Class

• "girls of that class"


  mrs birling sees eva as a lesser person and is describing her based on her class vs her personality and how people should be judged
• "as if a girl of that sort would refuse money"


  mrs birling is shocked to hear that eva refused money from eric and doesnt believe him, she thinks that because of evas status, she is immoral and would take stolen money anyway
• "all mixed up like bees in a hive"


  mr birling shows his arrogance but also shows priestlys message that everyone should work together for a common goal like bees do. mr birling sneers at this idea
• "community and all that nonsense"

  mr birling doesn't see why people should work together and thinks he is better than the working class even tho that is ironic since he was born into a working class family and knows their struggles
• "hard headed practical man of business"


  stage directions showing me birlings success over peoples feelings attitude. this also makes him seem arrogant due to his general disregard for others
• "i've got to cover this up"

  a public scandal will be the worse thing for mr birling but it is ironic how this is his first thought after hearing a girl has died. this shows him caring only for himself and reflects his capitalist views
• "a man has to make his own way"

  mr birling thinks people should only help themselves and not help the most vulnerable who need it. he thinks he should make as much money for himself without thinking about paying his workers fairly
• "lower costs, higher prices"


  this shows mr birlings capitalist views. he wants to take from the poor at every opportunity by paying them less while also charging more for his products
• "her husbands social superior"


  this is a stage direction referring to how mrs birling is from an upper class family and he's a title while mr birling is a middle class businessman who has money. they benefit from each other but mrs birling often makes it clear who's higher socially
• "these girls aren't cheap labour, they're people"


  this is the first time we see sheila confront her parents about their bad treatment of workers. mr birling is not impressed by this comment and this is the start of sheila changing