Mrs Birling Flashcards
Act 1
“Arthur, you’re not supposed to say such things”
- Mrs Birling is obsessed with maintaining her appearance
- concern with social etiquette/behaviour hints she is cold and ride towards the poor later on in the play
Act 1
“Really, the things you girls pick up these days!”
- Says she doesn’t like the new way women are like - they need to be old fashion like only cook and clean
- Mrs Birling is old fashion
- shows her generational gap
with Sheila and her belief in strict social roles for women,
Act 2
“You know of course that my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago and that he’s still a magistrate?”
- Believes in high status makes you more powerful and better than others
- Believes her family’s status should grant them special treatment
- Shows her arrogance
- She uses her husband position to intimidate others
Act 2
“I did nothing I’m ashamed of”
- This shows Mrs. Birling’s inability to recognize her wrongdoing
- she is argent
- Can’t admit she is right
- Believes it isn’t her fault she was just following the moral code and social values
Act 3
“I’m absolutely ashamed of you.” (says to eric after finding out he is father of the baby)
- Show show hypocritical she is
- as earlier on she blames everything on the father of the baby but when she finds out it was eric she expresses shame and outrage.
Act 3
“He certainly didn’t make me confess, as you call it.”
- Emphasized how stubborn Mrs Birling is
- As she refuses to accept any responsibility to what happened to eva
- She views the situation as a win and she didn’t confess
