Mrs. Birling Flashcards
‘men with important work to do…spend nearly all their time and energy on their business…you’ll have to get used to that’
C - women were second class citizens in the patriarchal society.
Mrs. Birling resigned to this but the new generation of suffragettes were challenging it.
‘girls of that class’
C - reflect class prejudice in highly stratified Edwardian society.
L - determiner
establishes lower class as other to upper class in its values and behaviour.
‘gross impertinence…prejudiced me against her case’
C - implies that lower class should behave with humility towards upper class and be respectful.
Mrs. Birling takes offence at Daisy’s use of the Birling surname. Ironically, the offence is the Birling’s mistreat of her.
‘look for the father of the child…it’s his responsibility’
C - Mrs. Birling believes responsibility is an issue for the individual not the state. She seeks to pass the blame to the father not sharing it.
R - due to structure of the play, audience has worked out the father of the child is Eric.
L - dramatic irony
Audience sees Mrs. Birling’s views as flawed.
‘you refused her…even the pitiable little bit of organised charity you had in your power to grant her’
L - emotive adjectives
Emphasize how little Daisy is asking for and how mean-spirited Mrs. Birling is to refuse her help.
R - despises Mrs. Birling for her hard heartedness.
C - there was no welfare state in the Edwardian era. The poor relied on charitable institutions.
D - as a woman Mrs.Birling has very little power in Edwardian society. The charitable committee is the only place she can exercise any power, yet she abuses it.
‘you might be wanting to help him instead of us…be quiet so your father can decide what to do’
L - contrast in pronouns
The Inspector is the opposition of the family. Sheila’s and Eric’s loyalty and duty should be to the family not the Inspector.
C - in patriarchal Edwardian society, men made the decisions and had all the power. Married women should defer to their husbands.
‘elaborate fine feelings and scruples…absurd in a girl in her position’
L - adjectives
Imply working class girl are not morally superior to the upper middle class.
R - audience realises this is ironic. Mrs. Birling has behaved immorally whilst Daisy has behaved honourably.
‘I did nothing I’m ashamed of’
Mrs. Birling refuses to accept responsibility for what happened to Daisy.
C - unlike the younger generation, she is not open to changes. Hope for social change lies not with the older generation who involved Britain in two world wars, but with the younger generation, who can change.
‘I consider I did my duty’
Priestley thinks that those in power should use it to benefit others, not abuse it. He is advocating for a welfare state, not charity based on the whim of others but means tested.
C - upper middle class women were expected to do charity.
