Mrs Birling

• • Priestly uses the character of Mrs Birling to criticise the inequalities of the class system and its selfishness, as she is a wealthy woman who is able to ignore the plight of the poor.
  • Mrs Birling represents the conservative and ignorant attitudes of the upper class.
  • Preistly teaches moral behaviour by showing the immorality of the rich in this morality play.
  • Metaphorically represents wrath and pride - shown by her disdain of her lower class and pride in her social status.
• [a rather cold woman and her husband's social superior]'[haughtily]' '[grandly]' '[triumphantly]'

  
  

  • Immediatly gives the impression of her character as haughty, callous cruel.
  • Reveals her apathetic and individualistic nature.
  • Foreshadows her behaviour towards the lower class .
  • Would have been perceived as an oxymoron at the time. - Contemporary societal norms dictated that women were meant to be loving,maternal and emotionial, thus Priestly conveys that a detached attitude towards suffering is unnatural.
  • Adjectives connote hubris and self importance.
  • Directly contrasts Sheila who speakes '[Passionately]' and '[With feeling]'
• Sybil Birling 'I don't believe it. I won't believe it...'

  • Named after the Sibyls from Greek mythology who oracles.
  • Priestly uses this ironically as sybil Birling is nlind and willfully igorant to the plight and corruption of society and her views.
  • E.g is willfully ignorant to Erics alchol addiction, unaware of Alderman Meggarty's sexual attacks on world, Eric's relationship with Eva and is blnd to the suffering of the lower class.
• '[reproachfully] Arthur, you're not supposed to say such things-'

  'Now stop it, you two'

  'Now Arthur. I dont think you ought to be talk business on an occasion like this'

  'Now, Sheila, don't tease him'

  • Dialogue with modal verbs - Portrays Mrs Birling as a controlling and demanding character to foreshadow the inevitable conflict when Inspector Goole arrives.
  • Constantly micromanaging and domineering her family - Has deep pride in her social respectability and wants to maintain the facade of a pristine family in front of Gerald. - Image conscious
  • Authoritative tone shows Mrs Birling is Arthur's social superior despite her gender.
  • Sybil's snobbish attitude is emphasised to criticise the hypocritical holier than thou values of the upper class who judges a person's worth by their wealth.
• 'Now Sheila don't tease him'

  'When your married you'll realise'

  'You'll have to get used to that, just as I had'

  'I think Sheila and I had better go to the drawing room and leave you men.'

  • Sybil is an enemy of her gender - She encourages gender inequality and the patriarchal society.
  • Double standards - Dismisses the immoral behaviour of the men whilst encouraging her daughter to be submissive and tolerate it.
  • OTH - Mrs Birling is a good mother for fighting for the social elevation of her daughter as women had no other choice.
  • Mrs Birling is a victim of the patriarchal society as she has been trapped and indoctrinated by these misogynistic views with no other means of survival.
  • Unable to criticise Gerald as sheila is not his equal partner, but seen as inferior.
  • Marriage is transanctional for women - must endure a loveless marriage for stability.
• “Don’t contradict me like that”

  • Priestley presents Mrs Birling as symbolic of conservatism and resistant to change.
  • In contrast, Sheila is representative of the younger generation who embrace radical change and the need for socialism.
  • Her pride and God complex rejects being challenged as she is deluded by the conviction of her infallibility, this refuses to rectify her ways.
• 'Forget about this absurd business'

  • Apathetic and insensitive - Sybil uses the Adjective to dissmiss the situation and paint the suicide as senseless and a result of hysteria.
  • Further portrays Mrs Birling as unfeeling and 'cold'.
• 'Girls of that class-'

  • Uses the determiner 'that' to separate herself from the lower class as she feels she is infinitely superior to them, proving capitalism promotes moral corruption.
  • Shows the deep rooted class divide instead of the unity of community that Priestly longs for.
  • Conveys a tone of disgust due to her disdain for the lower class
  • The collective nooun girls provides vaguness and obscurity to further alienate and ostricise the lower class.
  • Shows she views them as one entity rather than individuals with worth and value.
  • Foreshadows her prejudice toawrds Eva smith's case as she percieves the working class disparangingly.
• '[haughtily] I beg your pardon'

  'That - I consider- is a trifle impertinent'

  '[With dignity]'

  'The rude way he spoke..it was quite extraordinary!'

  • Fractured speech shows the shock she has at someone challenging or criticiseing her archaic ways - it wounds her pride.
  • Exclamatory dialogue - Mrs Birling is offended. -She sees the Inspector as socially inferior and so he shouldn't even dare to contradict her.
• “[With dignity] We’ve done a great deal of useful work helping deserving cases”

  • This emphasis on the adjective “deserving” reveals Mrs Birling’s joy in playing God in these young women’s lives, deciding whether they receive aid and benefit or are refused and suffer, a reflection of the power of the upper class.
  • Priestley implies that Mrs Birling’s role is not held out of care or compassion for the poor, but as a way to gain influence and status due to her self-professed “prominent” status.
• 'It was simply a piece of gross impertinence' 'I used my influence to have it refused'

  'Naturally that was naturally one of the things that prejudiced me aginst her case 

  • She belives she is deserving of the utmost respect and anything less is deserving of the neglect she shows.
  • Evidence for her pride and belief in the class system.
  • The adverb shows shes is shameless and remorseless as she feels justified in her actions - No social Responsibility.
  • Shows discrimination and corruption is normalised amongst the upper class.
• 'I think she only had herself to blame'

  'I did nothing I'm ashamed of'

  'It's his responsibility'

  'I did my duty' 'I was justified'

  'I accept no blame for it at all' 'I was perfectly justified'

  • Remorseless, callous,cruel, inhumane, merciless,ruthless.
  • Ironically distances herself to social responsibility despite having a diret hand in her demise. - Arguably played the worst role.
  • Her refusal to acknowledge her role in Eva’s tragedy underscores Priestley’s critique of selfishness and moral blindness among the upper classes.
  • A symbol of how the older generation has static ideologies and their arrogant refusal to change.
  • Directly contrasts sheila's immediate acceptance of responsibility 'I know i'm to blame- and i'm desperately sorry', further highlighting sybil as despicable.
• “If you think you can bring any pressure to bear upon me, Inspector, you’re quite mistaken.”

  'You're quite wrong to suppose I shall regret what I did'

  'You have no power to change my mind'

  • Demonstrates Mrs. Birling’s arrogance and confidence in her social standing.
  • She believes herself immune to scrutiny and accountability, challenging Inspector Goole’s authority.
  • It underscores her belief in the invulnerability of the upper class and her refusal to acknowledge her role in perpetuating social inequality.
  •  Her character serves as a foil to Inspector Goole’s socialist critique of societal injustice..
• “As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!”'She was giving herself ridiculous airs' 'She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position'

  • Encapsulates Mrs. Birling’s assumptions about lower-class morality and behavior.
  • She dismisses the possibility of Eva refusing stolen money and having any humane, moral ideals, reflecting her prejudice and condescension towards those she perceives as socially inferior
  • Adjective ridicules Eva's attempt to gain respect or equality as she must emmulate the Upper class for any basic empathy.
  • Sybil reinforces the social divisions within society.i
• 'First I blame the girl herself' 'I blame the young man who was the father' 'he should be made an example of' 'It's his responsibility' 'he ought to be dealt with very severly-'

  • Shows Mrs. Birling’s judgmental attitude and moral hypocrisy
  • She unkowingly shifts blame onto (Eric), denying her own role in contributing to Eva’s plight by refusing her charity.
  • Reveals her tendency to deflect responsibility and uphold societal double standards regarding gender and class.
  • Syntax shows how women were more villified for doing the same acts as men in society - Double Standards.
  • The irony shows how the upper class are blind and ignorant to their sins and are quick to blame others as they believe they are superior.
• '[with sudden alarm]' mother - stop - stop!'

  • Stage directions symbolises the moment of realisation.
  • Contrasts against Mrs Birling as she is slow to understand and ignorant.
  • Symbolises how the older generation is slow to adapt and make the change Priestly yearns for.
  • Fractured speech and exclamatory sentence - Fear and disgust at the irony of the situation.
• '[Very distressed now] No -Eric - please -I didn't know - I didn't understand-'

  • Stage direction + Fractured speech - Shows her fear and panic.
  • Contrasts against her previous attidue of indifference - Shows she is only concerned when it comes to her own family and social status - Shows the selfishness of capitalism.
  • Implies that she would not have argued for him to take the blame - Hypocritical and Double standard.
  • Shows how the upper class will bend truths to satisfy their beliefs and to make them appear as righteous.
• 'Eric, I'm absolutely ashamed of you.'

  • Terrible mother + self centred + holier than thou attitude
  • Was willfully ignorant to the open secret of Eric's alcholism due to her obsession with reputation and class conciousness.
  • Only paying attention now as his actions affect the family's reputation.
  • Shifting the blame to anyone other than herself - including family members.