Mr Birling Quotes Act 2 Flashcards
He “dubiously” tells his wife…
He “dubiously” tells his wife “if this comes out at the inquest, it isn’t going to do us much good. The press might easily take it up-“
Preoccupied with Reputation:
His only concerns are to do with how he will appear in the public eye, the ”press” evokes a stronger emotional response from him than the notion of suicide.
”is there any reason why my wife…”
”is there any reason why my wife should answer questions from you, inspector?”
Misogynistic to Assert his Power:
The possessive pronoun ‘my’ is a means of him establishing control to elevate himself. The use of a rhetorical question paints Birling as patronising, he is in a power struggle with the inspector and he immediately resorts to aggression and disrespect to win the social battle, painting him as undeserving of respect.
”a young unmarried girl…”
”a young unmarried girl [Sheila], is being dragged into this-“
Misogynistic to Assert his Power:
His artificial care for his daughter is ironic as we know that he exploits Sheila for social and financial gain through marriage. We also see his insincerity as he doesn’t care that a young girl was pushed to suicide so his apparent concern for a young girl to be involved in a police investigation is deceitful.
”what’s the matter…”
”what’s the matter with that child?”
Dispassionate to his Own Family:
His language transitions from the possessive pronoun “my” to the demonstrative pronoun “that” metaphorically expels himself of the ownership over Sheila once she begins demonstrating socialist ideology. He refers to her as a ”child” to dismiss her beliefs as unimportant and immature.
