Mrs Birling

Question 1

“ S W A A , R T T Y G P U T D”
A1
- gender
- old v young
- social class

Answer 1

• “Sheila , what an expression! Really the things you girls pick up these days”
• presented as a marionette of her class as she is complicit in upholding its conventions
• exclamative sentence emphasises her frantically trying to iron out any social faux pas so they operate seamlessly within the expectations of their class, she is reluctant to deviate from these in any way
• as a member of the older gen & being of the mostsuperior social standing of her family , she is almost held in aspic within the hard wired conventions of a capitalist & classist society , thus anything that threatens these conventions threaten her
• patronizes Sheila through condescending noun ‘girl’, reinforcing the infantile preservation we see Sheila endure in A1
• could be done as Sheila comes to symbols emancipation , Mrs B wants to keep her docile & submissive as she fears any changes to convention that may put her class position under threat.

Question 2

I ____ I did my ___
A2
- responsibility
- capitalism v socialism
- social class

Answer 2

I consider I did my duty
- noun ‘duty’ could be a tool to explore the disparity in the perspectives of capitalists & socialists , for capitalists , upholding the class system was paramount, thus for Mrs
Birling, her duty & personal responsibility may be to uphold the class gap by refusing Eva help
- however this stance contrasts sharply with her anticipated role within her organization where she is expected to adopt a philanthropic position. Pristesly introduces the audience to the social duty vs moral duty dichotomy
- audience awaits wth hopeful anticipation as Mrs B begins her speech with the personal pronoun “I” expecting her to demonstrate personal remorse & guilt.
- however she consistently rejects the idea of being held accountable for any action that doesn’t align with the pristine persona she wishes to portray
- through this , P critiques the classism which penetrates every aspect of Edwardian life, rendering even the welfare organizations hollow, corruptive & performative

Question 3

[enters ___ & self ____, quite out of key ] A2
- Old v young
- guilt
- responsibility

Answer 3

• her entry in A2 is conducted entirely under the arrogance of her social superiority. Her ostentatious display of class renders her character discordant within the narrative of grief ,remorse & suicide
• further exacerbated her emotional detachment as she maintains same [cold] demeanor observed in A1 which is the antithesis to the ‘hysterical’ & remorseful presentation of her daughter
• use of adverb ‘briskly’ indicates Mrs B is unwilling to pause & contemplate the adverse effects of her family’s unscrupulousness & exploitation
• her demeanor is conceited & calculated , typical of someone of her social standing who might typically navigate such situations effortlessly with rehearsed social grace
• she fails to realise she will not remain unscathed for her & her family’s irresponsibility this time

Question 4

“I don’t ___ for a moment that we can understand why the girl ___ ____. ___ of that ___”
A2
- capitalism v socialism
- social class
- guilt (rejects it)

Answer 4

“ I don’t suppose for a moment that we can understand why the girl committed suicide . Girls of that class”
- term ‘girl’ conveys notion of innocence + vulnerability shedding light on Mrs Birling’s understanding of the innocence inherent in individuals like Eva, while simultaneously showcasing her willingness to exploit them & rationalize it for capitalist advancement

• repetitive use of ‘girl’ showcases how this exploitative & prejudicial treatment of the lower social class individuals repeatedly commences within society , with figures such as Mrs birling Shielded from the consequences by their elevated social status
• groups together the lower classes through the demonstrative adjective “that” to dismiss them as an aggregate inferior & homogenous group that all behave in the same way
• demonstrative adjective not only emphasises the distinctions in their social classes, but also illustrates how Mrs B is entirely governed by the arrogance of her social status - she can’t even bring herself to specify Eva’s social class, considering it so far beneath her.

Question 5

he ____ didn’t make me ____
A3
- responsibility
- capitalism
- guilt

Answer 5

he certainly didn’t make me confess

• her firm denial of accountability comes effortlessly , reflecting the acceptance & even promotion of selfishness & consequently , irresponsibility within capitalist ideologies, without moral / legal condemnation
• imperative verb ‘make’ hints at another reason as to why she so actively rejects responsibility - way of keeping afloat in the power struggle between her & inspector
• mrs B choice of words subtly suggests that emitting responsibility would be conceding to the inspector , posing a threat to her status in the capitalist hierarchy - she is safeguarding her position within the societal structure dictated by the capitalist ideologies