"I'm talking as a hard-headed, practical man of business."

• Analysis 


  Birling’s self-description aligns with Priestley’s critique of capitalist exploitation. The phrase "hard-headed, practical man of business" echoes Sir Stanley Baldwin's critique of war profiteering, connecting Birling to the exploitative elite who prioritized profit during the world wars. This association reflects the public's growing disillusionment with capitalism by 1945, especially after the war, as they blamed the wealthy for causing conflicts for personal gain.
• Alternative interpretation

  Birling’s alignment with capitalism not only critiques the exploitation of workers but also ties him to historical figures like Churchill, whose leadership in WWII symbolized capitalist values. Priestley contrasts Birling’s profiteering with the Labour Party’s 1945 vision for socialism, which sought to end the cycle of wars driven by the wealthy. This positions Birling as a symbol of outdated, destructive values rejected in the 1945 election.
• Themes

  Capitalism, War, and Societal accountability: Priestley connects Birling’s ethos to the broader failure of capitalist systems that profited from the devastation of the world wars.

  Progress, Change, and Collective responsibility: This extends the play’s critique of inequality to include the societal rejection of capitalism in the 1945 election.
• Writers intentions 


  Priestley’s intention is to highlight how capitalism and war are intertwined, using Birling to critique a system that profits from human suffering. By setting the play in 1912 and writing it in 1945, Priestley shows how these patterns persisted, calling on his audience to reject Churchill’s capitalist ideals and vote for socialism. He seeks to inspire a vision of a caring, peaceful society that learns from the mistakes of the past.