Mrs Birling characterisation

• Through the character of Mrs Birling, Priestley explores the resistance of the upper class to the change that threatens their social position.
• Priestley explores how the suffering of the working class is perpetuated by the class system through Mrs Birling's denial of financial aid to Eva Smith as a result of class-based prejudices towards her
• Priestley demonstrates the hypocrisy of the upper classes though the character of Mrs Birling
• priestley uses the character of Mrs Birling to criticise the inequalities of the class system evident within Edwardian society
• He criticise the class system through the negative depiction of Mrs Birling as bossy and controlling. Much of her initial dialogue afforded to her character is based on controlling and reprimanding the actions of others.
• Priestley immediately present Mrs Birling as a controlling and demanding character, much of her time is spent obsessed with actions that might give a bad impression presumably to Gerald
• Priestley establishes Mrs Birling as bossy and controlling at the start of the play in order to set up the inevitable conflict with Inspector Goole when he arrives. She is clearly used to having her own way and cannot understand why she in unable to order the police inspector around.
• Priestley uses Mrs Birling's discomfort at having a police Inspector refuse to obey her as an example of the earthly middle and upper classes' complacency with it comes to the law. Mr and Mrs Birling clearly see themselves as above the law and they struggle when faced with someone who is moral and insisting that justice is served.
• Priestley uses Mrs Birling as a dramatic device to develop tension. Of all the character's is it Mrs Birling that is most resistant to confess her connection to Eva Smith. The effect of writing her dialogue in this way is that the audience is waiting for total confession and both tension and frustration are slowly building with every rebuff and refusal to answer
• Mrs Birling seems to embody everything Priestley dislikes about the behaviour of the middle and upper class women of Edwardian society. Priestley uses her as an example of how petty and self centred or egocentric some people can be when they themselves live east and comfortable lives whilst others are struggling to eat.
• In 1912, there was no NHS, no benefit systems and no access to contraception. Therefore, women were reliant upon charities to help them cope when they were struggling. Priestley uses this charity committee who are swayed by Mrs Birling's prejudice to demonstrate how fallible this system was.
• Mrs Birling makes her opinions of the working class clear: that they will lie, they will accept stolen money and they are to Blame for their one situation. If Mrs Birling has such a low opinion of the people she is meant to be helping, why is she involved in the charity? We can infer that her ulterior motive to work on the committee has more to do with how it looks to chair such a committee and wield power, rather than be driven by the desire to help other people.
• Priestley's inclusion of Edna, and Mrs Birling's ordering her about emphasises how out of date the Birlings are now, and how archaic their thinking is because by 1945 domestic servants were rarely in use in middle class homes.
• Priestley questions to morality of Edwardian society through his depiction of a privileged family and their attitudes towards others who are less fortune than themselves.