Quotation Quiz: Mr Birling Flashcards
This appears at the start of the play, it implies he is not naturally of high status and is a description suggests he is self important and fixed in his views.
‘ heavy looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties with a fairly easy manners but rather provincial in his speech’
Mr Briling is pleased Sheila is engaged to Gerald but for business opportunities rather than love
‘Working together- for lower costs and higher prices’
Mr birling’s selfish, capitalist views at the start of the play
‘ a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own’
Mr Birling’s views on community at the start of the play
‘ community and all that nonsense’
Priestly uses dramatic irony to discredit Mr Birling’s incorrect prediction
‘Germans don’t want war’
‘ just because the Kaiser makes a speech or two’
An incorrect prediction about the Titanic to make the audience mistrust Birlings opinions on other issues such as capitalism and socialism
‘Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable’
Shows he is concerned with his social status as he brags to Gerald ?
‘ Lordy Mayor’ ‘ knighthood’
This is his reason for thinking he will get a knighthood: cash for honours, which today is illegal
‘ sound useful party man’
Mr Birling to Gerald
Mr Birling reminds us of his position to try and exert authority over the inspector
‘ I was an alderman for years- and I’m still on the bench’
Mr birling explains that he sacked Eva for voicing her opinions and striking over wages
‘ she had a lot to say- far too much- so she had to go’
He refuses to accept any responsibility for his actions
‘ I can’t accept any responsibility’
Worried about a scandal, Mr Birling says he will pay… to put things right. He will pay money to save his reputation but not to give his employees a raise
‘Thousands’
He thinks that if the inspector is not real and a girl didn’t die then his actions don’t matter
‘ but the whole things different now’
After he has left, Mr birling tries to dismiss the inspector aligning him with socialist sympathisers or …
‘ crank’
