Mr Birling quotes : Dramatic irony

Question 1

“You’ll hear some people say that war us inevitable. And to that I Say Fiddlesticks”

Answer 1

The use of the noun “fiddlesticks”, alongside Priestley’s use of dramatic irony causes Mr Birling to seem overwhelmingly confident in his arrogance. This is due to Britain entering WWI soon after 1912

Question 2

(The Titanic is) “unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable”

Answer 2

The certainty shown by Mr Birling’s repetition of “unsinkable” demonstrates his poor judgement. This is due to the Titanic sinking

Question 3

“Time of steadily increasing prosperity”

Answer 3

The Great Depression followed in 1912 and engulfed post-war Britain. Therefore, the audience in 1945 would identify My Birling as unreliable and thus dislike him