Mr Birling

• 'Heavy looking, rather portentous'

  • Mr Birling is caricature of capitalism - exxagerated features to portray capitalism as unfavourable.
  • stage direction describes him as heavy - Symbolises his greed.
• 'heavily comfortable, but not cosy and home like'

  • A facade of wealth - overly compensates as he is not a memeber of the bourgeoise but is instead nouveau riche - shows insecurity
  • Guady, tacky.
  • The lack of feeling like a home reinforces the cosmetic nature of the Birling's comfort in their home.
  • Mr Birling's lower class roots means his higher class lifestyle van never seem homelike or natural.
• 'Arthur at one end'

  Mr Birling's placement in the setting shows a Patriachal society - Mr Birling has the most power
• 'She'll make you hapy and I'm sure you'll make her happy.'


  • The syntax is indicative of Birlings priorities.
  • Birling prioritises Gerald happiness to ensure the future of the company and more income, over the happiness of his own daughter.
  • Greedy, selfish.
• 'Some people say that war is inevitable. And to that I say - fiddlesticks!'

  • Dramatic Irony - Audience is immediately disilusioned from the seemingly weallthy and powerful of Birling and views him as he truly is - ignorant and foolish.
  • The audience now percieves him as unreliable and by extension portrays his views on capitalism as incorrect
• 'Just let me finish, Eric. You've a lot to learn yet.'

  • Birling's constant extensive, didactic and dogmatic speeches - Believes he is knowledgeable and must share his knowledge as lectures.
  • Shows he is 'hard headed' as he refuses to learn and take input from others - objects any challeng.e to authority.
  • Proves he is pompous and arrogant as he always believes he is correct.
  • Foreshadows his ignorance and ngeligence of Inspector's message
• 'Lady Croft - while she doesn't object to my girl - feels you might have done better for yourself socially'

  'There's a very good cance of knighthood'

  • Fractured speech emmulates his embarassment and insecurity
  • Projects his insecurity of his and Mrs Birling's relationship onto gerald as she is his 'social superior'.
  • Wants to impress Gerald depsite being older than him - Class is everything.
• 'hard headed, practical man of business'

  Repetition emmulates how Mr Birling will never change his selfish ways.
• 'as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive'

  ''community and all that nonsense'

  'A man has to look after himself - and his family too'

  • Dissmissive tone shows he does not care about socialism and equality.
  • Similie - shows how absurd Mr birling believes socialism is.
  • Syntax shows family is not a priority.
  • The caesura shows the gap between his family and himself in his priority.
  • The fractured speech is as if he forgot to add on the family aspect in his priorities.
  • Uses the unreliable character to ironicaly criticise socialism, to have the inspectors entrance be impactful.
• ' I refused, of course'

  • The short sentence coupled withr Mr Birlings matter-of-act tone shows he has no regrets or remorse for his actions.
  • Blinded by the pursuit of profit at the expense of his workers' well being to recognise his role in the chain of events leading to Eva's demise.
• 'She had a lot to say - far too much - so she had to go'

  • Fractured speech emmulates his shock at the challenge of his authority.
  • Believes that women and lower class should stay in their place.
• '[excitedly]' '[triumphantly]' 'Probably a scoialist or some sort of crank'

  • Resistant to change and reluctant to accept responsibility.
  • Instant catharsis and enthusium at a chance to escape blame and responsibility.
• 'Gerald, have a drink'

  The cyclical structure of celebration shows the stagnant character of Birling as he refuses to change accept responsibility.

  Promotes the cycle of immorality.
• '[rather impatiently] yes, yes horrid business' 'it has nothing whatever to do with that wretched girl's suicide'


  • Is annoyed or inconvenienced by the Inspector’s investigation — not upset by the actual death of a young woman.
  • The phrase “horrid business” is vague and emotionally detached.Dismissive and dehumanising he is — he doesn’t even use her name, reducing her to a problem or nuisance.
  • Birling’s refusal to accept social responsibility, reinforcing Priestley’s criticism of the older generation and the capitalist mindset.
• 'I can't accepty an responsibility'


  bkjhji
• 'Who here will suffer from that more than I will'

  Ironic rhetorical question - highlights Birling's self importance as he is worried about himself rather than feeling sympathy for Eva's death