Mr Birling

what does mr birling represent

Mr Birling represents greedy businessmen who only care for themselves. Priestley uses him to show the audience that the Eva Smiths of the world will continue to suffer if people like Birling remain in positions of power.

why does Priestley use such much dramatic irony on birling

to make him seem like he knows nothing on what he speaks about so later in the play his ideas are seen as wrong on things like business

also to show that men like mr birling and all they stand for (capitalism) is wrong

whaf themes encompass mr birling

• insecurity

• Capitalism

• Older v Younger gen

• Responsibility

• Self-absorbedness

• Dramatic irony

quotes for insecurity

1. Provincial in his speech

2. “you ought to like this port, Gerald … it's exactly the same port your father gets from him.”

3. “I might find my way into the next honours list

quotes on capitalism

1. “It’s my duty to keep labour costs down”

2. “as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive”

3. “we may look forward to the time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together”

quotes vs. the younger gen

1. “ Why, you hysterical young fool – get back – or I'll”

2. “ the famous younger generation who know it all. And they can't even take a joke- ”

3. “There’s every excuse for what both your mother and I did”

quotes on responsibility

1. “I can’t accept any responsibility”

2. “I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can”

3. (jovially) “The whole things different now

quotes on self-absorbedness

1. It's one of the happiest nights of my life … your engagement to Sheila means a tremendous lot to me.

2. “I care. I was almost certain for a knighthood in the next Honours List- ”

3. Heavy looking rather portentous man

quotes to do with dramatic irony

1. “Unsinkable absolutely unsinkable”

2. “Time of steadily increasing prosperity”

3. “Some people say war is inevitable and to that i say- fiddlesticks!”