Mr Birling characterisation

• In the first lines of the play Port is mentioned. The drinking of port is significant due to its cost. It is something that was associated with the wealthy in society and therefore out of reach from the working class. Instantly audience sees Mr Birlign as someone who wishes to show off to others and Priestley uses the name dropping of 'Finchley' to illustrate how Birling is keen to impress his future son in law. Talking to Gerald, the son of a Lord and Lady means that Birling is taking to his social superior meaning that Birling has resorted to name dropping
• Birling himself has moved up class rank due to the success of his business so he has to be told occasionally how to behave socially by Mrs Birling his 'social superior'
• Priestley present Mr Birling as a flawed, misled and pompous man. He refers to himself twice in very similar ways first as a 'hard headed business man' and then 'hard-practical man of business'. This deliberate repetition on Priestley's part emphasises how Mr Birling self-perception is entirely built upon how he sees himself in terms of work and money. His priorities are not with his family but with his business and fortune
• Mr Birling represents the ideology of capitalism the a system where business is privately owned to gain profit. Birling's capitalistic agenda will be one of the causes of Eva Smith's death.
• Birlings viewpoint is directly contrasted with the message delivered by the Inspector. Priestley uses a heavy amount of dramatic irony to criticise the character of Mr Birling
• His error filled predictions about war, economic growth, and the Titanic being 'absolutely unsinkable' do not simply make the character seem ill informed and ridiculous it shapes an opinion from the audience so when he shares his opinons on his employees and business the audience can only presume that these are incorrect to making his opinons devalued
• The play was set in 1912 but first performed in 1945, the audience knows that much of what Mr Birling asserts in the play's opening moments is simply incorrect. His dismissive tone to these realistic ideas of war reveals how confident he is in his ideas.
• Structurally these examples of dramatic irony occur so early on in the play, even before the arrival of the inspector, to make is very clear that Mr Birling and everything he stands for is wrong
• His mannerisms do not change even at the resolution of the play. Towards the end of the play after discovering Erics theft his sole focus is on retrieving the lost money and Eric's slight against him and the impacts upon his business - not the death of his grandchild
• he falls to accept is responsibly for him wrong doings. Priestley is criticising the behaviour of the older generation, implying that they are fixed in their ways and contrast with their children