An Inspector Calls Understanding themes. What is a theme? A theme is an idea that runs through a text. A text may have one theme or many. Understanding

An Inspector CallsAn Inspector Calls

Understanding themesUnderstanding themes

What is a theme?What is a theme?

A A themetheme is an idea that runs through a text. A is an idea that runs through a text. A texttext may have one theme or many. may have one theme or many. Understanding the themes makes the text Understanding the themes makes the text more than 'just' a story - it becomes something more than 'just' a story - it becomes something more significant, because we're encouraged to more significant, because we're encouraged to think deeper about the story and work out what think deeper about the story and work out what lies beyond the lies beyond the plotplot. In . In An Inspector CallsAn Inspector Calls, the , the central theme is central theme is responsibilityresponsibility. Priestley is . Priestley is interested in our personal responsibility for our interested in our personal responsibility for our own actions and our collective responsibility to own actions and our collective responsibility to society. The play explores the effect of society. The play explores the effect of class, class, ageage and and sexsex on people's attitudes to on people's attitudes to responsibility, and shows how prejudice can responsibility, and shows how prejudice can prevent people from acting responsibly. So, prevent people from acting responsibly. So, how does Priestley weave the themes through how does Priestley weave the themes through the play? the play?

Aims:

1.Understand the main themes in the play.

2. Recap character summaries.

3. Develop a revision plan for themes.

Skills

- Using prior knowledge

- Selecting evidence

- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfZqXLnBYb4

StarterStarter

Which theme in the play does Which theme in the play does the following song help to the following song help to illuminate?illuminate?

Phil Collins – Another Day in Phil Collins – Another Day in ParadiseParadise

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

StarterStarter

What do you think are the main What do you think are the main themes in ‘An Inspector Calls’?themes in ‘An Inspector Calls’?

Remember, in ‘Of Mice and Men’ Remember, in ‘Of Mice and Men’ they were:they were:

LonelinessLoneliness DreamsDreams AnimalsAnimals RaceRace GenderGender

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

Themes:

Age Power

Generations

Class

Responsibility

ThemesThemes

GenerationsGenerations The older generation and the younger The older generation and the younger

generation take the Inspector's message in generation take the Inspector's message in different ways. While Sheila and Eric different ways. While Sheila and Eric accept their part in Eva's death and feel accept their part in Eva's death and feel huge guilt about it, their parents are unable huge guilt about it, their parents are unable to admit that they did anything wrong. to admit that they did anything wrong.

Priestley is keen to show the audience that Priestley is keen to show the audience that there is hope for the future and that the there is hope for the future and that the younger generations have the power to younger generations have the power to make a difference.make a difference.

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

Old (Sybil and Old (Sybil and Arthur)Arthur)

Young (Eric and Young (Eric and Sheila)Sheila)

The old are set in their ways. They The old are set in their ways. They are utterly confident that they are are utterly confident that they are right and they see the young as right and they see the young as foolish. foolish.

The young are open to new ideas. The young are open to new ideas. This is first seen early in Act 1 when This is first seen early in Act 1 when both Eric and Sheila express both Eric and Sheila express sympathy for the strikers - an idea sympathy for the strikers - an idea which horrifies Birling, who can only which horrifies Birling, who can only think of production costs and think of production costs and ignores the human side of the ignores the human side of the issue. issue.

The old will do anything to protect The old will do anything to protect themselves: Mrs Birling lies to the themselves: Mrs Birling lies to the Inspector when he first shows her Inspector when he first shows her the photograph; Mr Birling wants to the photograph; Mr Birling wants to cover up a potential scandal. cover up a potential scandal.

The young are honest and admit The young are honest and admit their faults. Eric refuses to try to their faults. Eric refuses to try to cover his part up, saying, cover his part up, saying, "the fact "the fact remains that I did what I did."remains that I did what I did."

They have never been forced to They have never been forced to examine their consciences before examine their consciences before and find they cannot do it now - as and find they cannot do it now - as the saying goes, 'you can't teach an the saying goes, 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks.' old dog new tricks.'

Sheila and Eric see the human side Sheila and Eric see the human side of Eva's story and are very troubled of Eva's story and are very troubled by their part in it. They do examine by their part in it. They do examine their consciences. their consciences.

Mr and Mrs Birling have much to Mr and Mrs Birling have much to fear from the visit of the 'real' fear from the visit of the 'real' inspector because they know they inspector because they know they will lose everything. will lose everything.

Sheila and Eric have nothing to fear Sheila and Eric have nothing to fear from the visit of the 'real' inspector from the visit of the 'real' inspector because they have already because they have already admitted what they have done admitted what they have done

wrong, and will change.wrong, and will change.

Find quotes from the play that can be inserted into these boxes.

GeraldGerald

Where does Gerald feature in Where does Gerald feature in this table?this table?

Who does he side with in the Who does he side with in the end and why?end and why?

In what sense is this play In what sense is this play optimistic?optimistic?

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

GenerationsGenerations

Gerald Croft is caught in the middle, Gerald Croft is caught in the middle, being neither very young nor old. In being neither very young nor old. In the end he sides with the older the end he sides with the older generation, perhaps because his generation, perhaps because his aristocratic roots influence him to aristocratic roots influence him to want to keep the status quo and want to keep the status quo and protect his own interests. protect his own interests.

Ultimately, we can be optimistic that Ultimately, we can be optimistic that the young - those who will shape the young - those who will shape future society - are able to take on future society - are able to take on board the Inspector's message. board the Inspector's message.

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

ResponsibilityResponsibility

The words The words responsibleresponsible and and responsibilityresponsibility are used by most are used by most characterscharacters in the play at some point. in the play at some point.

Each member of the family has a Each member of the family has a different attitude to responsibility. different attitude to responsibility. Make sure that you know how each Make sure that you know how each of them felt about their responsibility of them felt about their responsibility in the case of Eva Smith.in the case of Eva Smith.

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

Responsibility - What is the Responsibility - What is the Inspector implying with this quote?Inspector implying with this quote?

‘‘One Eva Smith has gone - but One Eva Smith has gone - but there are millions and millions there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and our lives, and what we think and say and do.’say and do.’

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

AnswerAnswer

The Inspector is talking about a The Inspector is talking about a collective responsibility, everyone in collective responsibility, everyone in society is linked, in the same way society is linked, in the same way that the characters are linked to Eva that the characters are linked to Eva Smith. Everyone is a part of "one Smith. Everyone is a part of "one body", the Inspector sees society as body", the Inspector sees society as more important than individual more important than individual interests. The views he is interests. The views he is propounding are like those of propounding are like those of Priestley who was a socialist. Priestley who was a socialist.

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

The InspectorThe Inspector

He adds a clear warning about He adds a clear warning about what could happen if, like some what could happen if, like some members of the family, we members of the family, we ignore our responsibility: ignore our responsibility:

‘‘And I tell you that the time will And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, when they will learn that lesson, when they will be taught it in fire and blood and be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.’anguish.’

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

QuestionQuestion

What would Priestley have What would Priestley have wanted his audience to think of wanted his audience to think of when the Inspector warns the when the Inspector warns the Birlings of the "fire and blood Birlings of the "fire and blood and anguish"? and anguish"?

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

AnswerAnswer

Probably he is thinking partly about Probably he is thinking partly about the world war they had just lived the world war they had just lived through - the result of governments through - the result of governments blindly pursuing 'national interest' at blindly pursuing 'national interest' at all costs. No doubt he was thinking all costs. No doubt he was thinking too about the Russian revolution in too about the Russian revolution in which poor workers and peasants which poor workers and peasants took over the state and exacted a took over the state and exacted a bloody revenge against the bloody revenge against the aristocrats who had treated them so aristocrats who had treated them so badly. badly.

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

ClassClass

Apart from Edna the maid, the Apart from Edna the maid, the cast of the play does not include cast of the play does not include any lower class characters. We any lower class characters. We see only the rich, upwardly see only the rich, upwardly mobile Birlings and the upper mobile Birlings and the upper class Gerald Croft. Yet we class Gerald Croft. Yet we learnlearn a lot about the lower class as we a lot about the lower class as we hear of each stage in Eva's life hear of each stage in Eva's life and we see the attitude the and we see the attitude the Birlings had for them.Birlings had for them.

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

Characters Attitudes to the lower class: Attitudes to the upper class:

At the start of the play, this character was: To this character, Eva was...

Mr Birling keen to be knighted to cement his hard-fought rise to the upper class

cheap labour

Sheila happy spending a lot of time in expensive shops

someone who could be fired out of spite

Gerald prepared to marry Sheila, despite her lower social position

a mistress who could be discarded at will

Eric awkward about his 'public-school-and-Varsity' life

easy sex at the end of a drunken night out

Mrs Birling socially superior to her husband, and embarrassed at his gaffes

a presumptuous upstart

Find quotations that prove all of the above

SummarySummary

The Palace Variety Theatre was a music The Palace Variety Theatre was a music hall. It was not seen as quite 'respectable' hall. It was not seen as quite 'respectable' entertainment - probably not somewhere entertainment - probably not somewhere where Sheila would have gone. The where Sheila would have gone. The stallsstalls bar of the Palace Variety Theatre, where Eva bar of the Palace Variety Theatre, where Eva Smith met both Gerald and Eric, was the bar Smith met both Gerald and Eric, was the bar for the lower classes and a favourite haunt for the lower classes and a favourite haunt of prostitutes. We could ask what Gerald of prostitutes. We could ask what Gerald and Eric were there in the first place! and Eric were there in the first place! Alderman Meggarty, a local dignitary, also Alderman Meggarty, a local dignitary, also went there a lot. went there a lot.

Priestley is trying to show that the upper Priestley is trying to show that the upper classes are unaware that the easy lives they classes are unaware that the easy lives they lead rest upon hard work of the lower classes.lead rest upon hard work of the lower classes.

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

Sex/GenderSex/Gender

Because Eva was a woman - in the days before Because Eva was a woman - in the days before women were valued by society and had not yet women were valued by society and had not yet been awarded the right to vote - she was in an even been awarded the right to vote - she was in an even worse position than a lower class man. Even upper worse position than a lower class man. Even upper class women had few choices. For most, the best class women had few choices. For most, the best they could hope for was to impress a rich man and they could hope for was to impress a rich man and marry well - which could explain why Sheila spent marry well - which could explain why Sheila spent so long in Milwards. so long in Milwards.

For working class women, a job was crucial. There For working class women, a job was crucial. There was no social security at that time, so without a job was no social security at that time, so without a job they had no money. There were very few options they had no money. There were very few options open to women in that situation: many saw no open to women in that situation: many saw no alternative but to turn to prostitution. alternative but to turn to prostitution.

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

Sex/Gender – What do the Sex/Gender – What do the following quotes reveal about that following quotes reveal about that character’s attitude to Eva Smith?character’s attitude to Eva Smith?

Birling says: "We were paying Birling says: "We were paying the usual rates and if they didn't the usual rates and if they didn't like those rates, they could go like those rates, they could go and work somewhere else." and work somewhere else."

Gerald saw Eva as "young and Gerald saw Eva as "young and fresh and charming" fresh and charming"

Mrs Birling couldn't believe that Mrs Birling couldn't believe that "a girl of that sort would ever "a girl of that sort would ever refuse money." refuse money."

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

QuestionQuestion

Why did Priestley decide to Why did Priestley decide to hinge his play on the death of a hinge his play on the death of a young working class woman young working class woman rather than the death of a young rather than the death of a young working class man? working class man?

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

AnswerAnswer

Priestley is keen to point out the Priestley is keen to point out the outmoded and sexist attitudes outmoded and sexist attitudes being perpetuated by the higher being perpetuated by the higher class in the early part of the 20class in the early part of the 20thth century.century.

A female character also, on a A female character also, on a dramatic level, commends more dramatic level, commends more sympathy from the audience.sympathy from the audience.

Aims:




Skills



- Inference

- Evaluating

-Arguing

-Communication

Documents

An Inspector Calls Understanding themes. What is a theme? A theme is an idea that runs through a text. A text may have one theme or many. Understanding