Understanding gender and class through Mrs Birling in 'An Inspector Calls'
I can analyse how Priestley uses Mrs Birling’s character to explore the impact of gender and class expectations.
Understanding gender and class through Mrs Birling in 'An Inspector Calls'
I can analyse how Priestley uses Mrs Birling’s character to explore the impact of gender and class expectations.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Arguably, Priestley uses the characters to critique the flaws of gender and class structures in Edwardian societies.
- Mrs Birling embodies traditional Edwardian norms of gender and class, reinforcing societal hierarchies.
- It could be suggested that Mrs Birling’s response reflects her internalised patriarchal views.
- Mrs Birling's treatment of Eva Smith could show the prejudice of the upper class against working-class women.
- Single paragraph outlines are a useful planning tool for analytical writing.
Keywords
Patriarchy - a system where men hold more power and dominate roles in society, family, or institutions
Hierarchy - a system in which people or things are ranked according to their importance or status
Societal norms - perceived informal, mostly unwritten, rules that define acceptable and appropriate actions
Marginalise - to treat someone or something as if they are not important
Prejudice - an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual often due to a characteristic e.g class, gender
Common misconception
Mrs Birling is a woman and therefore she automatically shares the same struggles as Eva Smith.
While both are women, Mrs Birling's high class gives her power to uphold societal norms, whereas Eva, from a lower class, is oppressed by them.
To help you plan your year 11 english lesson on: Understanding gender and class through Mrs Birling in 'An Inspector Calls', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 11 english lesson on: Understanding gender and class through Mrs Birling in 'An Inspector Calls', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 english lessons from the An Inspector Calls Deep Dive 1 unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B. Priestley, Heinemann 2014 edition.
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
outlines argument of each paragraph
in note form and includes: methods, main and supporting quotations
summarises argument in each paragraph with a focus on writer’s purpose