Mr Birling

• act two: what’s the matter with that child?

  Dispassionate to his own family. Language changes from possessive pronoun “my“ to demonstrative pronoun “that“ dismisses himself metaphorically of ownership over Sheila, once she starts, demonstrating her socialist ideology. He refuses to her as a “child“ to dismiss her beliefs as unimportant and immature.
• At one: obviously had nothing to do with the wretched girl suicide

  Uses adverb “obviously“ to show his arrogant defensiveness. His inability to display any kind of remorse is reflective of the stubbornness of the older generation.