English Lit - An Inspector calls - Mr Birling Flashcards
Overview of Mr Birling - Pt1
Birling = callous and heartlessness nature of capitalism. Has no regard except for wealth/social status. Preistly criticises the complacency of capitalist prosperity. Represents older generation who are unwilling to change.
Overview of Mr Birling - Pt2
He is also presented as a realistic character through the use of colloquial (informal/conversational) language. He is described as “Panic stricken), which demonstrates how his bravado and defiance has been shattered, demonstrates someone who is so blindly wrong being whittled down and eventually broken, and therefore invites sympathy from the audience.
Overview of Mr Birling - Pt3/Context
Priestly was a co-founder of a socialist party, and socialist views are prominent throughout the play. He believed disparity of wealth/class divide was caused by people who held characteristics such as selfishness, inability to admit responsibility, exploitative tendencies, and power lust. Priestly wanted to show how these capitalist attitudes often result in consequences (firing Eva smith), and by not holding these attitudes, one could live a better life. Mr Birling does not end up changing throughout the play, he maintains his supposed innocence and refuses to learn a lesson. At the end, he receives a phone call from a supposedly real inspector. Preistly attempts to warn the audience of the dangers of not learning a the lesson if social responsibility.
‘you’ll hear some people say war is Inevitable … fiddlesticks!’
Use of fiddlesticks demonstrates how he belittles others ideas. The exclamatory sentence shows how passionate and convinced he his of his own opinion.
‘The Titanic – she sails next week…and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.’
Represents his own family, and how he believes he is untouchable until the Inspector arrives.
“A man has to make his own way – has to look after himself – and his family too, of course”
His language changes when the Inspector arrives as he speaks in short, sharp fragments and uses lots of dashes. Demonstrates how his authority and confidence is breaking down.
