An Inspector Calls coursework GCSE

I desperately need help with my coursework. The question has asked me to EXPLORE how Priestly makes the audience understand the nature of society through his characters, Sheila and Birling. Although i get the basic idea of it, i cannot expand my ideas, as i have only done 2 pages when i need to do 8. I have no ideas left and wondered if anybody can help me. This is my coursework so far..............
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ENGLISH COURSEWORK

In the story, “An Inspector Calls”, Priestley wants the audience to realise the nature of society, through his characters, Sheila and Birling.

His character Arthur Birling is a very stubborn and arrogant man. He will not admit it when he is wrong and tries to shift the blame to anybody he can find. He is a know-it-all. This man is a socialite, a man who thinks that he is above people like the homeless and the less fortunate. He believes he has more rights than people maybe not as well off as himself.

Sheila is very different to her father. I believe she emulates Priestley in a way, as she believes that everybody should have their say and should have the same rights as people like Birling. When Sheila tries to have her say, Birling always cuts in and tells her she has no right to speak, or she has nothing to do with the conversation. Sheila calls out for what she believes in.
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CAN ANYBODY HELP ME????

Reply 1

mikesgt2

I know very little about the question in particular (although I also did it for GCSE) but I would say you need to bring in particular examples from the play that exemplify the personalities of Birling and Shelia. Perhaps explicitly talk about how their characters contrast, would this be relavent? But most importantly, you need to go from just describing the personalities of the characters, to answering the particular question asked. What are Birling and Shelia representitive of in society? As far as I am aware, you need to talk about the position of individuals in society and the contrasting beliefs of Birling and Shelia as to the responsibility we have to other human beings, regardless of thier class.

I did a quick google search and came up with these:

http://www.harveygs.kent.sch.uk/InspectorCallsCharNotes.htm
http://www.ravenswood.bromley.sch.uk/v2/departments_en_icalls2.html

Hope this helps!

Reply 2

Steway

OP

Than you very much, it is very much appreciated.

Reply 3

lou p lou

2

Steway

Than you very much, it is very much appreciated.

add relevant qoutes for just about everything- shows you actually read it (sounds kinda obvious, but examiners need to be spoon fed)

lou xxx

Reply 4

the_master

i am doing this piece of course work aswell. anyone any idea how much we have to write or do we just go into asmuch detail as possible.

thnx n e wey

Reply 5

Tainted Dreams

I have GCSE c/w on an inspector calls and have been ased how Pristley conveys his message of being one body etc. any ideas? i need 2 know by wed 24th marhc 2004. thanx

Reply 6

Powerline

Steway

I desperately need help with my coursework. The question has asked me to EXPLORE how Priestly makes the audience understand the nature of society through his characters, Sheila and Birling. Although i get the basic idea of it, i cannot expand my ideas, as i have only done 2 pages when i need to do 8. I have no ideas left and wondered if anybody can help me. This is my coursework so far..............
*****************************************************
ENGLISH COURSEWORK

In the story, “An Inspector Calls”, Priestley wants the audience to realise the nature of society, through his characters, Sheila and Birling.

His character Arthur Birling is a very stubborn and arrogant man. He will not admit it when he is wrong and tries to shift the blame to anybody he can find. He is a know-it-all. This man is a socialite, a man who thinks that he is above people like the homeless and the less fortunate. He believes he has more rights than people maybe not as well off as himself.

Sheila is very different to her father. I believe she emulates Priestley in a way, as she believes that everybody should have their say and should have the same rights as people like Birling. When Sheila tries to have her say, Birling always cuts in and tells her she has no right to speak, or she has nothing to do with the conversation. Sheila calls out for what she believes in.
*****************************************************

CAN ANYBODY HELP ME????

You should always quote when writing an english essay. You should also explore the themes and imagery used by the writer to achieve what he/she wants to in the novel/play etc.

For example, for the stage directions at the starting of the play, it specifically describes the light to be pink. for this you could write that Priestly uses the effect of pink light as a parallel to 'rose tinted lenses', meaning looking at life only at the good points. Mr Birling asks for the light to be turned brighter when the inspector arrives. This symbolises that Birling is trying to cover something up because he is making the pink light brighter.

Also, at the end of the play, when birling realises that the whole thing was a hoax, he returns exactly how he was before, as well as mrs birling and geerald, whereas Sheila does not. Neither Eric nor Sheila do. Priestly is showing that the younger generation is willing to change, whereas the older generation are just going back to where they were before, wwhich is why the whole thing happened again.

This is a parallel to the world wars: Priestly specifically sets the time of the play(beginning) to 1914. This is when the first world war began, , and through the repetition at the end, when mr Birling gets the phone call, Preistly is showing that because society (the older generation) does not change, it leads to more wars(the first time of Eva Smiths death, and then the repetition at the end).

I could go on, but you get the point, and i dont want to do the whole essay for you.

Anyway, look for ideas and themes used by the writer, and also use much more quotations(i didnt use any-i dont have the book with me).

Remember: point(the point you are making), evidence(quotations), then explanation(explain why the write does this)

Good luck, and i hope this helps :smile:

Reply 7

Tainted Dreams

Thanx for your help Powerline! :smile:

I though that by quoting the title it may help, i don't know?! :frown:

The inspector says "we are members of one body. we are resposible for each other". i guess i still don't understand or at least can't explain in essay form how Priesltey uses the Inspector, Eva Smith and the Birlings to convey his message!
any ideas? :confused:

Reply 8

Powerline

Tainted Dreams

Thanx for your help Powerline! :smile:

I though that by quoting the title it may help, i don't know?! :frown:

The inspector says "we are members of one body. we are resposible for each other". i guess i still don't understand or at least can't explain in essay form how Priesltey uses the Inspector, Eva Smith and the Birlings to convey his message!
any ideas? :confused:

I would probably help by quoting the title, but youll have to use a lot more quotes than that.

Theres a reason why Priestly uses the name 'Eva Smith'. This is because 'Smith' is the most common surname in England. By using this, Priestly is showing readers(well, viewers of the play) that Eva Smith represents the whole of the lower class society. The Birlings are upper class citizens, and their pride and arrogance cause the death of Eva Smith. Priestly is showing us that because of the effects that upper class citizens have on the lower class, it causes more death, and because Eva smith represents the whole of the lower classed community, he shows us that it causes destruction to many of the lower class communty.

The Inspector is called 'Inspector Goole'. Priestly calls him this because his name resembles 'ghoul'. This shows us that he is not human, but supernatural in a sense. He is the embodiment of truth and stands for the rights of the lower class community.

I already explained before about the birlings very quickly, but i could go into more detail for each one...

I have some work to do, but might be able to help with that later if it helps... :biggrin:

Reply 9

_GáMMá_

Powerline

I would probably help by quoting the title, but youll have to use a lot more quotes than that.

Theres a reason why Priestly uses the name 'Eva Smith'. This is because 'Smith' is the most common surname in England. By using this, Priestly is showing readers(well, viewers of the play) that Eva Smith represents the whole of the lower class society. The Birlings are upper class citizens, and their pride and arrogance cause the death of Eva Smith. Priestly is showing us that because of the effects that upper class citizens have on the lower class, it causes more death, and because Eva smith represents the whole of the lower classed community, he shows us that it causes destruction to many of the lower class communty.

The Inspector is called 'Inspector Goole'. Priestly calls him this because his name resembles 'ghoul'. This shows us that he is not human, but supernatural in a sense. He is the embodiment of truth and stands for the rights of the lower class community.

I already explained before about the birlings very quickly, but i could go into more detail for each one...

I have some work to do, but might be able to help with that later if it helps... :biggrin:

Makes sense, but i thought the question was on Shiela and Birling???
(No offense! :eek:

Please don't give me bad rep!!!)

Reply 10

_GáMMá_

Sorry, my bad.......

I didn't see the question by tainted dreams :confused:

(again, please don't give me bad rep!!!!)

Reply 11

Tainted Dreams

Cool, you're good at this! :biggrin:

So i know that Priestley is trying to make the name 'Smith' common and show world suffering etc does that link in with the 'fire and blood and anguish' speech (i think it's referring to ww1)? :rolleyes:

well that's about it i think!
Thanx for all your help! :tongue:

Reply 12

Powerline

Tainted Dreams

Cool, you're good at this! :biggrin:

So i know that Priestley is trying to make the name 'Smith' common and show world suffering etc does that link in with the 'fire and blood and anguish' speech (i think it's referring to ww1)? :rolleyes:

well that's about it i think!
Thanx for all your help! :tongue:

Yeah... it does link with that speech. i was going to mention it, but i wasnt sure about the wording so i didnt.

No problem :biggrin:

Reply 13

andypandy150

Can anyone give me any ideas for my coursework which ican then put into my own words

Reply 14

Tainted Dreams

andypandy150

Can anyone give me any ideas for my coursework which ican then put into my own words

sure, i'll give you some ideas, though am just a little confused :confused:

- do you need ideas for an actual c/w title, or help with an already given assignment. if you have been given it before, then post the title, and i'll see if i can help= if not then let me know what you would maybe want to do for c/w. :smile:

Reply 15

usuallystressed

1

Tainted Dreams

Cool, you're good at this! :biggrin:

So i know that Priestley is trying to make the name 'Smith' common and show world suffering etc does that link in with the 'fire and blood and anguish' speech (i think it's referring to ww1)? :rolleyes:

well that's about it i think!
Thanx for all your help! :tongue:

Yeah, we've also been told that Priestley chose 'Eva' because it links with Adam and Eve and the fact that EVa reppresents a whole class of women in her position in the world.

Reply 16

usuallystressed

1

Powerline

The Inspector is called 'Inspector Goole'. Priestly calls him this because his name resembles 'ghoul'. This shows us that he is not human, but supernatural in a sense. He is the embodiment of truth and stands for the rights of the lower class community.

Also, there is a fishing town or something like that in a town called "Goole" and this smbolises jhow the INsoector "fishes" through the clues and gets answers out of the Birling's. Dunno how much you'd wanna go into that though :smile:

Reply 17

pepper

Ahh, this topic takes me back.

An Inspector Calls coursework GCSE

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