Mrs birling Flashcards
1.‘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 2nd class citizens in patriarchal society. Mr B resigned to this but new generation of suffragettes challenging it.
2‘girls of that class…’
C = reflects class prejudice in highly stratified Edwardian society. L = use of determiner - that not this – establishes lower class as ‘Other’ to upper class in its values and behaviour
2‘gross impertinence…prejudiced me against her case’
C = implies that lower class should behave with humility towards upper class and be respectful. Mrs B takes offence at Daisy’s use of the Birling surname; ironically the offence is the Birlings’ for mistreating her
3‘look for the father of the child…it’s his responsibility’
C = Mrs B believes responsibility is an issue for the individual not the state. She seeks to pass the blame to the father not share it. R = due to structure of the play audience has worked out father of child is Eric. L = creates dramatic irony. Audience sees Mrs B’s views as flawed
3 ‘you refused her…even the pitiable little bit of organised charity you had in your power to grant her’
L = adjectives ‘pitiable. Little’ are emotive; emphasize how little Daisy is asking for and how mean-spirited Mrs B is to refuse her help. R = despise Mrs B for her hard heartedness. C = no welfare state in Edwardian era; poor relied on charitable institutions. D = as a woman Mrs B 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 ‘him’ and ‘us’ – Inspector is opposition/enemy of the family; S & E loyalty and duty should be to the family not the Inspector.
C = patriarchal Edwardian society. Men make the decisions and have all the power. Married women should defer to their husbands
2‘elaborate fine feelings and scruples…absurd in a girl in her position’
L = adjectives ‘elaborate, fine’ imply WC girls are not morally superior to the UMC. R = audience realises this is ironic. Mrs B has behaved immorally whilst Daisy has behaved honourably
3‘I did nothing I’m ashamed of’
Mr B refuses to accept responsibility for what happened to Daisy. C = Unlike the younger generation, she is not open to change. 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
