w does Priestley present the theme of inequality in An Inspector Call
How do I answer this question in a simplified way. I’m not very good at English and just what to answer it easily using some quotes.
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Reply 2
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well 'inequality' can be taken in numerous ways. you have class divisions and gender divisions, but also age! i haven't done aic for a few years now but...
"giving us the port, edna? that's right" - expects lower class to adhere to him, can be both class and gender inequality: edna needs to work for him in order to have an income and survive, but mr birling may cater his language because she's a woman (as in, he expects women to serve him)
sheila being referred to as a "girl" even though she's a fully grown adult and is engaged - infantilisation can be a method of displaying inequalities, and suggests that the birling parents seem themselves as 'better' and 'more knowledgeable' than their children simply because of their age, even when they are not the ones keeping up with the times / are often wrong (e.g. mr birling claiming the titanic was "unsinkable. absolutely unsinkable." and the two of them believing the inspector was a joke, up until the final phone call)
then for just general examples: there's eric forcing his way onto eva thus prompting her to fall pregnant when she most likely was not prepared to (men believing they have a right to women's bodies - sexist and power-led ideas); gerald also feeling like he's entitled to eva because he, in his eyes, saved her from the man in the bar (again, feeling like the actions they choose to do warrant equal responses, especially because all the characters are rich and therefore have the ability to threaten); the inspector being a mouthpiece for socialist views and how mr birling in particular looks down upon him; the inspector' speech with the line "there are millions and millions of john smith and eva smiths still left with us today" forces the characters to face their displays of inequality, but the key point, here, are the divisions in reactions to that final message.
i'd recommended reading the pmt link flaurie has responded with too, pmt are weirdly great for english revision!
"giving us the port, edna? that's right" - expects lower class to adhere to him, can be both class and gender inequality: edna needs to work for him in order to have an income and survive, but mr birling may cater his language because she's a woman (as in, he expects women to serve him)
sheila being referred to as a "girl" even though she's a fully grown adult and is engaged - infantilisation can be a method of displaying inequalities, and suggests that the birling parents seem themselves as 'better' and 'more knowledgeable' than their children simply because of their age, even when they are not the ones keeping up with the times / are often wrong (e.g. mr birling claiming the titanic was "unsinkable. absolutely unsinkable." and the two of them believing the inspector was a joke, up until the final phone call)
then for just general examples: there's eric forcing his way onto eva thus prompting her to fall pregnant when she most likely was not prepared to (men believing they have a right to women's bodies - sexist and power-led ideas); gerald also feeling like he's entitled to eva because he, in his eyes, saved her from the man in the bar (again, feeling like the actions they choose to do warrant equal responses, especially because all the characters are rich and therefore have the ability to threaten); the inspector being a mouthpiece for socialist views and how mr birling in particular looks down upon him; the inspector' speech with the line "there are millions and millions of john smith and eva smiths still left with us today" forces the characters to face their displays of inequality, but the key point, here, are the divisions in reactions to that final message.
i'd recommended reading the pmt link flaurie has responded with too, pmt are weirdly great for english revision!
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