Whit our teacher Pato in Lit we started reading an inspector calls but before starting it we investigated on Edwardian and Victoria eras so we could understand those times better

VICTORIAN ERA:

Class división ——-> etiquette

Only men could vote

Servants didn’t make eye contacto with upper classes

Scientific, medical, technological advances

Industrial revolution ———> Englan ——> the wealthiest Nation

Kids were ill-treated in factores and mines

Unemoloyment/ por working conditons

Victorian upper classes didn’t recognize lower classes existed

Cities were overcrowded

EDWARDIAN ERA:

Class division ———-> upper &lower classes

Social injustice

Change in the economic system

Women social & política Union was created

Number of servants decreased ———-> more social division

The characters:

• Gerald Croft–> Shelia’s Birling fiancée. He is a liar, since he told Sheila that he was very busy at work but he wasn’t. He is part of the upper class, so that’s the reason why Arthur wants him to marry her daughter, it meant more money.
• Arthur Birling that was the father. He believed businessman know better, that wars will end because nobody wants wars, that the world was progressing really fast and that WW1 wouldn’t even start
• Eric Birling –> son. Loves drinking. The black ship of the family.
• Shelia Birling –> daughter
• Sybill Birling–> mother
• Edna –> maid
• Inspector Goole 

The background of the story:

It was written in 1945, but the story takes place in 1912. Priestly was against Capitalism and in the story Arthur Birling is shown as a capitalist man. The story is set in the Edwardian Era, were there was prosperity for the middle class and industrialist. But also, the working class was discontent which led to strikes.

Activity on Act 1:

Gerald and Mr Birling are alone. Read their conversation ( p. 8-9-10-11 up to Edna speaking)

-What are they talking about?

• They are talking about mr birling trying to enter to the honours list as a Knighthood. Mr Birling says that he had some hints that he will be chosen and Gerald congratulates him.

-Whats Mr Birling hoping to get?

• A Knighthood in the next Honours list

-Mr birling vs Geralds mother. What is reveald in this conversation? How does Arthur Birling feel as regards the crofts?

• Its reveald that the Birlings have a secret that the knighthood honors list can’t find out.  He feels that he can trust them because he told Gerald.

-According to Mr Birling, whats a mans responsability? ( quote from the play)

• Acording to Mr Birling “a man has to make his own way – has to look after himself – and his family too, of course, when he has one- and so long as he does that he winr come to much harm. Bur the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look up after everybody else, as iF we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense

-They mention ” a scandal” , secrets that may affect characters in the future (literary device?)

Forshadowing

In Literature class we finished act ! of «An Inspector Calls» and we answered in different groups answers that are at the end of the book.

this were the questions my group had to answer (Juana P Muñiz, Chivy Correa, Elena Persic and me):

This were Other groups’s questions:

1 to 5:

3 to 7:

6 to 10:

9 to 14:

12 to 17:

19 to 23:

24 to 27:

Arthur Birling

• He is proud of his achievements and tries to impress the Inspector with his local standing and his influential friends.» He was an old friend of mine», here Birling is showing that he knows very well the Chief Constable.
• He is aware of people who are his social superiors. » It’s exactly the same port your father gets». Birling is trying to
  impress Gerald.
• He claims the party only because Sheila will be happy, but a merger with Crofts Limited will be good for his business. “Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together”
• He is optimistic for the future and confident that there will not be a war. “Peace and prosperity and rapid progress everywhere”
• He is selfish, he wants to protect himself and his family, and protect his reputation. “There’ll be a public scandal”

Mrs.Sybil Birling

• She is very aware of the differences between social classes. “[…] why the girl committed suicide. Girls of that class–”
• She has least respect for the Inspector. “(Inspector) you’re not telling me the truth. (Mrs B) I beg your pardon!”
• She doesn’t want to believe Eric’s drinking and Gerald’s affair with Eva. “I don’t believe it… I won’t beleive it…”
• She admits she was prejudiced against the girls who applied to her committee. “She was giving herself ridiculous airs”
• She refuses to believe that she did anything wrong. “But I accept no blame for it All”

Sheila Birling

• She has had suspicions about Gerald. “Yes, exept for sll last summer, when you never came near me, and I wondered what had happened to you”
• She shows her compassion immediately she hears of her father’s treatment of Eva Smith. “Oh! – how horrible! Was it an accident?”
• She feels full of guilt “Yes and it was I who had the girl turned out of jer job at Milwards”
• She is very perceptive “Let’s hope not. But i’m beginning to wonder”
• She is curious, becoming more mature. “In some odd way, I rather respect you more than i’ve ever done before”
• She is angry with her parents “Now you’re beginning All over again to pretende that nothing much has happened-
• At the end of the play she is much wiser “It didn’t end tragically, then thay’s lucky for us”

Eric Birling

• He seems embarrassed and awkward. “Oh my god! How stupid it all is!”
• He is a hardened drinker “could i have a drink first? “
• He supports the worker’s cause “He could’ve kept jer on instead of throwing her out.”
• He feels guilt and frustration with himself over his relationship with the girl. “My god- I’m not likely to forget”
• He had some innate sense of responsibility “I’m ashamed of you as well- yes both of you”.
• He is appolled by his parents        (Same qoutation^)
• He is fully aware of his social responsability. 

Gerald Croft

• He is an aristocrat «(Birling) … Yourself socially»
• He is not as willing to admit his part in the girl’s death «Perhaps i’d feel better about it»
• He is very moved when he hears of her death «… I’ve suddenly realized … That she is dead»
• He tries to come up with as much evidence as possible to prove that the Inspector is a fake «… I asked him about inspector goole and described tje chap carefully…»
• He seems to throw his energies into ‘protecting’ himself rather than changing himself. «No i passed it off by saying i’d been having am argument with someone»

Inspector Goole

• He works very systematically «i’m not asking if you believed it. I want to know what she said»
• He is a figure of authority «don’t stsmmer and yammer at me again man»
• He seems to know and understand an extraodinary amount «… She wanted to keep this youngester out of any more trouble – isn’t that so?»
• He knows the hisotry of Eva Smith and the Birling´s involvement 
• He knows things are going to happen
• He is in a great hurry towards the end of the play
• His final speech is like a sermon or a politician’s «there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and john Smiths still left with us […] we are responsable for each other […]»

Eva Smith 

• She was working class «she used to work in my factory[…]»
• The first women created in the Bible.