Mr Birling and Ms Birling Key Quotes Flashcards
“girls of that class” - Ms Birling
Class
Mrs Birling’s language is quite abrupt and dismissive: ‘that class’/ ‘that sort’/ ‘the type’. She believes she is morally and socially superior to them – she is a snob. Priestley uses Mrs Birling to epitomize all that is wrong with society. She represents the social snobbery and hypocrisy of the upper classes and shows no remorse in her cruel treatment of Eva Smith.
“She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position.” - Ms Birling
Age/Class
Mrs Birling is very unsympathetic when describing Eva Smith’s position. Sybil assumes instantly that because Eva is pregnant and single she is a bad person. She assumes that just because Eva is unmarried and pregnant that she is unable to have ‘fine feelings’, a very cruel and cold opinion to have
“he didn’t belong to her class… that’s all the more reason why he shouldn’t escape.” - Ms Birling
Class she thinks that because they weren’t in the same class the problem is worse
“When you’re married, you’ll realise that men with important jobs to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on the business” - Ms Birling
Gender
Sybil to Sheila, Act 1 There is no remorse for Sheila just expecting her to stay at home and demean her as she doesn’t have an important job
“I should think not. Eric, I’m absolutely ashamed of you.” - Ms Birling
Social Responsibility
Sybil Birling will not take any responsibility for the death of Eva Smith even after she has been questioned by the Inspector. In telling Eric that she is ashamed of him she shows that she has learned nothing from the Inspector’s investigation. The audience would know that she is in no position to be questioning the behaviour of anyone else given her own treatment of Eva Smith and lack of social responsibility.
“If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we’d had anything to do with, it would be very awkward, wouldn’t it?” - Mr Birling
Social Responsibility
Mr Birling dismisses the idea that we should be responsible for each other, suggesting that such a situation would be ‘awkward’.
“…not only something to make ‘em look prettier - but - well, a sort of sign or token of their self-respect.” - Mr Birling
Gender
When Mr Birling is telling Eric and Gerald about women’s attitudes towards the clothes they wear. Mr Birling shows that he has a patronising view of women, making the suggestion that clothes are a sign of self-respect for them. He has a stereotypical view of women here and does not see them as individuals but suggests that all women think in the same way.
“If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth.” - Mr Birling
Class
Mr Birling feels that it is his responsibility to come down ‘sharply’ on ‘these people’. Priestley wanted the audience to realise that this is the wrong attitude to have, we should be looking after ‘these people’ not punishing them.
Doorbell rings when he says “a man has to mind his own business” as he is in the middle of the speech. - Mr Birling
Social responsibility
This is significant as Priestly stops him here to show it is the wrong thinking and it is corrupt. He is shutting down capitalism and showing it is bad.
