Mr Birling Flashcards
The titanic- she sails next week’-‘Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable’
Dramatic irony and as like the quotes above he is wrong. The Titanic does sink, the Germans do go to war, Mr Birling cannot be seen to be some source of wisdom and guidance. Priestly is thus indirectly saying just because someone has made lots of money he is not necessarily that intelligent or inherently deserving of being followed in terms of his opinions. This undermining of wealthy capitalists is very important in this play. Birling calls the titanic unsinkable this could allude to the fact that his family is above the law and “unsinkable” The Titanic ironically sank due to an iceberg and in this play the Inspector symbolises the iceberg because he is the reason for the downfall of the Birling family even though it stood tall and proud and seemed “unsinkable” just like the Titanic.
Absolutely is an intensifier which exaggerates his certainty which further deepens the excruciating irony
‘There’ll be peace and prosperity and rapid progress everywhere ‘
In 1945 far from peace and prosperity everywhere, there were dead men, widowed ladies, fatherless children, hunger and suffering amidst destroyed buildings and towns, Europe at that time was the very antithesis of ‘peace and prosperity’, arguably the most ironic quote in this whole section of the play. An irony which would have resonated strongly with any audience who had emerged from the war and who may have lost many loved ones and experienced hunger and fear themselves.
You! You don’t seem to care about anything. But I care. I was almost certain for a knighthood in the next Honours List-
Birling does care.
Not about Eva.
Not about Eva’s family having lost their daughter or sister.
Not about his future grandchild dying.
He cares about his knighthood.
Titles and status are more important to him than other human beings.
