An Inspector Calls

meaning of fire blood anguish?

confused about the meaning. please someone explain

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Last updated by Panashe N #1095164
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The inspector is making a powerful speech about how the community is more important than individual interests. He says everyone will suffer if people do not take care of each other.

And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, when they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.

In addition to what is mentioned above, "fire and blood and anguish" could be possibly referencing Hell or the social unrest at the time. When Priestley wrote the play in '45, he could have also been warning of a third World War. Unless the Birlings - and individuals with like thoughts and ideas - changed their ways, these things would happen. Perhaps think of the Inspector similarly to the the spirits in Dicken's 'A Christmas Carol', where they are omniscient and forseeing and warn Scrooge that if he does not change, the events shown to him would play out. In AIC, this is also seen when the Birlings are informed of a suicide by drinking disinfectant at the end of the play. The Inspector appears to have been sent to warn them, and when he leaves and they do not change, there is a suicide - note, this is not neccesarily the Eva Smith/Daisy Renton referenced throught the play.

Source(s)

Knowledge of the play.

It's actually an allusion towards the first world war. The play is set in 1912, two years prior.

i thinks its about the inspector being bare angry init and like he just reffering that there going ti hell chbjkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkbddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddkjbnksmlxakklcamlksamndskjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjGG jsjknjakkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkknjkcnjoijpwoqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqkooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooookdddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddgudah dudi dwnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatutuikjaddddddddddddddddddddnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnj

I just looked online and I found the actual hidden answer that will help you get an A*.(I know the people who have already posted have finished school but for new viewers) So when the Inspector describes how Eva Smith died he uses the words "she'd swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant. Burnt her inside out, of course" and when he teaches the Birlings a lesson he uses the words "And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish." Eva Smith's death in an Inspector calls symbolises the lesson that the Birling family learn which is shown when the Inspector uses the words "fire and blood and anguish". It is anoying that no teachers ever mentioned this and the video where I got this from is linked below

Source(s)

exactly 2:00 into the video he mentions why https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1SLKey_USI