Class prejudice

An unfair judgement about someone based on their social class rather than their individual qualities or behaviour.

An unfair judgement of a person based on their social class rather than their individual qualities or behaviour.

Priestley presents Mrs Birling’s refusal of responsibility as rooted in class prejudice rather than a fair assessment of Eva’s needs. In Act Two, she dismisses Eva’s refusal of stolen money with the exclamation, “As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!” The phrase “that sort” categorises Eva instead of acknowledging her as an individual, while “ever” makes Mrs Birling’s assumption sound unquestionable.

Part (b): Analyse dramatic methods as well as words: an interruption, an absent character, the order of revelations or a stage direction can explain how Priestley exposes class prejudice.

An unfair judgement about someone based on assumptions about their social class rather than their individual behaviour.

An unfair judgement of someone based on their social class rather than their individual actions or qualities.

An unfair judgement of someone based on their social class rather than their individual qualities.

An unfair judgement of someone based on their social class rather than their individual qualities or actions.

Class prejudice therefore has practical consequences. It is not simply an unpleasant opinion: it helps determine whether someone receives support.

A judgement about someone based on their social class rather than their individual behaviour or character.

A judgement about someone based on their social position rather than their individual character or behaviour.

An unfair judgement based on someone’s social group rather than their individual behaviour or circumstances.

A judgement about someone based on their social class rather than their individual qualities or behaviour.

Definition

How each exam board covers it

AQA GCSE English Literature · 8702

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Edexcel GCSE English Literature · 1ET0

OCR GCSE English Literature · J352

Eduqas GCSE English Literature · C720