Mr Birling Flashcards
1
Q
‘Birling is a heavy looking rather portentous man with fairly easy manners but rather provincial in his speech’
A
- ‘heavy looking rather portentous man’ —> descriptive phrase —> ‘heavy looking’ —> adjective ‘heavy’ implies that as a person he is quite large and perhaps is overweight. This signifies greed whilst ‘portentous’ has connotations of being pompous and trying to impress others. In his initial description, this portrays him as the personification of capitalism In his greedy manner and obsession with impressing others with his capital gain.
- ‘fairly easy manners’ —> adjective ‘easy’ suggests a relaxed ‘manner’ showing a strong sense of comfort in his environment. This indicates his wealth as he lives a very comfortable life.
- ‘rather provincial in his speech’ —> adjective ‘provincial’ —> implies that his speech is regional —> alludes to his lower class upbringing and that his bourgeoise status is due to his own personal gain and not inherited wealth. —> nouveau riche
2
Q
‘Crofts and Birling’s are no longer competing but are working together for lower costs and higher prices’
A
‘Crofts and Birling’s are no longer competing but are working together’ —> ‘crofts’ refers to the family of Gerald, whilst ‘birlings’ refers to his own family. This indicates how his daughter, Eva’s marriage to Gerald is for Birling’s own financial gain.
- ‘together’ —> adjective —> illustrates his want for unity with the Crofts. However, this shows his self-centred nature —> pompous perspective —> since he is concerned with the financial aspect of the marriage—> business jargon —> ‘costs’ and ‘prices’.
- ‘lower costs and higher prices’ —> mercantile diction —> capitalistic sentiment indicates his desire for wealth over joy for his daughter.
3
Q
‘A man has to make his own way - has to look after himself - and his family too’
A
- ‘A man has to make his own way’ —> believes that he is proof that if the lower class work hard enough they can succeed and climb the echelons of society. —> perhaps is rational for his dislike of lower class —> makes his prejudice towards lower class seem unjust —> should understand how they feel.
- ‘make his own way’ —> rugged individualism —> juxtaposes with inspectors beliefs of socialism. This portrays him as a foil to the inspector in his selfish attitudes. —> ‘own’ —> adjective —> illustrates his possessive nature —> shows how self-absorbed he is.
- ‘himself’ … ‘family’ —> sequences ‘himself’ before ‘family’ to illustrate his priority of self-preservation. In this, his ‘family’ seems like an afterthought and not his true care.
- speaks in 3rd person —> perhaps does this to suggest he is the mouthpiece for capitalism and its philosophy.
4
Q
‘Cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed together like bees on a hive - community and all that nonsense’
A
- ‘cranks’ —> derogatory term —> shows his dislike of socialist views presenting his capitalism as a foil to it. Also, in his negative terminology it portrays how he sees it as inferior to his views.
- ‘everybody has to look after everybody else’ —> simile —> ‘like bees in a hive’ and ‘community’ —> refers to socialist ideologies suggesting ideas of collective responsibility and unity. However, in ‘all that nonsense’ —> noun —> ‘nonsense’ —> ridicules and trivialises these views —> illustrating his dislike towards it and socialism.
- portrays him as a symbolism of a capitalistic mindset.
5
Q
‘We’ve several hundred young women there, y’know, and they keep changing’
A
- ‘several hundred young women’ —> numerical jargon —> ‘several hundred’ —> illustrates the scale of Birling’s business. This emphasises his financial stability. However, in this context —> aims to trivialise Eva Smith as one of the many women there. This shows his lack of care for them.
- ‘young women’ —> deprives them of an identity —> sees them as non-descript entities —> lack of care for their identities.
- ‘keep changing’ —> verb —> ‘changing’ —> connotes to them being exchangeable and being able to substitute them. —> further reinforces lack of care for their value —> sees them as lacking purpose besides working for him.
6
Q
‘Perhaps I ought to warn you that he’s an old friend of mine. We play golf together’
A
- ‘warn’ —> verb —> attempts to threaten the Inspector with his social status. In this, he aims to use it as a tool to avoid scrutiny. Illustrates his corrupted nature —> believes he should be above it due to his class and social relations. Manipulative and very concerned with keeping his misdemeanours hidden.
- ‘we play golf together’ —> pompous attitude —> uses this with a dual focus —> to emphasises his closeness with the chief cons table as a threat to the inspector and to try and impress Gerald.
7
Q
‘(Angrily) Inspector, I’ve told you before, I don’t like your tone nor the way your handling this inquiry. And I don’t propose to give you much more rope’.
A
- ‘(angrily)’ —> adverb —> demonstrates his short-tempered nature —> reactive nature shows how he is not used or having his authority challenged and is not used to being uncomfortable.
- ‘I’ve told you before’ —> dislikes having to repeat himself and not having his words weighted with lots of focus. This shows his dislike of not feeling powerful and in control.
- ‘don’t like your tone’ —> attempts of be very patronising in an attempt to re-gain power. Also, he acts in a stubborn manner when saying ‘I don’t propose to give you much more rope’ —> metaphorical diction —> illustrates his illusion of power as he believes he is in control and can chose to ignore the Inspector.
- ‘I’ —> personal pronoun —> repetition of it illustrates his self-centred nature.
8
Q
‘(Unhappily) Look inspector - Id give thousands - yes thousands’
A
- ‘I’d give thousands’ —> numerical Jargon —> ‘thousands’ is a reference towards money. This illustrates his corruption and lack of change throughout the play as he tries to bribe the inspector to maintain his public image and avoid scrutiny. —> shows a lack of change in the play as Birling does not try to change his attributes and learn but remains stubborn and concerned with his public image.
- sees money as the solution to all problems
- ‘(unhappily) —> adverb —> stage directions illustrate his sense of sorrow and sadness towards departing with money. This shows how his true intentions and desires lie with maintaining money. This shows his obsession with it. However, he showed no sadness for the death of Eva indicating his lack of care for the working class.
‘-‘ —> caesura —> reinforces his struggle to give away his money and his reluctance as he pauses after offering away some of his wealth.
9
Q
‘He was prejudiced from the start. Probably a socialist or some sort of crank… instead of standing up to him, you let him bluff you’
A
- ‘socialist’ and ‘crank’ —> derogatory term —> used to illustrate his continuous dislike towards socialism. This portrays a lack of change in his character and nil development throughout in the play. This still portrays him as the voice of capitalism.
- ‘he was prejudiced from the start’ —> verb —> used to criticise the character of the Inspector and his socialist interpretation. However, it is also dramatic irony —> Birling is prejudiced from the start and still remains it however he defers it to someone else.
- ‘instead of standing up to him, you let him bluff you’ —> ironic —> he was also deceived, however, he defers blame to others and excludes himself. In front of his family, to protect his reputation he will do so at the expense. Illustrates his lack of change from ‘man has to make his own way…family’. In this, he rejects his own flaws.
10
Q
‘(Pointing at Eric and Sheila) now look at the pair of them - the younger generation who know it all. And they cant even take a joke’.
A
- ‘(pointing’ —> verb —> uses this to single out and ridicule his children and their views which align with socialism. In this, he contributes towards the generational divide by mocking his children. —> fact he mocks his child re n an show his lack of community spirit.
- ‘younger generation’ —> explicit reference to them does refer to the generational divide and shows Birling’s lack of change in the play since h still believes their youth makes them inferior and less noteworthy.
- ‘joke’ —> noun —> refers to their misdemeanours and socialist views —> this illustrates his wilful ignorance as he sees this all as a joke and something not to be taken seriously. Lack of care for socialism and their mistakes. He only cares about how it impacts his social image.
11
Q
Act 2 additional quotes:
- ‘I’m a public man’ (so you should not be mean to me)
- ‘The Press might easily take it up’ (in reference to Sybil’s rejection of Eva)
A
- seeks to use his reputation in order to get out of a difficult situation. believes that he should be treated differently due to his higher class status. highlights his self-servitude.
- primary concern is his public image, does not comment on moral vs immoral. it presents him as very self-centred and preoccupied with social image
