Mr birling Flashcards

1
Q

‘Titanic – unsinkable’

A

L= metaphor for upper middle classes. Reflects Mr B’s complacency and that of his class that their position of privilege will remain unchallenged. R = in 1946 knows the class system has changed irrevocably following two world wars & dramatic irony: Titanic sank. R = makes him figure of ridicule for audience

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2
Q

‘She’d had a lot to say…she had to go’

A

C = WC and women not allowed a voice, Challenged by rise of unionism and suffragette movement.

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3
Q

If you don’t come down sharply on these people…they’d be asking for the earth’

A

L= adverb, hyperbole and metaphor – WC demands unreasonable to Mr B. WC demands need to be crushed.

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4
Q

‘Get into trouble? Go on the streets

A

C = reflects UMC prejudice against WC – they are considered immoral and troublesome; irony = Birlings are exposed as immoral not Eva.

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5
Q

‘ a man has to look after himself’

A

C = Mr B set up as foil to Inspector to allow Priestley to present his political debate. He represents capitalist individualism.

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6
Q

‘a socialist or some sort of crank…he talked like one’

A

L = noun. Mr B mocks socialists as ‘cranks’ R = by end of play it is Mr B who is exposed as a fool, and implicitly his capitalist principles as well

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7
Q

‘like bees in a hive’

A

L = simile. D = suggests Mr B feels socialism strips people of their individuality and makes them drones of the state working together for the common good of society (represented by the hive).
R = performed first in Russia in 1945. Priestley = socialist. Audience lack of sympathy for Mr B =increases sympathy for P’s socialist argument.

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8
Q

‘There’ll be a public scandal’

A

L = noun ‘hoax’ – Mr B thinks he is off the hook if I is not real. Irony = nothing is different including Mr B. He does not change his behaviour and attitudes or learn responsibility for his actions

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