Inspector Goole Quotes Act 2
English Lit: AQA GCSE An Inspector Calls, topic 5.6.2
Inspector Goole - Key Quotes
Inspector Goole says this key quote in Act 2: ‘Public men, Mr Birling, have their responsibilities as well as their privileges’.
Message
- This is a message to wider British society in 1945.
- During his time fighting in World War One, Priestley saw soldiers being sent off to die for their country. Upper-class generals and leaders stayed in safe places. They didn’t fear for their own lives but sent their social inferiors (those of lower class) into battle. This made him feel very angry at the class system.
- In this quote, Goole wants to make it clear that although upper-class men are free to enjoy the benefits of their lifestyle, they must also be responsible members of society who care about the lower-class people who make the upper-class lifestyles possible.
Inspector Goole - Key Quote (Act 2)
‘And you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant things?’ Here's an analysis of this key quote from Act 2:
Hypocrisy
- This is a direct reference to Gerald’s mistreatment of Eva Smith.
- Inspector Goole uses this opportunity to highlight the hypocritical (act in the opposite way to their beliefs) nature of the upper classes – they want to protect their own, fragile, innocent women, but they feel it is acceptable to use lower-class women for their own enjoyments.
Treatment of Eva
- While Mr Birling and Gerald try to protect Sheila from hearing ‘unpleasant things’, neither of them feel the need to protect Eva from them.
- Gerald did protect her for a while, but he kept her as a mistress and then discarded her.
- This is something that upper-class men would not think to do to upper-class women because they’d have too much respect for them.
Test yourself on Inspector Goole Quotes Act 2
What message is Priestley trying to give wider British society with this quote from Inspector Goole?
‘Public men, Mr Birling, have their responsibilities as well as their privileges’What message do you think Priestley is trying to convey in this quote from Inspector Goole?
‘Public men, Mr Birling, have their responsibilities as well as their privileges’What's Inspector Goole referring to in the following quote from Act 2?
‘And you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant things?’How did Gerald mistreat Eva?
‘And you think young women ought to be protected against ??? things?’
Which word should replace the question marks in this key quote from Inspector Goole?