Family

• 'husbands social superior' - stage directions


  'social superior' - shows how Mrs Birling married someone who is of a lower class to her - sibilance
• pink and intimate lighting


  family see's things through rose-tinted glasses

  they don't see reality, they have everything laid out for them

  lighting is muted - hiding secrets, the family isn't being honest with each other, they don't talk about personal things

  presents an image of secrecy
• Arthur at one end of the table, Cybil at the other 


  the couple are not close - they are not near each other

  they assert dominance by sitting at opposite ends of the table

  the distance across the table shows the distance in their relationship
• 'mummy' 'daddy' - Sheila


  showing she is immature as she is in her early 20's and still calls her parents these young names

  shows how Mr and Mrs Birling have protected her from the reality of the outside world as she hasn't experienced anything that will make her mature
• they portray the 'perfect family' 


  women roles - marry into money (Sheila's engagement with Gerald), plan parties, visit friends, have children, go shopping

  men roles - support their family, protect the women - they were in charge
• women roles portrayed by Mrs Birling and Sheila 


  'talking about clothes' in the drawing room - end of A1, (Eric)

  going shopping 'Millwards' - she cared about how she looked more then getting a girl fired

  engagement ring - 'I will never let it out of my sight'
• men roles - Gerald, Birling, Eric


  'I think Miss Birling ought to be excused' - Gerald, trying to protect Sheila from the inspection

  'Hard headed business man' - Mr Birling describing how he works - work = self-centred shows his lack of empathy for his workers

  saves Eva from Joe Meggarty - protects Eva and provides her with accommodation
• the family hierarchy is ruined when the Inspector arrives the young Birlings start to take control over the old Birlings and begin to think for themselves
• Edwardian family - parent are in control, children obey what they say
• end - Sheila doesn't know if she wants to marry Gerald anymore
• end - Eric confronts his parents for not caring (his mother doesn't 'understand anything' and his father 'is not the kind of father a chap could go to')
• End - the young Birlings refuse to follow their parents and pretend nothing happened - the parents no longer control them