Analysis of Act One - Arthur’s Speech

• The Birlings are having an engagement party

  1. Everyone is content and saying the right things

  2. The Birlings are Priestley’s idea of a ‘perfect’ middle-class family:

  . the father’s a successful businessman

  . the mother works hard to keep up the Birlings’ reputation in the community

  . the son works for the father in the family business

  . the daughter’s engaged to the son of their competitor - this should improve the business because the two companies could start “working together” in the future
• But there are hints of conflict under the surface

  1. Gerald’s family, the Crofts, are more established and socially superior. This makes Arthur Birling anxious

  2. Gerald says he was busy with work last summer. But Sheila’s not really satisfied with this answer - “Yes, that’s what you say”

  3. There are big differences between what’s expected of men and women. In this society, men are supposed to be busy with work and the world of public affairs. Women are supposed to be interested in family, loathes and social etiquette (‘proper’ behaviour)
• Birling


  A character who lectures the young men about war and business
• Arthur Birling


  • Confident about the future for his family and business
  • Gives a speech with predictions for the future
  • Audience of 1946 know what's coming, and it's not what Birling thinks
• Birling's speech


  1. Says conflict between workers and bosses will come to nothing

  2. Says technological progress will continue, and gives the recently completed Titalic as an example

  3. Says there'll be no war with Germany
• Birling's predictions


  Proven wrong by later events (many strikes, World War One)
• Dramatic irony


  When the audience know more about something than the character on stage
• Dramatic irony is used by the writer to make Birling look overconfident, making the audience think he might be wrong about other things</b>