Mrs Birling

• Priestley criticizes the inequalities of the class system in Edwardian society through the character of Mrs. Birling
• Mrs. Birling is depicted as bossy and controlling, her husband's social superior
• Mrs. Birling is presented as controlling and demanding, obsessed with maintaining a good impression
• Priestley sets up conflict with Inspector Gaal by showing Mrs. Birling's resistance to authority
• Mrs. Birling represents the complacency of the wealthy middle and upper class towards the law
• Mrs. Birling's lies and refusal to confess create tension and frustration in the play
• Priestley uses Mrs. Birling to criticize the behavior of middle and upper-class women in Edwardian society
• Mrs. Birling's involvement in a charity committee demonstrates her self-centered motives and prejudices towards the working class
• The presence of domestic staff in the Birling household highlights their outdated and privileged way of life
• Priestley questions the morality of Edwardian society through the privileged Birling family's attitudes towards the less fortunate