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17 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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How does the opening scene suggest that the Birlings are the 'perfect' family? |
The father is a successful businessman; the mother works hard to keep up the Birlings' reputation in the community; the son works for the father in the family business; the daughter's engaged to the son of their competitor. |
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Before the Inspector arrives, Arthur Birling makes a speech about the state of the world. Name one event that the audience know will happen after 1912 which proves he's wrong. |
He says the Titanic is unsinkable; he says there will be no war with Germany; he says that conflicts between workers and bosses will come to nothing (the General Strike of 1926 saw the country grind to a halt for three days). |
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Explain in your own words why Arthur Birling sacked Eva Smith. |
The workers at the factory went on strike after Birling refused a pay rise. He sacked Eva Smith because she was one of the ring leaders. |
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Explain in your own words why Sheila Birling got Eva Smith sacked. |
Sheila's insecurity and jealousy made her think that Eva Smith was laughing at her at Milwards. She abused her influence as a regular customer from a good family to demand that Eva Smith be sacked. |
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Give two reasons why Priestly would have Eva Smith change her name to Daisy Renton. |
Perhaps Eva Smith needed to escape her past, or maybe this is just the Inspector spinning a tale to link two different women. |
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What word finishes Act One and begins Act Two? |
'Well?' |
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How does Sheila react towards Gerald once he has finished telling his story? |
She breaks off the engagement. |
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Give one piece of evidence which suggests that Gerald's bad behaviour was quite common among middle-class men of the time. |
The Palace stalls are well known for being a place to pick up prostitutes. |
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Give two reasons why Sybil refused to help Eva/Daisy. |
Eva/Daisy said her name was 'Birling' ('a piece of gross impertinence') and also kept changing her story (first she said her husband had left her, but then she admitted she wasn't married). |
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Who does Sybil say is ultimately the one responsible for Eva/Daisy's death? |
The 'young man' who got her pregnant (ie, Eric). |
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Why does Sheila suggest that Eric might be the 'young man' who got Eva/Daisy pregnant? |
She is open to the idea that her family are guilty. |
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Give two examples of language that Eric uses which suggests he's immature. |
He calls Eva/Daisy 'a good sport' and 'pretty' (which sounds a bit insensitive given how badly he treated her) and says that she treated him as a 'kid'. |
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What piece of news makes Eric turn on his mother? |
That Sybil was involved in Eva/Daisy's and his child's death. |
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Summarize the Inspector's final speech in three main points. |
He links Eva/Daisy to the rest of humanity; he says everyone is 'intertwined' and 'members of one body'; he warns that if people don't learn to be more responsible, they'll be forced to suffer for their mistakes. |
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Explain how each of the four family members react to the Inspector's final speech. |
Arthur blames Eric for their problems, Sybil says she is ashamed of Eric, Eric says he's ashamed of his parents, and Sheila says she's ashamed of herself (and asks everyone else to shoulder some of the blame, too). |
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Why do the characters start to think that the Inspector might have been a fake? |
He didn't seem like a normal police inspector! |
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Three telephone calls are made in Act Three. Say who makes each call, and what is involved. |
Birling calls the police station (to confirm there is no inspector called 'Goole' in the area'); Birling calls the hospital (and finds out that no one has committed suicide); the police ring Mr Birling (to tell him that an inspector is being sent). |
