Social Class Flashcards
As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!
Mrs Birling refers to Eva Smith as a ‘girl of that sort’. She clearly has preconceptions about working-class girls suggesting that they lack morals and will always take money.
I have an idea about your mother - Lady Croft - while she doesn’t object to my girl - feels you might have done better for yourself socially.
Gerald Croft comes from an upper-class family. Sheila comes from a middle-class family. Although they are both two wealthy families Mr Birling considers whether Lady Croft wanted better for Gerald ‘socially’ purely because Shelia is middle-class. At this point in time, classes acted as great barriers, keeping people separate
He’s a notorious womaniser as well as being one of the worst sots and rogues in Brumley
The behaviour of the Birlings’ friends - Joe Meggarty is an ‘Alderman’ or a council member. The rest of the family is shocked to hear that he is a drunk and a womaniser. Much to the Birlings’ surprise, their upper-class friends can behave badly.
Girls of that class -
Despite everything that has been revealed, Mrs Birling still tries to act as if her family has no responsibility for Eva’s death. The noun ‘girl’ diminishes Eva’s status and infantilises her as immature and hard to understand. Her dismissive tone shows her lack of empathy with the working class and the determiner ‘that’ puts a gap between the Birlings and Eva. It’s ironic because Mrs Birling is part of a charity that is meant to help working class girls
Though naturally I don’t know anything about this girl
Mrs Birling hints that since Eva Smith is of a different class to her, ‘naturally’ she doesn’t know anything about her. This highlights how she perceives herself as having superiority over the lower class and is very accurate of the time in which this play is set. Class divided society.
But I didn’t know it was you - I never dreamt. Besides, you’re not that type - you don’t get drunk
This quote refers back to the idea that those of the higher class cannot be bad people or act in an anti-social way. Mrs Birling is likely more concerned about what other people will think of her rather than what they think of her son.
Eva Smith has gone - but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us
The repitition of “millions” emphasises the magnitude of working class and how they are all struggling. Priestly argues the need for extra support for those poorer
You musn’t bulid a kind of wall between us and that girl
Shows the blending of social classes and Sheila’s changing attitudes
