AIC

• Within the stage directions Mr Birling is depicted as “ a heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties” which allows him to be a microcosmic representation of the older generation. The adjective “portentous” is used to expose the superficiality of capitalism, it highlights how desperate Birling is to assert and justify his status showing he can only see value in wealth and status.
• we can see clearly at the end of the play that sheila has become the inspectors proxy because in the inspectors final speech he says about “fire and blood and anguish” which is emulated by Sheila when she says “ what he made me feel, fire and blood and anguish“. The fact that she is mirroring the inspectors words is because she is now trying to carry this message and trying to enlighten her ignorant family, ( particularly mr and mrs birling) about the helish and eternal consequences of being a capitalist.
• Through personifying capitalism via characters of Mr and Mr Birling, Priestley thus excoriates capitalism as he makes them such detestable characters.
• The inspector is omniscient because when he comes to the Birling’s household and he begins to investigate their unscrupulous (immoral actions), we can see from the beginning that he is extremely knowledgeable and holds power over the Birling’s because of his omniscience.
• “ if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish” the polysyndeton on “and” emphasises how the inspector shows the prolonged consequences to their selfish actions. The “and” also creates a drawn out effect, showing the drawn out eternal punishment‘s if they don’t change. There is also a semantic field of hell. This reinforces this eternal prolonged punishment is imminent for the Birlings if they do not recognise their immorality and change for the better.
• Mr and Mrs birling are the personification of capitalism and Priestley satirises them and therefore mocks capitalism. Sheila and Eric develop a collective social conscience and that being as a result from them being introduced to socialist beliefs. The inspector is Priestley‘s mouthpiece and he is also a dramatic vehicle.