mr birling

• "...look forward to a time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but working together - for lower costs and higher prices."


  Birling seems more interested in the business prospects of Sheila's marriage.Shows that he is a strong capitalist and is focused on profit and money instead of working together/ love and only cares about working together with business.
• "I gather there's a very good chance of a knighthood - so long as we behave ourselves, don't get into the police court or start a scandal - eh? (Laughs complacently)"


  Adverb "complacently" sums up Birling and his capitalist nature. Plus, quote ironically foreshadows later events.
• Speaking about Eric: "Yes, you don't know what some of these boys get up to nowadays."


  Mr Birling does not know what Eric has been up to so he expects all upper class to be well behaved. Later on this theme is reoccured with Alderman Heggharty.
• "A man has to make his own way - look after himself" / "The way some of these cranks talk and write now, you'd think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive"


  Simile shows his negative opinion of the idea of social responsibility/socialism. Birling can only ever think of looking after himself.
• 'But it doesn't convey anything to me.'

  Birling doesn't even remember sacking Eva Smith until he is reminded about it. Shows how careless he is about socialism, doesn't think about anyone but himself and his family.
• "Obviously it has nothing whatsoever to do with the wretched girl's suicide. Eh, Inspector?"

  adjective conveys his low opinion of Eva based on her social position.
• "THEY wanted the rates raised - I refused of course"


  Pronoun has a distancing effect - shows he does not respect his workers.
• 'Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges.'

  Insp suggesting that Birling has a 'duty of care' to his employees 
• "And then she got herself in trouble there I suppose?" - p.177

  Rhetorical question demonstrates how he makes assumptions about Eva / prejudges her based on her social standing.
• BIRLING "Now look here, Inspector -" INSPECTOR (cutting in with authority) p.188


  imperative verb shows he is used to commanding others, interruption tells the audience that won't be the case with the inspector!
• "Who here will suffer more than I will?" p.208


  First person pronoun shows his selfishness - concerned about the "scandal" and the fact that he might not get his knighthood.