Mr Birling

• “I’m talking as a hard headed practical man of business”

  • “Hardheaded’ he is unrelenting and cold-hearted, symbol of the 1912 business man
  • an allusion to the “hard headed man of business”- used by sir Stanley Baldwin (prime minister) to show how the business owners made profits from the war.
• “ a man has to make his own way… and his family too, of course”

  • this is the moment that summons the inspector, akin to a supernatural incantation
  • the inspector is there too teach a lesson about social responsibility
  • the inspector conveys altruistic view of society where the readers are obliged to nurture society instead of their own greed
  • priestley may be saying that the reason for two world wars was because people only looked after themselves (pinnacle of capitalism)
• “Sheila means a tremendous lot to me” 


  The only reason why Sheila means “a tremendous lot“ to him is because her marriage with Gerald will tremendously increase his status and wealth because this will result in “birling and crofts limited”

  -Gerald is aristocratic so is significantly increase mr birling ‘s influence

  -Sheila is treated as a commodity, this could anger 1945 women- suffragette movement, women were treated better as people realised they were valuable

  -mirrors how rich men would marry off their daughters in politically calculated marriages in order to increase their status
• “She’ll make you happy” “and I’m sure you’ll make her happy“

  • Mr birling says “she’ll make you happy“ first before he says “and I’m sure you’ll make her happy” because here he is thinking like a business man.
  • he is trying to persuade Gerald to marry Sheila by illustrating that she has a lot to offer.
  • he does this becuase Sheila and Gerlad’s marriage will mean that his power and wealth will significant increase. Shows that he’s business comes before his family- capitalism divides people even in families, ”a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own”
• “Did you say why”

  • He is flabbergasted that the inspector will question his actions as in 1912, the police were under the control of upper class men and would he doesn’t expect someone like the inspector to be questioning his decisions as he is a high class business man
• (Staring at the inspector) “what did you say your name was inspector”

  • In 1912, upper class men would control the police departments and would be above the law.
  • he asks him this so he can search the police department he works for as and inspector would not speak to a high class man like him -”how do you get on with our chief constable colonel Robert’s” “I ought to warn you that he’s an old friend of mine”
• “I’d give thousands, yes thousands”


  He offers to pay the inspector money for his silence

  he doesn’t accept responsibility for his actions

  he offers money because that is the only thing he has to offer, he can never learn the inspectors lesson because capitalism has been normalised
• “Heavy looking” rather portentous man” 


  -ominous

  heavy looking”- gluttony and greed “higher profits lower costs”

  “heavy”- he carries the tragedies of the world- because of capitalism many people have died and suffered in the world (world wars, titanic) so he carries those sorrows