Inspcalls mrsb

• Mrs Birling keywords:

  Arrogant/Supercilious/Pompous: She feels her viewpoints and perspectives are the accepted norm.

  Unsympathetic/heartless: Despite being a woman and a mother, she refuses to break her 'cold' exterior, showing no willingness to express empathy
• Mrs Birling keywords:


  Authoritative/Controlling/Condescending: She frequently engages in a superior, haughty tone. Seeks to exert control over the Inspector.

  Conservative/Capitalistic: She admits that she was 'prejudiced' against the girl who applied to her commitee.
• Is Mrs Birling the most to blame? YES: Perspective underscores Mrs.Birlings _______ role in Eva's tragedy, emphasising her _______ to extend aid when Eva was most in need. It highlights Mrs.Birlings ________ status and societal _________, implying an integral duty to assist those less _________.

  pivotal, refusal, elevated ,privilege,fortunate.
• Is Mrs Birling the most to blame? YESp2: By opting to ______ Evas plight, Mrs Birling effectively ____________ (discarded) this responsibility, resulting in dire consequences. This viewpoint emphasises Mrs Birlings influence and _____ obligation, ___________ her actions, or rather her inaction, as the ___ element of the outcome. Evas death.


  ignore, relinquished,moral, positioning, key
• 'Cold Woman'


  In Priestleys stage directions, Mrs birling is depicted as a 'cold woman', which would have been percieved as oxymoronic during 1912. During this era, societal norms dictated that women should embody qualities such as, warm,nurturing and sensitivity. Priestley employs the adjective 'cold', to highlight Mrs Birling defying these expectations, by indicating a lack of emotional warm and self centerdness. This characterisation challenges the expected norms of her contemporary society.
• 'I dont believe it, I wont believe it'

  The Inspectors plea for collective responsibility, falls on deaf ears when it comes to Mrs Birling, who staunchly refuses to acknowledge any part she may have played in the tragic chain of events leading to Eva's demise: "I dont believe it, I wont believe it". Priestley utilises the imperative verbs 'dont' and 'wont', to present that instead of recognising the necessity for broader social accountability, Mrs Birling adamantly maintains that Evas fate was entirely her own making.
• "I dont believe it, I wont believe it" PT2

  This steadfast refusal to acknowledge the systematic issues at play , suggests that Mrs.Birling sees no need for societal change. She dismisses the idea that class disparities contributed to Evas demise, allowing her to continue her privileged upper class ways with impunity.
• 'I dont believe it, I wont believe it'


  In embodying such unyielding selfishness, Mrs Birling epitomises the moral shortcomings that Priestly critiques in his 'Morality Play', Inspector Calls. Her refusal to recognise the interconnectedness of human actions and societal structures highlights the moral blindness that Priestley seeks to explore, emphasising the dire need for greater social awareness and collective responsibility.
• CAPITALIST THEME- MARRIAGE - "social superior"

  Priestley silfully portrays Mrs. Birling's disdain for her husband's lower class origins and presentation, highlighting the rigid social hierarcy of the time. As Priestley describes her in the stage directions, Mrs.Birling sees herself as her husband's "social superior, a perception that underlines the societal expectations and divisions prevalent in their era.
• CAPITALIST THEME-MARRIAGE-"social superior" PT2

  This superiority complex is evident in her reproachful tone towards Mrs.Birling, as she scolds him for breaching upper-class etiquitte. Their marriage, likely arranged more for social status and financial stability than love, symbolises the transactional nature of relationships within capitalist societeies. Priestley thus underscores the individualistic pursuit of social mobility and financial gain characteristics of capitalism, where personal interests:
• CAPITALIST THEME-MARRIAGE- "social superior" PT3

  often take precendence over genuine human conections or societal solidarity.

  Through the dynamics of the Birling's marriage, Priestley subtly critiques the dehumanising effects of capitalism, where individuals prioritise personal gain and social status over genuine human connections and empathy. Mrs Birlings condescending attitude towards her husban reflects the inherent class divisions perpetauted by capitalist societies, where wealth and satus determines one worth.
• CAPITALIST THEME-MARRIAGE- "social superior" PT4

  By presenting marriage as a transaction based on financial support and social standing, Priestley explores the superficiality and lack of authenticity in capitalist relationships, contrasting it with the ideals of socialism, which advocate for collective welfare and equality. In doing so, he explores the corrosive influence of capitalism on interpersonal relationships and societal values, advocating instead for a more compassionate and just approach to human interaction and social organisation.