1. Revision: An Inspector Calls
Who said it? 1.) “we are members of one body” 2.) “Everything’s all right now Sheila (holds up the ring) 3.) “mixed up like bees in a hive” 4.) “I’m ashamed of you” 5.) “Well, really! Aldermand Maggarty! I must say we are learning something tonight!”

2. Revision: An Inspector Calls
Who said it? 1.) “we are members of one body” The Inspector – link this to all characters 2.) “Everything’s all right now Sheila (holds up the ring) Gerald 3.) “mixed up like bees in a hive” Mr Birling – hates socialism 4.) “I’m ashamed of you” Eric 5.) “Well, really! Aldermand Maggarty! I must say we are learning something tonight!” Mrs Birling

3. Give all the good things that Gerald did and the bad things that Gerald did
Gerald: Good or Bad?
Good
Bad
Did he care about Eva?
Is he like Mr and Mrs Birling?
Did he learn from the Inspector’s message of “we are members of one body”
Does he try and cover up what happened?
Does he hurt Sheila/love her?
Is he like the younger generation?

4. With a Gerald essay GIVE BALANCE
Main idea: He is used to show that he had the potential to change like the younger generation but he couldn’t because he is upper class and wealthy
Paragraph 1: Potential/ good
He wanted to look after Eva when he got her food and a place to stay it shows he cares for others in other social classes
Paragraph 2: Won’t change/bad
He only wanted Eva because of her looks
Paragraph 3: Hasn’t learned social responsibility/bad
Link to “we are members of one body” and how he doesn’t absorb that message when he tries to cover it all up at the end like Mr Birling
Conclusion: He is more like Mr and Mrs Birling than Sheila and Eric- Priestley uses him to show that wealth can cloud your morals to do the right thing.
Approaching Gerald
With a Gerald essay GIVE BALANCE
Start with the GOOD
Then BAD

5. Gerald can’t change because his attitudes towards the lower class are SO INGRAINED into him because he is “well-bred”

6. “Everything’s all right now Sheila [holds up the ring]”
The Inspector says that Gerald “made her happy for some time”
“we can keep it from him”
“Everything’s all right now Sheila [holds up the ring]”

7. Task: Write a paragraph that shows that Gerald didn’t learn from The Inspector
Although Gerald felt upset and genuinely saddened by Eva’s death, by the end of the play, he still has not absorbed the Inspector’s message that “we are members of one body” and should accept our responsibility of looking after others. This is clear because Gerald, like Mr Birling, is willing to cover up their involvement in her suicide and carry on as normal when he thinks that the Inspector was a hoax and he says to Sheila “Everything’s all right now Sheila [he holds up the ring]”. Priestley here is showing the 1945 audience that Gerald has not changed his ignorant upper class ways because he appears to have forgotten what has happened and has the audacity to say that “everything’s all right now”. The phrase “all right” carries a flippant and almost relieved tone to suggest that Gerald, like upper class people of 1912, would lack any remorse for their actions against the lower classes. Moreover the stage direction [holds up the ring] is used deliberately by Priestley to anger the audience and make us dislike his lack of change compared to Sheila and Eric who are “frightened” and “ashamed” by their parents because here, he is doing all he can to return back to normality and make Sheila agree to their marriage. Perhaps, it suggests that Gerald is only concerned about money like a typical capitalist because the only reason he wants Sheila to marry him is to continue with the marriage like a business transaction where the Birling and Crofts can merge businesses for profit. This reinforces the cyclical nature of Gerald because he has returned to his capitalist focus at the beginning of building business and profit which is cold considering that he is disregarding all that he has done to play a part in a working class woman’s suicide. It also demonstrates his lack of change in respect for Sheila because he almost seems proud and arrogant to show off the ring again and he believes that Sheila will accept the ring for its materialistic value when in fact she has changed and deepened a divide by learning to accept her guilt and care for others.

8. C/L
Wednesday 16th May 2018
Inspector Calls Thematic Exam Preparation

9. Brainstorm all the possible themes you think could be an exam question
Theme possibilities

10. Guilt
Essay: Look at how each character feels guilt Message: Younger generation do because they learn “we are members of one body”

11. Responsibility
Essay: Look at how each character feels responsibility Message: Younger generation do because they learn “we are members of one body”

12. Working Class
Essay: Eva represents the working class and the treatment she receives changes some but not all Message: Younger generation feel the guilt of their treatment and want to treat all classes equally- hope for society.

13. Greed/Capitalism
Essay: How greed/capitalism makes us ignorant of treatment of others. Message: Capitalism creates ignorant, cold people that builds a society which cannot function properly without destroying other peoples’ lifes.

14. Come up with a structure for each essay aim for 3 paragraphs tops Remember: 5 in total with intro and conc
Task:
Idea: Treatment of working class changes younger generation but not older generation
P1: Working class are abused for profit by Mr Birling. Look at his attitude
“hard-headed businessman” “mixed up like bees in a hive”
P2: Mrs Birling shares the same view and is disgusted by working class/belittles Eva as a little “girl” “girls of that class” “though naturally I don’t know anything about this girl”
P3: Despite their parents’ capitalist views Sheila and Eric learn from the Inspector and want to respect and be responsible for the treatment of the working class
“these girls aren’t cheap labour they’re people” “why shouldn’t they try for higher wages
“it frightens me the way you talk”