Mr Birling Quotes Flashcards
“We may look forward to the time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together - for lower costs and higher prices”
Suggesting that Birling is not interested in Gerald he is only interested in his money and is manipulating Gerald to work with him.
“Sheila is a lucky girl - and I think you’re a pretty fortunate young man too Gerald.”
Suggesting Sheila is lucky to marry a man with a lot of money so they can partner up together and get Mr Birling more money.
“ A hard-headed pratical man of business” (talking about himself)
Suggesting Birling is experienced in business which convinces Gerald to go into business with Birling.
“I gather there’s a very good chance of knighthood - so long as we behave ourselves; don’t get into the police court or start a scandal - eh?”
Suggesting Birling has a good reputation and if one thing ruins it he will not ever get it. This suggests that Birling is desperate to go Upper Class.
“Cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive community and all that nonsense”
Suggests that Birling wants to work together with Gerald.
“Still I cant accept any responsibility”
Briling hasn’t learnt his lesson yet even though he caused it and was a suspect.
“ to say far Eva Smith… she’d had a lot to say far too much -so she had to go.”
Saying that she had a lot of reasons why she would have commited suicide.
“If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth
Saying that working class will take over if the upper class and the middle class doesn’t do anything about it.
“There’ll be a public scandel”
Suggests that Birling won’t get the knighthood after all after this.
“There’s every excuse for what both your mother and I did”
Birling says that there is an excuse for everything
“Probably a socialist or some sort of crank -he talked like one’”
Talking about Gooles voice.
