Mr Birling Flashcards
Birling represents the avarice and short-sightedness that
Priestley believes, defines Capitalism.
Birling’s and the Inspector’s very different ideas of ‘duty’ lay
bare the chasm between ideals of Capitalism and Socialism.
In terms of his incapacity to listen and learn, Birling
epitomises the arrogance of his generation and class.
The Inspector’s duty is not, as Birling fears, to expose
their wrong-doings in public; rather to expose them to themselves
as if we’re all mixed together like bees in
a hive – community and all that nonesense.
A man has to look after
himself – and his family too, of course…
lower costs and
higher prices
I was almost certain
for a knighthood…
Inspector: It’s my duty to as questions.
Birling: Well it’s my duty to keep labour costs down.
Birling (on living in 1940):you’ll be living in a world that’ll have forgotten
all these capital versus labour agitations and all these silly little war scares
We don’t live alone:
we are members of one body.
I’m talking as a hard headed,
practical man of business.
You’re beginning to pretend now that nothing’s really happened
at all. And I can’t see it like that.
Well he was our
police inspector
Well, he inspected
us alright.
