Mr Birling quote summary

Question 1

Act 2, misogynistic to assert his power

Answer 1

“a young, unmarried girl is being dragged into this-“

-artificial care for his daughter is ironic as we know that he exploits Sheila for social and financial gain through marriage

Question 2

Act 3, inspector as a foil to Mr Birling

Answer 2

“We are members of one body, we are responsible for each other” (Inspector) vs “like bees in a hive”
-Inspector presents collectivism as a humane idea through bodily imagery.
-In contrast, Mr Birling uses zoomorphism to present it as anamalistic, absurd and foreign depicting his unwillingness to accept new ideas

Question 3

Act 3, designed to be condemned

Answer 3

“The famous younger generation who know it all. And they can’t even take a joke-“

-his callousness is apparent through his ability to dismiss the notion of suicide and exploitation of working class as a “joke”
-ridicules his own children, yet it is ironic that he is the only character who claims to “know it all” with his mentions of “unsinkable” Titanic and “silly little war scares”