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QUOTETHEME & NOTES‘A friend of mine went over this new liner last week - the?Titanic?- she sails next week - forty-six thousand eight hundred tons - forty-six thousand eight hundred tons - New York in five days - and every luxury - and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.’Birling – Act 1Dramatic Device: Dramatic IronyThemes: IronyIn 1946 this would have been even more controversial as the Titanic was within people’s memory.Just as the Titanic is destined to sink, so is Birling and his political ideas under the Inspector’s interrogation.'We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.'Inspector: Act 3‘... what happened to her then may have determined what happened to her afterwards, and what happened to her afterwards may have driven her to suicide. A chain of events.’Inspector: Act 1Themes: Social Responsibility, Blame & ResponsibilityThe play, much like a parable, has a central message/moral which is that of taking responsibility for one’s actions.The inspector outlines the nature of the moral crime committed against Eva – each are responsible for their part but collectively, they are entirely responsible for her death.‘But take my word for it, you youngsters - and I've learnt in the good hard school of experience - that a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own - and –We hear the sharp ring of a front door bell.’ Mr Birling & Stage Direction- Act 1Themes: Public versus Private, Irony, AgeDevice used to create tension: timing of the doorbell, language – “sharp”Birling takes an individualist and capitalist point of view (which is supported by his speech about how the war is unlikely to happen) – embodies his attitude since the play began.According to him, experience proves his perspective is correct in contrast to the idealistic ‘youngsters’. This is later supported in Act 3 when he reprimands Sheila and Eric for taking responsibility for what happened to Eva.The bell marks the moment when the inspector arrives which is timed purposefully since the inspector is socialist leaning – opposite of Birling (creates stark contrast in retrospect).GERALD [laughs]: You seem to be a nice well-behaved family -BIRLING: We think we are - Act 1Dramatic Device: Dramatic IronyThemes: IronyBirling and Gerald share the same views – their bond becomes stronger after the Inspector’s visit. Also creates a wider gap in Shella and Gerald’s relationship.BIRLINGYou'll apologize at once ... I'm a public man -INSPECTOR [massively]Public men, Mr. Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges.Act 2Themes: Social Responsibility, Public versus Private, ClassThis marks how the Inspector is gaining more power and control over the situation and characters. It isn’t the first time Birling is cut off mid-sentence – perhaps because Priestley wanted to point an extra finger of blame at Birling not only for his actions, but his failure to realise how his public position entails a duty of social responsibility.This excerpt draws on the traditional notion of the upper classes taking responsibility of the welfare of the lower classes but in the newer, more democratic life of Britain, the ‘public men’ are not necessarily of higher social class even if they have more public privileges.This is the second time Priestley has described the Inspector’s presence – “massively” – when he enters the play, the stage direction states “he creates at once an impression of massiveness…”Eric and Sheila in taking responsibility and encouraging others to do so:'These girls aren't cheap labour-they're people' (emphasis on people)Sheila-Act 1-Page 19'Why shouldn't they try for higher wages?'Eric-Act 1-Page 16'You killed them both-damn you, damn you'Eric- Act 3-Page 55Themes: Social Responsibility, Blame and Responsibility, AgeFrom Act 1 all the way to Act 2, Sheila and Eric both start taking responsibility and recognise how each of them have impacted Eva. Their realisations, opinions and attitudes are a stark contrast to their older counterparts in the scenes (apart from the Inspector).Although one would expect Gerald perhaps to take responsibility given that he was genuinely upset after his interrogation by the Inspector, even he, in Act 3 shows his similarity to Mr and Mrs Birling when he takes a drink : '(smiling) Thanks, I think I could just do with one now' (Act 3) - when they think that it was all a hoax.'I used my influence to have it refused'Mrs Birling- Act 2Themes: Social Responsibility, Blame and ResponsibilityAlthough she falters a couple of times, especially when she realises the extent of Eric’s involvement, Mrs Birling is proud of her actions and is consistently defensive. Even Mr Birling realises, at times, that he could have played a part in Eva’s demise even if he doesn’t obviously show it.[laughs rather hysterically]‘Why - you fool -?he knows. Of course he knows. And I hate to think how much he knows that we don't know yet. You'll see. You'll see.?She looks at him almost in triumph.’Sheila – Act 1'He's giving us the rope- so that we'll hang ourselves'Sheila-Act 2Dramatic Device: Inspector’s divisive methodsThemes: GenderGerald is tempted to withhold information but Sheila – who is consistently not taken very seriously – has already realised the critical importance of the Inspector – the first person to do so. Leads her to view her relationship with Gerald in a more realistic and cynical way.STAGE DIRECTION(The lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives)Stage direction (1)- Act 1(Seated at the table, with Arthur Birling at one end, and his wife at the other)Stage direction (2) -Act 1(The telephone rings sharply)Stage direction (3) at the end-Act 3(They stare guiltily and dumbfounded, the curtain falls)Stage direction (4) at end-Act 3 ................
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