Mrs Birling Flashcards
Metaphorically, what does Mrs Birling represent
-> capitalism
-> ignorance to lower classes
Adjectives describing Mrs Birling
Beginning of play
- Detached
- Arrogant
- Naive
Middle of play
- defensive
- selfish
- sanctimonious
End of play
- Unremorseful
- Dogmatic
- apathetic
“Cold”
-> symbolises and foreshadows her behaviour towards the lower classes
-> metaphorical cold of her being detached, having no emotion or emotion to those less fortunate
-> she’s also 50, gives us a notion that the older generation are arguably narrow minded and reluctant to change
“Husbands social superior”
-> links to pride
-> foreshawdong how her position in in society and how it is made clear that she will later display this when refusing Eva smith the charity
-> noun ‘superior’ further modifies her positions and belief she is above others, highlighting the growing gap that capitalism was creating
“Girls of that class”
Beginning of play
-> dehumanisation of Eva smith
-> “girls” also has a huge generalistaion and the implication rhat all the poor and less fortunate commit suicide
-> could show how priestly used her character to highlight the narrow mindedness kf the older generation, through her lack of understanding, to the audience
-> however her blatant stereotyping could also represent her will full ignorance and nativity, how she was unwilling to open up and understand the struggles of the lower classes
-> links to her initial description of being emotionally “cold”, highlighting her apathy
“A girl of that sort”
Middle
-> the use of the determiner “that” reiterates disdain and disregard for the “girls” fro shadowing the charity incident
-> the use of “girls” also makes her appear condescending, as if she feels that they are solely to blame for the problems they face
-> a sense of detachment
-> she thinks she is morally superior than those ‘girls’, linking to the idea of her being ‘socially superior as well’
-> may represent how priestly used her character to promote the idea that capitalism encourages moral corruption
“I used my INFLUENCE to have it refused”
Middle of play
-> abstract noun ‘influence’ shows that Mrs Birling abuses her position, and acknowledges that she does so
-> links to her being detached and ‘cold’
-> this is the problem with capitalism, she is able to use her money ans power to acheive what she wants
“One of the things that PREJUDICED me against her case”
-> exploitation of the lower classes
-> prejudice can be formed without knowledge, or thought or reason
-> she was prejudiced against Eva smith, without knowing anything about her other than being offended that she was Eva smith
-> highlights how she was will fully ignorant, highlighting her naivety
“Perfectly justified”
-> adverb ‘perfectly’ heightens the ignorance of Mrs Birling
-> she is unable to see the error or consequences of her behaviour
-> ‘justified’ she thinks that denying poor woman is a reasonable decision, which priestly uses to make the audience wonder wether this is a problem with society when one person is given the power influence and control someone’s life
-> raises worries with capitalism
“Pink and intimate lighting”
-> naive
-> all of the problems exist outside
-> all cozy and comfortable at home
“(Very distressed now)”
-> Mrs Birling seems at least slightly remorseful, but only when she discovers it’s Eric’s child
-> highlights her selfishness
-> her remote is short lived, and she quickly returns to her cold nature
-> as a part of the morality play she shows a lack of conscience, whjch may be proelsties message about capitalist supporters
-> perhaps she may even see the lower classes as immoral or morally inferior
“Bit surely… I mean… it’s ridiculous
-> she may have started redeeming herself, as she is starting to acknowledge and understand that Eric had a role in Eva smiths suicide
-> she’s not ignoring it
-> the sentences start to get smaller and more fragmented, highlighting many over the top emotions such as shock horror and disgust,
-> adjective ‘ridiculous” means to find something absurd or unbelievable.
-> she finds it unbelievable that Eric has had a relationship amd a child with va smith
-> built in prejudice that it it’s disgusting or ridiculous beaucse it’s a poor girl
-> yet again underscores class differences
“(Triumphantly), didn’t I tell you”
-> adverb “triumphantly’ suggests that she feels victorious
-> makes the audience question who she has defeated, what sje has won from driving Eva smith to suicide
-> raises the questions if the poor will always loose, or if there is a fight between the classes, where the rich always win
“Trifle impertinent”
Beginning of play
-> the noun ‘impertinent’ implies that Mrs Birling believes rhat the inspector is of lower class than her
-> people of higher classes used class differences a lot as it was beneficial to them
“He’s only a boy”
-> Noun “boy” shows how Mrs Birling doesn’t accept that her son is an adult
-> foreshadows the thought that she is not willing for him to accept blame
-> notion of boys will be boys
