Birling Flashcards
Stage directions:
BIRLING is a heavy looking, rather portentous man…
architypical man of that era
page 2, act one
“giving us the port, Edna?”
shows that Birling is already manipulative and patronising too anyone lower than him
page 2, act one
“tell cook from me”
in this Birling speaks about the nice meal he is having, and due to his previous background (middle class),saying “tell cook from me” is a very highly unregarded act to do when being an upper class citizen
act one
“now you’ve brought us together, and perhaps we may look forward to the time when Crofts and Birling are no longer competing”
- these people are Geralds parents, who are very wealthy
- Birling and the crofts were business rivals, but since Gerald is marrying Sheila, Birling wants to be business partners, which he thinks will bring more profit
this shows that even at an event which wasn’t meant for Birling, he will turn it round into himself, showing a selfish portrayal - it also shows that he his obsessed with work, and wants a constant persona of a ‘successful business man’
act one
“there’s a very good chance of a knighthood”
ambitious
act one
“so long as we behave ourselves, don’t get into the police court or start a scandal”
this is very ironic because obviously the title of the play is an inspector calls, so surely something to do with the police will occur
act one
“hard-headed business man”
business minded, constant work ethic
act one
“unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable” (titanic)
“the germans don’t want war”
- this play was set just before world war one and before the titanic set sail
- however the audience for the play was an audience in 1946 so they already knew this outcomes of these acusations
- Priestley uses dramatic irony, showing a comedic element to the play and to make Birling look overconfident
- it makes the audience think that Birling might be wrong about a lot of things, such as his belief in the motto ‘Every man for himself’
act one
“a man has to mind his own business and look after himself”
Birlings looking for number one, and he’s not going to change
he wants his business to make higher profits, but Priestley uses the character of billing to show that this profit comes with a high moral cost
act one
Pg 6: ‘Are you listening, Sheila? This concerns you too. And after all I don’t often make speeches at you-‘
this is very typical, sexist mans point of view
act one
Pg 11: ‘I was an alderman for years – and Lord Mayor two years ago – and I’m still on the Bench – so I know the Brumley officers pretty well’
- trying to intimidate the inspector but Birling himself is rather intimidated as he has ‘no leg to stand on’
- feels a sense of insecurity
act one
Pg 14: ‘I can’t accept any responsibility. If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we’d had anything to do with, it would be very awkward’
very selfish and childish take on the matter
act one
Pg 15: ‘[to Eric] Look – you just keep out of this. You hadn’t even started in the works when this happened.’
- mr birling refuses to take any responsibility and will look at anyone even his ‘loved ones’ to point a finger at
- possibly due to his might be up an coming title
act one
Pg 17: ‘Nothing to do with you, Sheila. Run along’
patronising
act two
Pg 41: ‘(angrily, to Inspector) Look here, I’m not going to have this, Inspector. You’ll apologise at once.’
birding is very frustrated because an Inspector of that level/ class shouldn’t be talking to someone of a higher class
