Mr. Birling’s Quotes

• • Symbolic - capitalism
  • Repetition of the phrase emphasizes his belief system is capitalism
  • Shows that Mr. Birlings with all this wealth and power that he is undefeatable
  • Foreshadowing his ultimate downfall
  • Priestley showing his opinions


  “ Unsinkable, completely unsinkable.”
• SD: pompous, overtly grandiose - some sort of facade, he isn’t of high class originally.


  “portentous man … rather provincial in speech.”
• • His capitalist views start to mellow
  • his mindset is still hyper fixated on monetary value, he is sure his wealth will save him from his immoral mistakes.


  “Look Inspector - I’d give thousands - yes, thousands.”
• • he is feeling self-conscious about his wife being of a higher class than him.
  • He is materialistic and possessive.


  ( His wife is his ) “ social superior “
• • He is a construct of capitalism
  • Shows that he prioritises business, wealth and self-image before his own family.
  • Not aware of his social responsibility


  “ A man has to mind his own business and look after his own.
• • ridicules/ mocks the Inspector
  • He tries to undermine the Inspector’s obvious power over Mr. Birling - he does this not in the presence of the Inspector
  • Childish and immature
  • Also impacts his family life as he is playing on his children’s emotional distresses.


  “ You all helped kill her.”
• • Priestley is deliberately using the language of the Labour Party manifesto, his audience can relate.
  • his identity is rooted in his business.
  • not sentimental and does not care about other people. 


  ”l’m talking as a hard-headed, practical business man.”
• Rhetorical Question - his primary concern is about himself.


  “ Who will suffer more than l?”
• • The hyperbolic phrase shows he doesn’t understand the inner workings of the working class and does not sympathize for them.
  • He think they are greedy, shows Mr. Birling’s cynical attitude towards WC, ironic because he is greedy himself.
  • He alienates the working class.

  “If you don’t come down sharply on these people, they’d soon be asking for the Earth”