Mr Birling

• Who is Mr Birling?

  1. Head of the Birling Family
  2. Business owner (capitalist)
  3. Enjoys power , status and authority
• "... and I'm talking as a hard-headed practical man of business" - p6

  • Shows us what Mr Birling really thinks of himself
  • Arrogant and egotistical
  • "hard-headed" shows that he does not care who he has to step on in order to get what he wants
  • "practical" could show that he is a quick thinker
• "[somewhat impatiently] look- there's nothing mysterious - or scandalous- about this business- at least not so far as im concerned." - p13

  • The stage directions show us that he is losing his patience with the inspector as he does not like being less important or on the back foot in an arguement
  • Punctuation shows that he is not very clear on what he is saying as the dashes present that he keeps stuttering when speaking to the inspector
• "Because your not to kind of father a chap could go to when he is in trouble- that's why" - Eric p54

  • Shows that Mr Birling is a poor parent as his son can not go to him when he is in trouble
  • This suggests that he has not been a supportive father (emotionally wise)
• "[unhappily] Look, Inspector - i'd give thousands - yes, thousands" - p56

  • The dashes show that he is panicking again as he is on the back foot in this argument
  • His emotions are clear[unhappy]
  • This unhappiness combined with his dialogue suggests somthing positive about the way that he may be starting to see the eroors of his ways
• What were Priestley's intentions with this character?

  • He presents power in 1912 [negatively]
  • He is capitalist views personified
  • Preistley derides anti-socialist views