Arthur Birling

Question 1

What is Mr Birling presented as?

Answer 1

Pompous, arrogant, and misguided

Question 2

What’s Mr Birling used to highlight?

Answer 2

the greed and prejudice of the middle and upper class

Question 3

How is Mr Birling first introduced as?

Answer 3

“Heavy looking, rather portentous man”

Question 4

What does his appearance represent?

Answer 4

Capitalist greed

Question 5

What has he benefited from?

Answer 5

the Industrial Revolution

Question 6

What is Mr Birling?

Answer 6

‘A prosperous manufacturer’

Question 7

What gives us the idea that he’s from the middle class?

Answer 7

Because he’s got a regional accent

Question 8

What did the Industrial Revolution mean to the industry?

Answer 8

That they could become of a higher class due to the wealth they had created

Question 9

What is Mrs Briling to Mr Birling?

Answer 9

‘Her husbands social superior’

Question 10

What causes tension in their marriage?

Answer 10

Their classes

Question 11

Why does he want Gerald’s upper class family to like him?

Answer 11

So they can join businesses in order to become more profitable

Question 12

What does Mr Birling want them to know?

Answer 12

His potential knighthood

Question 13

What’s the importance to his character that the play is written in 1945, but set in 1912?

Answer 13

Because it allows him to be wrong in his confident speeches about the future

Question 14

What does Mr Birling despise?

Answer 14

Being interrupted and loosing control of conversations

Question 15

What quote is used when talking about war?

Answer 15

“I say there isn’t a chance of war”

Question 16

What quote is used when talking about the titanic?

Answer 16

“The titanic is unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable”

Question 17

What word does Mr Birling use to describe socialism?

Answer 17

“nonsense”

Question 18

What does the sinking of the titanic foreshadow?

Answer 18

The sinking of the Birling family

Question 19

What is Mr Birlings priority?

Answer 19

Making money and having a hugely successful business

Question 20

What does Mr Birling lack?

Answer 20

Empathy towards his workers

Question 21

What quote proves his lack of empathy towards his workers?

Answer 21

“A man has to look after himself”

Question 22

What does the quote “A man has to look after himself” show?

Answer 22

Capitalist benefits that profits are more important than worker’s rights

Question 23

What quote shows that Mr Birling is responsible for his family and his business?

Answer 23

“It’s my duty to keep labour costs down”

Question 24

What’s Mr Birlings view of the working class?

Answer 24

“Cheap labour”

Question 25

What does he call socialists?

Answer 25

“Cranks”

Question 26

What’s he worried about after the Inspectors visit?

Answer 26

a ‘public scandal’

Question 27

What does his offer of “thousands-yes, thousands” show?

Answer 27

His capitalist values rather than genuine regret

Question 28

What context can back up the fact that Mr Birling is consistently wrong?

Answer 28

The audience in 1945 would be more likely to side with the younger generation’s socialist views, as this was the generation who voted for a new labour government and social reform

Question 29

What is Mr Birling finally concluded to be?

Answer 29

An arrogant and foolish capitalist who cares for no one but himself and his status

Question 30

What does Priestley repeatedly show through his character?

Answer 30

He’s a man with no social conscience

Question 31

What happens to Mr Birlings power throughout the corse of the play, and why?

Answer 31

It weakens - as the Inspector reveals that he’s a selfish man who ignores the needs of others to keep his profit and reputation