Character Mr B

• Mr Birling


  The patriarch of the family, presented as an arrogant and pompous character throughout the play
• Birling


  • His self-indulgence and self-importance, arrogantly trying to impress all around him
  • His regional accent signifies his lower-class status in comparison to his wife and Gerald Croft
• Birling's obsession


  Public reputation, status and titles and the reassurance that they provide him with
• By the end of the play, Arthur faces

  Exposure to a public scandal and loss of his reputation which would present a terrible downfall for him
• Birling


  • A caricature of a Capitalist businessman which is in direct opposition to Inspector Goole's Socialist aspirations
  • Indifferent to the plight of his workers, but there is nothing dreadfully abhorrent about his treatment of his workers
  • Priestley does not indicate that Arthur delights in punishing his workers but simply that any empathy towards them is severely lacking
• At the beginning of Act I, Birling


  Delivers several lengthy monologues which serve to reveal his self-centredness, arrogance and myopics view of society
• Birling's beliefs


  Everyone should be responsible for themselves and is devoid of any sympathy for those less fortunate than himself
• Dramatic irony reveals Birling's short-sightedness

  His optimism for the future is superficial and his predictions demonstrate his complacency
• Birling's personal beliefs


  Do not allow him to change
• Birling


  • Blind to the consequences of his own actions and repeatedly defends himself, directs blame at others and tries desperately to try and cover up the tragedy
  • Tries to limit the damage to himself and his family but he can only do so by distorting or minimising the truth
• Birling


  Contrasts sharply with the Inspector and his children
• Birling's attitude towards the Inspector and his children


  Brusque towards the Inspector and treats Eric and Sheila as foolish and naïve
• Birling is unwilling to change because his personal beliefs do not allow him to do this