Mrs B

• Who is Mrs Birling married to?

  Mr Birling
• Who are the children of Mrs Birling?

  Eric and Sheila
• What public role does Mrs Birling hold?

  She sits on the council for charity organisations
• How does Priestley use Mrs Birling as a symbol?

  To represent the hypocrisy of the upper classes
• How is Mrs Birling described in the stage directions?

  As "about fifty, a rather cold woman"
• What does Mrs Birling's character reveal about her nature?

  She is unsympathetic and individualistic
• What social class does Mrs Birling belong to?

  Upper class
• How does Mrs Birling view the working classes?

  She perceives them as inferior
• What does Priestley depict about domestic life in the early 20th Century through Mrs Birling?

  It shows the inequality between men and women
• What convention does Mrs Birling adhere to after dinner?

  She goes to the drawing room while men discuss politics
• Who initiates the exit from the dining room?

  Mrs Birling announces it is time for her and Sheila to leave
• What does Mrs Birling's commitment to the patriarchal status quo lead to?

  Her complicity in her own oppression
• How does Mrs Birling view marriage?

  As a means to secure financial security and social status
• How does Mrs Birling react to Gerald's affair?

  She shows indifference to it
• What does Priestley imply about Mrs Birling's cold nature?

  It is irrational and unnatural
• How does Mrs Birling respond to Sheila's distress over Eva's suicide?

  She is unsympathetic
• What does Mrs Birling believe about the nature of marriage?

  It is a transaction rather than based on love
• How does Mrs Birling view men’s sexual desires?

  She believes they should be accepted and satisfied by submissive women
• What does Mrs Birling think about Eva's suicide?

  She believes it is Eva's own fault
• How does Mrs Birling view the Inspector's message?

  She rejects the idea of collective responsibility
• What does Mrs Birling think about class inequalities?

  She believes they did not cause Eva's death
• How does Mrs Birling perceive displays of emotion?

  As a sign of weakness
• How does Mrs Birling attempt to silence Sheila?

  By calling her "hysterical"
• What does the term "hysteria" historically represent in relation to women?

  It has been used to control women and prevent them from gaining power
• How does Mrs Birling view the suffrage movement?

  As undermining traditional gender roles
• What does Mrs Birling believe about women's roles in society?

  They should be moral and domestic, excluding themselves from politics
• Why does Mrs Birling resist societal change?

  Because she is privileged and her lifestyle is threatened
• How does Mrs Birling feel about her husband's origins?

  She is ashamed of his lower-class origins
• What does Priestley suggest about the nature of the Birling marriage?

  It is transactional rather than based on love
• How does Mrs Birling respond to Sheila's rejection of her influence?

  She loses all influence and power over her daughter
• What does the contrast between Sheila and Mrs Birling represent?

  The differences between the older and younger generations' beliefs
• How does Mrs Birling deflect blame for Eva's death?

  By blaming her son Eric
• What does Mrs Birling symbolize in the play?

  Conservatism and resistance to change
• How does Mrs Birling react to the Inspector's inquiries?

  With outrage and contempt
• What does Mrs Birling think about Eva's plea for help?

  She sees it as "a piece of gross impertinence"
• How does Mrs Birling's language reflect her attitude towards Eva?

  It reveals her dismissiveness and contempt
• What does Mrs Birling's use of the determiner "that" signify?

  It distances her from the working class
• How does Mrs Birling view the death of Eva Smith?

  As something that does not directly affect her
• What does Mrs Birling's character reveal about the upper class's attitude towards the working class?

  It shows a lack of empathy and understanding
• How does Priestley portray the relationship between Mrs Birling and the Inspector?

  As one of opposition and conflict