The significance of female characters within ‘An Inspector Calls’

Another wonderful guest post by one of my year 10s!

Throughout the entirety of ‘An Inspector Calls’, themes of misogyny and discrimination against women are alive within the presentation of every character: from the audience’s introduction to Sheila in Act 1 to the close of the play in Act 3, she is portrayed as an example of society’s stereotypes of women in 1912. Within the opening stage directions, Sheila’s character is reduced to a ‘pretty girl’, no more than a product of societal stereotypes and expectations. The infantilising noun ‘girl’ directly opposes the description of The Inspector, who instantly creates an ‘impression of massiveness’ upon his entry to the play. This perhaps symbolises the lack of voice women had in 1912; the absence of Eva Smith on the stage further reinforces the idea that women were powerless and their opinions disregarded as inferior and insignificant.

As the play progresses, the audience learn to understand that Mrs Birling is the most vocal in forcing Sheila to subscribe to the negative attitudes towards women. As well as frequently belittling and infantilising Sheila, Mrs Birling dehumanises her daughter into no more than an object who is valued for her physical appearance. This further demonstrates that internalised misogyny is deeply rooted within the infrastructure of society, and continues to be a reminder that many women were victims of the exploitation caused by highly privileged and influential men in the upper class.

Whereas, Priestley utilises the men in the play to represent the embodiment of power and privilege, he uses the female characters to reveal the hardships that women had to face living in a patriarchal society. Eva Smith is considered to have had ‘far too much’ to say, which represents the voicelessness of women in society, and the expectations of women to be silent and submissive in order to appeal to the male gaze.

It soon becomes clear to the modern audience that the above conditions for women were normalised within Edwardian Britain, as Eva Smith is also referred to as ‘pretty’ later on in the play. The repetition of this demeaning adjective further represents the normalisation of societal expectations and double standards all women faced in 1912 (irrespective of social class). Women were expected to be passive and subservient; their purpose was to please men and remain inferior in society. If they failed to meet this status quo, women, particularly the lower class, faced the risks of marginalisation and alienation. 

With thanks to EC year 10 2022.

The Motif of Alcohol in ‘An Inspector Calls’

Alcohol is a widespread motif in ‘An Inspector Calls’, and one that has deep roots in myopia and hypocrisy. Though this may seem obvious, with various descriptions of Eric overindulging in ‘port’ in order to convey his true thoughts and attempt to build up myopia to his family’s wrongdoings, there is also a more subtle hint of this when you look at the various conversations about alcohol and their significance in the rest of story.

The first sentence spoken in the play is: “Giving us the port, Edna? That’s right.( he pushes it towards Eric.) you ought to like this port” and is spoken by Mr Birling. The imperative “ought” suggests forcefulness, that this’ port’ is being forced into Eric’s mouth by Mr Birling in order to impress Gerald so that the Birling family can move up in class, rank and further distance themselves from the lower classes. This highlights Eric’s downfall: he drinks is to forget and the reason he wants to forget is because of the drink (and what it, in part, led to with Eva). It’s an endless cycle which cannot be broken, quite like the structure of this play, and the place the circle started with was with the Birlings, and the place it must end is with the Birlings.

Another way alcohol is used is by Mr Birling, who openly indulges in ‘port’, yet hypocritically calls German officers “Drunk” and thus invalidates their claims about starting wars all because they also engage in drinking. Priestley does this to further criminalise the upper classes by presenting them as having false morals. As a modern audience, we can relate to the hypocrisy of this statement as many rich figures indulge in acts that if they were of the working class, they would be criminalised and hated for. Big companies such as Amazon evade tax yet they haven’t been arrested, many celebrities actively do drugs and are still seen as icons yet if a homeless man does drugs they are seen as a plague to society.

An audience in 1945 would recognise the hypocrisy as well, because of prohibition era America, where alcohol was illegal yet their was a bar in the white house and the American government purposely poisoned moonshine and caused their citizens to die because of it, yet still indulged in it themselves.

Thank you AM! Year 10 2022 – I agree that alcohol is a prominent motif, that is seen front-and-centre on stage. Eric is rarely without a glass in his hand; Birling offers multiple people drinks, imploring his wife to ‘take some’. Alcohol catalyses myopia and leads to greater abuses of the vulnerable working classes.

‘Hot Ideas’ for ‘An Inspector Calls’ Take 2!

When my wonderful year 10s read Sheila’s interrogation today, they had something to say about Mr and Mrs Birling’s very TELLING absence from stage. For the first time (probably), Sheila finds her voice. She admits her shortcomings, is accountable for the sins of jealousy and wrath, and most importantly, accepts responsibility for her part in Eva’s demise. The face that her parents are not there to witness this moral growth, to applaud her evolution, implies that they want her to remain stagnant too. Change for them equates to forfeiting their power. Their time off stage also reminds audiences of the gulf between the older and the younger generations.

A student mentioned this and I ADORED the level of analysis here! Although the suggestion that it is an acronym for ‘Gentlemen only; ladies forbidden; is not historically accurate, the idea that the world of competitive sport was historical a man’s world, has some validity. The Inspector does not subscribe to exclusive clubs, nor will he be distracted from his ‘duty’.

Eva’s absence on stage: a purposeful sense of lack. Eva’s story and voice can only be communicated through the Inspector who acts as her interpreter, her advocate. Without The Inspector, her story would be lost like so many other ‘Eva Smiths and John Smiths’. Eva’s LACK of stage presence is the point!

I had never thought of this before when considering the tricolon given to The Inspector in his introductory stage directions. The ‘Hot Idea’ card speaks for itself here. Socialism is intrinsic in everything about the Inspector, right down to the connotations of the words (as above).

Thank you year 10. Keep thinking up fresh ideas and I will keep posting them!

-Miss Huttlestone

A super handy ‘Macbeth’ 5:1 Analysis – Lady Macbeth focus

Drop into Macbeth 5.1

‘Big Ideas’ in your Literature texts

Having pre-planned ‘big ideas’ that can function as top band essay introductions is a productive use of your time ahead of the Literature exams over the next two weeks. I sat down and had a go for ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘An Inspector Calls’. One of my year 11 students also came up with three superbly perceptive ‘big ideas’ for ‘Macbeth’, also displayed below. No matter the focus, knowing your concept, your way in before you enter the exam hall is excellent preparation and a HUGE time saver.

‘A Christmas Carol’ on theme of Scrooge’s transformation/change: 

Within Dickens’ festive allegorical novella he underscores the desperate need for societal change in the Victorian era which upheld a strict classist society that benefited the wealthy but bound the poor to a cyclical state of ‘want’. Through Scrooge’s transformation, from antagonist to protagonist, from miser to man of the community, Dickens teaches us of the potential that exists in all of us to remedy society’s ills.

‘An Inspector Calls’ on a  character focus question :

Within Priestley’s morality play he utilises the Birling’s Edwardian household as a microcosm for the damaging ramifications of the values rampant before the two world wars. His play explores the ills of capitalism, of the failures to assist the ailing poor, but ultimately of encouraging collective responsibility. He achieves this through the characterisation of _______  who embraces/rejects such values by the close of the play.

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s Relationship:

Many of Shakespeare’s critics, Bloom among them, have argued that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth may be Shakespeare’s most authentic couple out of all of his plays, this is due to the deep devotion and passion they demonstrate to each other. However, if we observe their marriage at a microscopic level throughout the play, we can see how it fluctuates and slowly decays at the hands of their unchecked ambition and hubris.

Ambition:

In Shakespeare’s eponymous play, ‘Macbeth’, our tragic hero and his wife are both riddled with unchecked ambition and often take radical measures to accomplish their ultimate goal: kingship. While this ruthless thirst for power is seemingly prosperous at first, it hastily crumbles to nothing as guilt plagues their minds full of “scorpions”. Macbeth transforms from a “brave” and noble warrior to a guilt-ridden and despised “butcher”, while Lady Macbeth’s stoic and transgressive persona deteriorates into a pitiful and anxious version of her former self.

Supernatural:

In ‘Macbeth’, the supernatural acts as a catalyst in Macbeth’s tragic fall from grace and is a vital component of the plot. The supernatural appears in many forms: the witches, Banquo ‘s ghost, and the four apparitions and serves as a manifestation of evil temptation that seduces Macbeth in to murdering his comrades. Shakespeare may have chosen to use the supernatural metaphorically to draw an audience to the fatal flaws of humanity: hubris, ignorance, and duplicity.

With a way in, and the dreaded first sentence(s) in the bag you’ll be well on your way to a BAND 5 response. Just ensure the rest of your response links back to this ‘big idea’, running through your essay like a constant thread.

‘An Inspector Calls’ Podcasts: flip learning

https://www.buzzsprout.com/227488/1026315-an-inspector-calls-episode-4-eva-smith

https://www.buzzsprout.com/227488/924766-an-inspector-calls-episode-2-class-divisions

https://www.buzzsprout.com/227488/932653-an-inspector-calls-episode-3-the-inspector

https://www.buzzsprout.com/227488/916267-an-inspector-calls-episode-1-sheila

The Emigree: A Page of Revision

Key words:

• Nostalgia and memory/retrospection
• Threat to memory/identity/childhood
• Light
• Loss of a loved one (a city personified)?
• Freedom from trauma

 

Top Five Quotes

“There was once a country” It sounds like a fairy-tale, with connotations of childhood. The use of the word ‘was’ suggests that the country/state of being may no longer exist.

“It may be at war, it may be sick with tyrants” The city is personified to show the speaker’s strong connection with it. It also contrasts with the speaker’s overwhelmingly positive view of it.

“It tastes of sunlight” When the speaker uses her home language, she feels a warmth towards her home country. The use of taste reflects how potent and unwavering the memory is.

I have no passport, there’s no way back at all” This could reflect the possibility that the speaker had to leave the country/childhood/a loved one quickly, possibly as an asylum speaker or refugee. It makes it sound hopeless.

“They mutter death, and my shadow falls as evidence of sunlight” Despite the threat of death, the city is still associated with sunlight. The use of the ‘shadow’ falling as ‘sunlight’ suggests that the city lives on within the speaker and will always live on.

 

Writer’s methods (A02):

• The writer uses the first person to create a personal experience and memory
• The first two stanzas use a lot of enjambment but the there is more end-stopped lines in the final stanza, reflecting a feeling of confinement in her ‘city of walls’.
• The short stanzas show the poem to be built up in layers, just as she says human life is.
• Light imagery is used – it is seen as a powerfully positive thing. The city is constantly linked with ‘sunlight’ suggestion happy memories and a warmth that is now missing
• Personification is used constantly to show how strong the speaker’s bond is with it.
• Language of conflict shows that the city may not be as perfect as the speaker remembers it. It could reflect a child’s memory and their naivety, not fully understanding what is happening around them.

Context:

• An emigree is a person who has left their home country to live in another.
• In this poem, the speaker remembers a city in a country that she left as a child. She has a purely positive view of it.
• The city seems to be under attack and unreachable, but the speaker still sees it in a positive way.
• The city may not be a real place – it could represent a time, a person or an emotion that the speaker has been forced to leave.

 

 

 

‘Storm on the Island’: A Page of Revision

Key words:

• Safety, preparation, false confidence
• Fear, unfamiliarity, helplessness
• Hopelessness and helpless against the omnipotence of nature
• Literal Storm or political violence (Context of the Troubles in Ireland)?

 

Top Five Quotes

“We are prepared… it is a huge nothing that we fear”. Contrast between the impression created of the islanders in the opening (safety/ security) and final image (terror/ dread)

The sea and trees are suggested as possible “company” repetition used to reinforce the isolation and loneliness of the setting

“Exploding comfortably” Oxymoron juxtaposes the feelings of fear and safety created  by the sea

“spits like a tame cat Turned savage” The simile reinforces how familiar things can become frightening and intimidating during a storm/political turmoil

“You know what I mean” The narrator speaks directly to the reader in a conversational, colloquial and friendly tone, encouraging them to reflect on their own experiences; suggests that it is common, universal, collective.

 

Writer’s methods (AO2):

• Written in blank verse, mirroring the patterns in everyday speech and makes the poem sound like part of a conversation – normalizing the universal issues faced. The use of the direct address, second person pronoun ‘you’ reinforces this feeling.
• The tone changes from one of safety, using words such as “squat” “slate” “rock” to a sense of danger using language used to describe war “strafe” “salvo” and violent verbs such as “pummel”

Context:

• The poem could also be about the political divides in Northern Ireland between the Catholics and the Protestants as the title hints at the name given to the Parliament Buildings in Northern Island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Checking Out Me History’: A Page of Revision

Key Vocabulary:

• The value of identity and heritage
• Anger and trivialisation
• Marginalisation (his cultural identity in Western spheres)
• Celebration and admiration of his culture/identity 
• The power of education and  derogatory Eurocentric views
• Perspective (the need for it!)

Top Five Quotes (because you can’t learn them all!)

“Dem tell me” vague pronoun ‘Dem’ emphasises the separateness of the British education system and himself. Repetition of ‘Dem’ and me creates a sense of them and us, an inherent and harmful division. These lines are repeated at the end in the final stanza, reminding us of the cyclical nature of the narrator’s anger – he and his race have suffered years of marginalisation.

“Bandage up me eye… blind me to me own identity’ Suggests a deliberate attempt to censor certain culture’s history. The imagery of the bandage is ironic as bandages should heal/ aid however here, they cause metaphorical blindness (myopia) and being ‘blind’ to identity is a metaphor for not allowing him to see his own history. There are several metaphors of vision and blindness to suggest that education has kept his true heritage hidden from him. Images of light are positive such as Toussaint being described as a “beacon” and “a slave with vision” and Nanny de maroon as a “see-far woman”

“Dick Whittington” “Robin Hood” “ole King Cole” Use of folklore, nursery rhyme and pantomime to make British history seem trivial and inconsequential. The poem alternates between historical and fictional figures from Caribbean and British culture, emphasising the differences between them.

Writer’s methods (AO2):

• Uses a mixture of stanza forms suggesting that he is breaking and confining language rules he has been taught. The Caribbean history stanzas have shorter lines and broken syntax than that the British history stanzas which have lots of simple, childlike rhymes; this emphasises that the Caribbean history is more important and more serious.
• Includes and eye-dialect and many features from oral poetry tradition including repetition, strong rhythm, chanting and phonetic spellings, linking to the oral tradition of reciting poetry aloud and telling stories (which are used as ways of communicating history.) The use of Caribbean phonetic spellings to create a sense of pride in his background and emphasise that figures from Caribbean history should feature in the teaching of history.

Context:

• Agard often focuses on identity and ethnicity in his poetry, from an anthology called “Half-Caste”
• Inspired to write the poem after seeing a statement in a history textbook suggesting that “West Indian history started in 1492 with the arrival of Columbus”
• Educated in Guyana, a British colony until 1966. His country experienced a Eurocentric education system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

LISTEN to ‘An Inspector Calls’ as revision

Follow the link to LISTEN to the play skilfully performed. A superb means of re-reading:

https://soundcloud.com/search?q=an%20inspector%20calls