Mrs Birling Flashcards
What is Mrs Birling used as a vehicle to?
- To expose the older generations reluctance to morally reform and adopt a more socialist outlook.
- To expose the way in which the upper class use their power to revoke those who genuinely need help based on a personal matter
Initially point
She shows that she is completely subservient to her husband and cannot question the actions of her husband. She has also internalised the values that he has, such as his dismissive nature
Initially… (quote 1) what does she say about married men?
“When you’re married you’ll realise that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business.”
Initially… (quote 2) how does she denigrate Sheila’s voice?
“It would be much better if Sheila didn’t listen to this story at all’
- she dismisses Sheila by suggesting that she has no place to hear about her husband to be cheating on her. Through this, Priestley is criticising the denigration of the female voice
However as the text develops point
She refuses to accept responsibility for her actions and suggests that her actions were completely justifiable, however fails to provide this proof.
However… (quote 1) how did she respond to being asked for help?
“naturally that was one of the things that prejudiced me against her case.”
- the fact that she was prejudice suggests that she had no genuine desire to help people through her committee but did it in order to elevate her status in society. She let a personal issue prevent Eva from receiving help
However… (quote 2) who does she suggest should have taken responsibility for Eva Smith?
“Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.”
- she dismisses her responsibility by pushing it onto the father, unwilling of the fact that the father is of her own blood
However… (quote 3) how does she denigrate the lower class, and generalise their actions?
“As if a girl of that sort would turn down money”
- Mrs Birling judges Eva based upon her class, which exposes the disparity between the upper and lower class. A divide that Priestley hopes to close through altruism and accepting responsibility
Ultimately point
She refuses to accept responsibility and dismisses all of the confessions that she made, suggesting that they are of no worth because that was not a real inspector. This emphasises the fact that she did nit actually change.
Ultimately… (quote 1) how does she respond to finding out that the inspector wasn’t real?
“I felt it all the time. He never talking like one. He never even looked like one”
-the fact that she prides herself in recognising that he wasn’t a real inspector highlights her lack of remorse for the death of Eva Smith and the lack of responsibility that she accepted.
Ultimately… (quote 2) how does she act in response to accepting responsibility?
“I was the only one who didn’t give in to him”
- she further prides herself on resisting the urge to resist accepting responsibility for her actions which would force the audience to disassociate from this negligence and from the dismissal of responsibility from the upper class
