Mr Birling Flashcards
Act 1
“Heavy-looking, rather portentous man”
•Microcosmic representation of the older generation
- ‘Heavy-looking’ would’ve been significant as Priestley’s contemporary audience as a generation emerging from war- a time of rationing; a plumper frame was synonymous with affluence and indulgence
•Heaviness is metaphorical and physical
- Physical assertion of his status but also his hedonistic and undisciplined tendencies
•’Portentous” exposes the superficiality of capitalism
- Highlights how desperate Birling is to assert his status as that’s the only thing he can see value in
•Appearance is a foil to the Inspector’s
- He does not need to be physically imposing, even thought he “speaks weightily” + “need not be a big man”
- Shows that the strength of his position and ideology outweigh whatever Mr Birling is doing
Act 1
“Rather provincial in his speech”
•His voice is tainted by a regional accent
- Superficial trope of how status was established in 1912 Britain
- His voice carries an emblem of his lower-class social roots; is a barrier between him and the Nouveau riche- such as Gerald and the aristocrat
•Reinforces his desire to uphold an appearance of wealth
- Constant subjection of classism
- Highlights how foolish the Capitalist ideology is
•Conveys a lack of sophistication and refinement
- May suggest a narrow mindset in his views. He uses petty authority to compensate for the fact that he is a self made man
Act 1
“Fiddlesticks! The Germans don’t want war”
•Dramatic irony makes him simply incorrect
- Play was written in 1945 but set in 1912
- Opinions are instantly devalued
- Occurs early on which makes it clear that everything he stands for is wrong
•Doubly wrong as not one but two world wars will take place
- Dismissive tone reveals how confident he is in his ideas
Act 1
“Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable”
•Dramatic irony
- Makes him seem ill formed and ridiculous
- Sets him up so that when we hears his views on the treatment of his employees and business, they are just as incorrect as these views
Act 1
“Wretched girl’s suicide”
•Reveals lack of empathy
- Derogatory term implies that Eva Smith is unworthy of sympathy or respect
- Use of “girl” rather than a more respectful term further emphasises his attitude
Act 1
“It’s my duty to keep labour costs down”
•Highlights Capitalist nature
- Feels that he has this responsibility as he is a business owner
- Capitalist agenda will be one of the causes of Eva Smith’s death
Act 2
“The Press might easily take it up-“
•Fear of reputation being compromised
- Not due to guilt or pity towards Eva
•Audience knows that his Knighthood is at stake
- Explores how every aspect of Mr Birling is superficial- the only thing that evokes an emotional response from him is another frivolous trope of wealth
Act 2
“Is there any reason why my wife should answer questions from you, Inspector?”
•He doesn’t allow Mrs Birling to speak for herself
- The indication of ‘my’ suggests that he sees her as a possession, a common misogynistic view that many men during this period of time had towards women
Act 3
“I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can”
•Hypocrisy is deep-rooted
- More concerned with his company’s position than the fact that his son was in such a desperate position that he is stealing to pay for his unborn child
Act 3
“I’d give thousands- yes, thousands-“
•Lack of genuine remorse
- Repetition emphasises his materialistic mindset and wish to change the past
- Priestley uses this to critique the wealthy who use their money for wrongdoing
Act 3
(Angrily to Eric)
“You’re the one I blame for this”
•Birling is not bothered by the actions of others, but more on what Eric did even though he was the one who did help Eva by giving her money
- His selfishness and indifference to Eva is clear
Act 3
“The famous generation who know it all”
•Ridicules his own children
- Callousness is apparent through his acerbic tone, but his apathy also resonates through his belief that the notions of suicide, and the revelation of all the ways they’ve exploited the working class, could be considered a “joke”
•Ironic as he is the only character who has claimed to “know it all”
- Emphasises how earlier on he says “silly little war scared”
- Fragmentises the ignorance of the older generation
