MEGGARTY

• If we are exploring the text through a feminist lens, then for me he is essential to our understanding of how rife misogyny was amongst the middle and upper classes, but also as a reminder of the hyper-masculine abuse of privilege and power that was rampant too.
• He is NOT a physical presence on stage, just as Eva isn’t. But, his presence should haunt audiences when we hear of his ‘obscene fat-carcass’ and his malevolent, predatory behaviour towards Eva Smith/ Daisy Renton at The Palace Bar.
• We hear of Alderman M at the half way point of the play, right at the heart of the action. This is structurally significant as it seems to suggest that this predatory, abusive behaviour was a malign and corrosive one that stretched across Edwardian society and was not just confined to this singular bar – a microcosm then for sexist and exploitative behaviour.
• Corruption runs deep in Edwardian society, Priestley makes this very clear. Meggarty is a man outside of the household, he shows us that the family are not the only perpetrators.
• • Mr Birling is connected to Meggarty through their sheer physical size. Priestley wastes no time in making it known they they are overweight: ‘heavy-looking’ and ‘portly’. Each has an inflated ego and sense of self importance. Both use their power to attempt to DISEMPOWER Eva.
  • In a way, both are the embodiment of conservative fat cats with too much money and no sense of community or collectivism.
• Meggarty is involved in local government, the very people entrusted to guide society. He and Birling are self-serving, in that they seek to secure their own position in the social hierarchy over considering the very real needs of the working classes.
• Meggarty is connected to Eric too, in his ready consumption of alcohol. As a motif in the play, alcohol represents greed, material wealth and corruption. All of the men drink apart from The Inspector who refuses for he is far too invested in his ‘duty’. Meggarty is ‘half drunk’ and a renowned ‘sot’. These men use alcohol to escape their social responsibility, something the Inspector teaches and is the embodiment of.
• "He's a notorious womaniser as well as being one of the worst sots and rogues in Brumley."


  • Joe Meggarty is an 'Alderman' or a council member. 
  • The rest of the family is shocked to hear that he is a 'sot' (another word for a drunk), and a womaniser. 
  • Much to the Birlings' surprise, their upper-class friends can behave badly.
  • The keywords of the quote: "notorious", "worst" and "rogues" create a semantic field related to criminality, infamy and negative reputations - reinforcing a sense of moral corruption and dishonour