Mrs Birling Flashcards
Context
She has some public influence as she sits on the council for charity organisations and is married to Mr Birling, who was Lord Mayor, and is a business owner.
Priestley uses her as a symbol for the hypocrisy of the
upper-classes and as a demonstration of the need for a welfare
state. Priestley dictates in the stage directions that Mrs Birling is
“about fifty, a rather cold woman” and thus reveals her unsympathetic and individualistic nature. She is her husband’s “social superior” and therefore belongs to an upper class family.
● Mrs Birling represents the selfish nature of the upper classes, their privileges, and their prejudices.
● She perceives the working classes as inferior.
Patriarchy
Priestley portrays Mrs Birling as upholding the
current patriarchal system of 1912. Her perception
of men’s sexual desires is a clear patriarchal
interpretation as she believes they should be
accepted and satisfied, without question, by submissive women.
Mrs Birling percieves Eva’s suicide as Eva’s own fault as those who are responsible were ”first, the girl herself” and “secondly the young man”. Mrs Birling takes the ignorant view that working class women voluntarily choose prostitution rather than being forced into it.
The Inspector’s message of collective responsibility is rejected by Mrs Birling, and she denies her role in the chain of events leading to Eva’s suicide: “I won’t believe it”. Rather than accept the need for greater social responsibility, Mrs Birling maintains the view that Eva chose to lead the life she led, and therefore the consequences are her own fault. Therefore, there is no need for society to change, as she believes that class inequalities did not cause Eva’s death, and Mrs Birling’s privileged upper class lifestyle can continue.
Key quotes
7)Act Two: Mrs Birling “I don’t suppose for a moment that we can understand why the girl committed suicide. Girls of that class-”
Act two Yes I think it was simply a piece of gross impertinence.’
‘If you think you can bring any pressure to bear upon me, Inspector, you’re quite mistaken. Unlike the other three, I did nothing I’m ashamed of or that won’t bear investigation.’
Page 63: ‘I felt it all the time. He never talking like one. He never even looked like one’
Pg 47: Classist Snob ‘As if a girl of that sort would refuse money.’
Symbolism
Priestley portrays Mrs Birling as a manifestation of the cardinal sin of pride. Mrs Birling’s sense of self-importance and superiority drives her to abuse her privilege because she perceives the poor as inferior. She feels entitled to the respect of those socially inferior to her, which is demonstrated by her use of the demeaning adjective “impertinent” to describe Eva.
● She attempts to convey this demand of respect through her formal language: www.pmt.education
Mrs Birling’s complex and elaborate use of language masks the unsubstantiated nature of her arguments. ➔ Similarly Mr Birling compensates for the weakness of his arguments with quantity of speech, while Mrs Birling focuses on the quality of hers. ➔ Conversely, the Inspector is terse (concise) in speech and refrains from using complex language as his message is well substantiated by the death of Eva.
Hypocrisy
Priestley provides strong evidence of Mrs Birling’s prejudice towards the poor through Mrs Birling’s role as a “prominent member of the Brumley Women’s Charity Organisation” . Priestley Portrays Mrs Birling as morally hypocritical.
● She claims “with dignity” that “we’ve done a great deal of useful work for deserving cases”.
○ This emphasis on the adjective “deserving” reveals Mrs Birling’s joy in playing God in these young women’s lives - whether they receive
aid and benefit or are refused and suffer.
○ Equally, Mrs Birling’s distinction that aid is only for “deserving cases” highlights how the aid is given out at the discretion of the upper classes.
● Mrs Birling acknowledges her own prejudice against Eva’s “impertinence” in claiming to be “Mrs Birling” as “one of the things that prejudiced me against her” .
○ Thus those living in poverty have no way to escape it
as they cannot challenge their exploitation; Eva’s attempt to strike saw her fired; the institutes meant to help them are prejudiced against them.
A02 analysis
“I did my duty”
Priestley’s use of the noun “duty” is used to expose Mrs Birling’s perception of duty as limited to a capitalist social duty of keeping the rich people rich and the poor people poor. In doing so, she neglects her moral duty to provide assistance to those most in need
“[With dignity] We’ve done a great deal of useful work helping deserving cases”
This emphasis on the adjective “deserving” reveals Mrs Birling’s joy in playing God in these young women’s lives, deciding whether they receive aid and benefit or are refused and suffer, a reflection of the power of the upper classes.
“The rude way he spoke … it was quite extraordinary!”
Priestley’s use of the adjective “rude” reveals Mrs Birling’s perception of the Inspector as disrespectful. In doing so, she attempts to undermine his authority, devalidating his argument, meaning that they don’t have to take responsibility for their actions
“A rather cold woman”
Priestley’s use of the stage directions to describe Mrs Birling as a “cold woman” would have been perceived as an oxymoron at the time. Contemporary societal norms dictated that women were meant to be loving, maternal and emotional. Therefore, describing Mrs Birling as emotionally “cold” is perhaps an attempt by Priestly to convey that such a detached attitude towards suffering is unnatural.
