An Inspector Calls

'your just the kind of son-of-law I always wanted'

this suggests that he is selfish, as Gerald is more upper than him, which the readers impression towards Birling is he wants to act higher.

1 of 22

'your father and I have been friendly rivals in business for some time now though Crofts Limited are both older and bigger than Birling and company'

this suggests that with family money you are classed higher and posh, if not you are class lower on the social hierarchy.

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'a few German officers have too much to drink and and begin talking nonsense, you'll hear some people say that war's inevitable. fiddlesticks'

this allude to the audience that he denise about was as he is naive and foolish.

3 of 22

'are you listining, Shelia? this concerns you too. And after all i don't often make speeeches at you'

He holds them a few minutes, which aludes to the audience that the family is very much controlled by Birling.

4 of 22

'look at the process we're making...we'll have aeroplanes...automoblie's.... and then ships'

this implies to the audience that he cares about the money and how to be rich.

5 of 22

'Titanic she sails next week- forty six thousand eight hundred tons'

he is re-enforcing the Titanic story, which makes him foolish.

6 of 22

'that clothes mean something quite different to a woman'

its alludes how narrow upper class was in 1912, which proves to the audience that women were treated less by men as in those days and men had the power to control women.

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'community all that nonsense'

Birling has no responsibilties for the society, but his own family, which this echoes Thatcher quote for society.

8 of 22

'Lord Mayor two years ago'

this implies to the audience that the inspector should listen to him as he is at the top of the hierachy, which the audience's thoughts and feelings towards Birling are naive and loves to show off.

9 of 22

[a touch of impatience]

suggesting that he feels annoyed.

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'we've several hundred young women there, y'know, and they keep changing'

suggests that he doesn't differ them, he classes them as below the hirearchy, which echoes his phrase of not caring about the society, he only takes responsibilites for his family

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[moves restlessly]

the verb suggests that he is impatient and doesn't care.

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'wretched girl's suicide'

he speaks flippant, which makes the audience feel sympathy for the girl as in 1912 this is how women were portrayed.

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'I don't like the tone'

Birling speaks to the Inspector as a child.

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'well, it's my duty to keep labour costs down'

he cares about the money and doesn't care about the people who works in his business, which alludes to the audience that he is selfish.

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'warn you that he's an old friend of mine'

the verb 'warn' suggests that he is threatening the inspector, which gives the audience a negative impression towards Birling.

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'doesn't seem important'

this alludes that he has a very little compassion towards Eva Smith, which shows that he doesn't care.

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'why the devil do you want to go upsetting the child like that?'

Birling refers his daughter Shelia as a child, which he infantilize her as this implies that she is not old enough to take any responsibilities.

18 of 22

'a man has to make his own way'

suggesting that we shouldn't support others and he is a self-made man, also singular 'a man', not 'men' highlights that it's down to the individual to take care of themselves.

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Birling repeats the word 'triumphantly'

to describe the way he speaks, which suggests to the audience that he is keen to win his arguments by proving he is right.

20 of 22

'still I can't accept any responsibility'

Birling is not willing to change his views.

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'millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths left with us'

Priestly is trying to get the audience to think about how it's not just about Eva, it's about how we treat all people and Eva stands for all women. The repetition of 'millions' suggests that Priestly is trying to stress the scale of the problem and h

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An Inspector Calls

Other cards in this set

Card 2

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Card 3

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Card 4

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Card 5

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