Sybil Birling Flashcards
Mrs Birling is…
traditional: “When you’re married you’ll realize..
proud: “I was the only one of you who didn’t give into him”
prejudiced: “As if a girl of that sort would ever refused money”
cruel: “I used my influence to have it refused”
She is proud of her social status
1) Sybil has traditional values. She strictly follows the rules of etiquette because a
good reputation for being polite will improve her family’s status. These rules are
more important to her than moral rules - the difference between good and bad.
2) She has a strong set of beliefs about people’s social status, which makes her prejudiced.
3) To preserve her own status, she’s prepared to be cruel, such as when she rejects Eva/Daisy’s appeal.
Mrs Birling doesn’t change
1) Mrs Birling is self-centred. She hasn’t noticed her own son’s alcoholism and dismisses her daughter’s worries that Gerald lost interest last summer.
2) She won’t accept responsibility for her actions, and claims that she did the right thing —
“I accept no blame for it at all”.
3) She doesn’t learn from the Inspector’s message.
She only regrets not having “asked him a few questions” — she wants to be in control.
“A piece of gross impertinence”
Mrs Birling’s reference to Eva’s honest tale of woe with the adjective “impertinence” reveals how she believes she is absolved of all responsibility as Eva’s claim to be “Mrs Birling” was disrespectful.
I did nothing im ashamed of
Priestley demonstrates the true extent of Mr.
Birling’s “cold” nature as despite Eva’s death Mrs Biring does not regret her denial of aid to eva
“girls of that class”
This makes it clear that her rejection of Eva’s case was purely based on prejudice, shown by Mrs Birling’s generalisation “girls of that class”. The determiner ‘that’ demonstrates contempt of the working class and is further evidence of how deep-rooted the class divide was in 20th century Britain.
“[With dignity] We’ve done a great deal of useful work helping deserving cases”
This emphasis on the adjective “deserving” reveals Mrs Birling’s joy in playing God in these young women’s lives, deciding whether they receive aid and benefit or are refused and suffer, a reflection of the power of the upper classes.
