👨🏻‍💼 mr birling

Question 1

• mr birling
• selfish and capitalist views
• tries to “educate” eric and gerald about not helping others
• people can only be responsible for themselves. If people fail then its their own fault
• structural technique with the timing of Inspector at the end of Mr Birling’s monologue demonstrates how the inequality of the lower classes will come to an end
• ‘stops’ Mr Birling’s attempt to spread his selfishness towards the younger generation, which shows that he is trying to prevent inequality towards the lower class from continuing, reflecting his socalist and collectivist views

Answer 1

‘A man has to make his own way - has to look after himself - and his family too’ then there is a sharp ring of a front doorbell (A1)

Question 2

• mr birling
• dramatic irony
• dislikable character and everything he says is wrong
• the audience know that it sank and
• audience of 1945 will have gone through 2 wars.
• makes audience question the reliability of his judgement - what else will he be wrong about?
• lack of awareness
• ‘Silly’ is dismissive, belittling others ideas.
• titanic symbolises his own family - believes they are untouchable until the Inspector arrives giving them a rude awakening.

Answer 2

Titanic is ‘unsinkable’
‘silly little war scares’

Question 3

• mr birling
• shows his selfishness and doesn’t care about anyone else in that ‘hive’. He believes that just because he is a wealthy businessman, he should not be mixing with the working class as he believes himself to be better than them

Answer 3

‘You’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we are mixed up like bees in a hive’

Question 4

• mr birling
• as far as he is concerned, the most important factor is that Goole is not a real inspector
• this vital for him as he is now relieved that it would not end up as a scandal because the fake inspector has no power to cause problems so he is prepared to forget the whole story and continue as of before
• he doesn’t care about his actions in the girl’s life, or the effect of his actions on her

Answer 4

‘This makes a difference, y’know. In fact, it makes all the difference’

Question 5

• mr birling
• consistent with his character
• only cares about covering up this story so it doesn’t affect his reputation, social status, or his chance of receiving a knighthood
• selfish, slef-centred attitude, not concerned with the consequences

Answer 5

‘I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can’

Question 6

• mr birling
• disconnects from family
• second person pronoun to Eric. Become You and I = opposing ideas
• irony - he repeatedly says that eric doesnt care about anything ; in reality it is mr birling who doesnt care about anyone but himself

Answer 6

‘You! You don’t seem to care about anything. But I care. I was almost certain for a knighthood in the next Honours list’

Question 7

• mr birling
• celebrating that it was fake and thinks it was foolish and not based on reality
• use of stage directions
• ‘Triumphantly’ suggests that he thinks all responsibility has been removed.
• he thinks he can just carry on as before (unlike Sheila and Eric) as the “public scandal” was the thing he really cared about.
• moonshine = foolish talk and ideas

Answer 7

‘The whole story’s just a lot of moonshine (Triumphantly)’

Question 8

• mr birling
• mocking tone
• they believe that their children should be seen and not heard

Answer 8

‘The famous younger generation that know it all’

Question 9

• mr birling
• noun “token”, which links to the idea of winning a ‘prize’, suggests that women in society have to earn the respect of their male counterparts by wearing appropriate clothing

Answer 9

‘Not just something to wear or look prettier - but a sort of sign or token of their self-respect’