One of my favourite An Inspector Calls quotes:
Sheila: "Impertinent is such a silly word." (Act 2)
Now, IMPERTINENT is a key word in An Inspector Calls. It tells us about the class mentality of 1912.
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Sheila: "Impertinent is such a silly word." (Act 2)
Now, IMPERTINENT is a key word in An Inspector Calls. It tells us about the class mentality of 1912.
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IMPERTINENT means not showing respect, but specifically not showing respect to someone in a higher position. (dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/eng…)
So -- here's the key thing -- if you call someone else "impertinent" YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE YOU HAVE A HIGHER STATUS THAN THEM.
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So -- here's the key thing -- if you call someone else "impertinent" YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE YOU HAVE A HIGHER STATUS THAN THEM.
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So when Sheila says "impertinent is such a silly word", she means that the IDEA of "impertinence" -- the idea that how much respect a person deserves depends on their social status -- is silly.
It's one of the ways JBP puts Sheila in opposition to her parents' values.
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It's one of the ways JBP puts Sheila in opposition to her parents' values.
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Be on the lookout for IMPERTINENT when it appears in the play, and remember this quote for writing about Sheila or about attitudes to class and status.
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