. 'I'll tell you what I told her. Go and look for the father of the child. It's his responsibility.' Blames her own husband ('agitated now) Oh, stop it, both of you. And please remember before you start accusing me of anything again that it wasn't I who had her turned out of her employment - which probably began it all.' 'All a lot of nonsense- I didn't believe a word of it. ' - Classist Snob 'As if a girl of that sort would refuse money.' 'I'm sorry she should have come to such a horrible end. But I accept no blame for it at all.' 'I blame the young man who was the father of the child she was going to have. If, as she said, he didn't belong to her class, and was some drunken young idler, then that's all the more reason why he shouldn't escape. He should be made an example of. If the girl's death is due to anybody, then it's due to him.' - '(with a cry) Oh - Eric - how could you?' - '(severely) You're behaving like an hysterical child tonight.' 'And if you'd take some steps to find this young man and then make sure that he's compelled to confess in public his responsibility - instead of staying here asking quite unnecessary questions – then you really would be doing your duty.' - Naive, Ignorant 'I don't believe it. I won't believe it' 15 '(understanding now) But surely...I mean...it's ridiculous...' - '(very distressed now) No - Eric - please - I didn't know - I didn't understand-' Snob (Triumphantly) Didn't I tell you? Didn't I say I couldn't imagine a real police inspector talking like that to us?' Snob '(Triumphantly) Didn't I tell you? Didn't I say I couldn't imagine a real police inspector talking like that to us?' Snob (Triumphantly) Didn't I tell you? Didn't I say I couldn't imagine a real police inspector talking like that to us?' 'I was the only one who didn't give in to him' 'Gerald you've argued this very cleverly and I'm most grateful’ Sources: BBC BITESIZE, OXNOTES AND PHYSICS AND MATHS TUTOR (A TINY BIT) 16