aic mrs birling

Question 1

“[Mrs Birling] is about fifty, a rather cold woman.”

Answer 1

she is described as cold from the start of the play

Question 2

“But I accept no blame for it at all.”

Answer 2

she immediately refuses to see other viewpoints, ignorant

Question 3

“Eric, I can’t believe it. There must be some mistake.”

Answer 3

she still refuses to believe it and chooses to live in ignorance

Question 4

‘[her husband’s social superior]’

Answer 4

she is immediately placed in a different power dynamic than typical families

Question 5

‘Arthur you’re not supposed to say such things’

Answer 5

she is obsessed with social class and proper order, and is not willing to sacrifice her status = older generation

Question 6

‘When you’re married you’ll realise that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business.’

Answer 6

Despite Sheila being arguably the most perceptive character of them all, Mrs Birling doesn’t want her involved because of how young women were supposed to act at the time, relating to the social context as well as the themes of gender and age

Question 7

‘I think Sheila and I better go into the drawing-room and leave you men-‘

Answer 7

gender roles present - she knows her place in a 1912 society

Question 8

‘Girls of that class-‘

Answer 8

immediately stereotypes the lower class, ignorant

Question 9

‘Nothing but morbid curiosity’

Answer 9

talking about sheila, dismisses her children as child-like even though they’re fully grown.

Question 10

‘It’s disgusting to me.’ (about Gerald’s affair with Eva)

Answer 10

Mrs Birling again represents the theme of class as she sees it as disgusting that Gerald, who is upper class, would have an affair with Eva, who was working class

Question 11

‘But I think she had only herself to blame’

Answer 11

Mrs Birling feels no sympathy for Eva and accepts no responsibility as she feels as if she is superior because of her class

Question 12

‘[severely] You’re behaving like an hysterical child tonight.’

Answer 12

Mrs Birling is accusing Sheila of being immature and childish because she shows an interest in the case which goes against how women were expected to act at the time, relating to the social context

Question 13

‘[agitated] I don’t believe it. I won’t believe it’

Answer 13

She is naïve and ignorant when she discovers that Eric is the father of the child

Question 14

‘of course not, hes only a boy’

Answer 14

infantalizes her children.

Question 15

eric, who seems to be in an excitable, silly mood’

Answer 15

deliberately ignores eric’s drinking problem = neglectful parenting

Question 16

‘we’re respectable citizens and not criminals’

Answer 16

believes she is socially superior to all and discriminates once again against the lower class

Question 17

‘they’re over-tired’

Answer 17

infantilizes her children - doesnt believw in the younger generation

Question 18

‘but surely… i mean… it’s ridiculous’

Answer 18

fragmented sentences shows disbelief

Question 19

mrs birling’s purpose

Answer 19

1. She represents the wealthier, privileged classes and their selfish attitudes.
2. She sees the lower class as morally inferior – Priestley hated this kind of attitude and believed that people with these attitudes had to change if society was going to work.
3. She makes us see just how awful life was for the lower classes at this time (1912) – the class divide was huge.