Mr.B Flashcards
‘You’re just the kind of son-in- law I always wanted’ - Mr.B
Act 1
Shows that Mr.B isn’t the biggest fan of Eric, wishing for someone like him, linking to end of play
‘We may look forward to the time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing, but working together’ - Mr. B
Act 1
Shows that Mr. B has ulterior motives in the marriage of sheila and gerald, that he cares more about his business and profits than his own daughters happiness
Mr. Birling is out of touch
‘And soon it’ll be an even better time’
Shows how out of touch he is from the world, as WW1 is about to break out, and dismisses Eric’s question about war, saying ‘there isn’t a chance of war’, which he is wrong on, but very confident in this statement.
Mr.B is shown to be completely wrong on multiple occasions, casting doubt on his political opinions and other beliefs
‘I say there isn’t a chance of war’
- WW1 breaks out soon after play is set
(The titanic is) ‘unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable’
- obvious, repition of unsinkable hammers home just how completely wrong he is
‘Except in russia, which will always be behindhand naturally’
- russian revolution soon after play is set, rapid development
Mr.B tries to build a relationship with Gerald through generosity and impressing him
‘Help yourself’
- generous
‘(Confidentially)’ and ‘in strict confidence’ shows how he is trying to make gerald feel included and trusted
‘Birling checks him’
Showing asserive and fatherly role
‘Just a knighthood’, ‘I was lord mayor’ and ‘Royalty visited us’
Shows he is trying to casually show off his accolades to Gerald.
Short tempered, angry
’(somewhat impatiently)’
’(staring at inspector angrily)’
’(Explosively) No.’
- doesn’t see eric as worth kind treatment anymore, thinks he is undeserving
Mr.B is presented to have a lack of empathy and to be a typical capitalist
‘Still, I can’t accept any responsibility’
- just wants business to be over with, doesn’t care for eva and echoes typical capitalist views. He doesn’t want his knighthood to be at risk
‘I refused, of course.’
Isn’t willing to risk losing a slight amount of profits to better his workers lives.
‘She’d had a lot to say - far too much - so she had to go’
- lack of empathy, especially for those who challenged edwardian views of ‘meek’ women
‘Provincial in his speech’
Doesn’t like new ideas or the inspector
Doesn’t care until something is causing him a major problem, not seeing bigger picture
‘I’d give thousands - yes, thousands -‘
- shows lack of empathy, only cares about saving his reputation when its on the brink
‘I was almost certain for a knighthood’
- cares about trivial matters when his whole livlihood is at risk
Neglects taking responsibility when he feels it isn’t necessary
(he produces a huge sigh of relief)
