English - An Inspector Calls - Context, Symbolism, and Motifs

Mr Birling as Nouveau Riche

After the Industrial Revolution (late 18th-19th century), Britain saw the rise of a new middle class made up of factory owners, industrialistsm and businessmen. These people had gained wealth through industry rather than inheriting it.

• Mr Birling represent this nouveau riche group: wealthy, but not from an old aristocratic family.

• Characters like the Crofts look down on him because their wealth is generational, whereas his is earned.

• Priestley use Mr Birling to show how economic power was shifting: the middle class were becoming richer and more influential, challenging traditional class structures.

This helps us to understand why Mr Birling is so eager to impress, boasts, and gain social status: it reflects his insecurity.

An Alderman

An Alderman was a senior memnber of a town council, not elected by the public but chosen by other councillors. This often lead to:

• Corruption

• Cronyism (Favouring friends)

• Closed circles of influence

When Mr Birling boasts about being an Alderman, Priestley is mocking:

• The self seving nature of local politics at the time

• How positions of power were often given to people like Birling because of connections, not merit.

This exposes the complacency and self importance of men in authority.

Mrs Birling’s Rebuttal: “Arthur, you’re not supposed to say such things”

When Mr Birling cheerfully declares that they’ve had “a good dinner,” Mrs Birling immediately corrects him, saying, “Arthur, you’re not supposed to say such things.” At first glance this seems harmless, but it reveals a great deal about middle class social expectations, particulary around politeness, restraint, and maintaining apperances.

In Edwardian society, the respectable middle classes followed strict dress codes of behaviour, especially at the dinner table. Meals were formal occasions that displayed a family’s refinement, status, and good breeding. Conversation was expected to be:

• Polite, modest, measured, free from boasting or self congratulation

Mr Birling’s comment breaks this social code because:

1. It draws attention to their own success. Modesty was considered as a sign of refinement. Openly praising your own meal or hospitality could appear vulgar or socially insecure. The upper classes in particular valued understatement.

2. It risks sounding boastful in front of Gerald. Mrs Birling is conscious that Gerald comes from a higher social class, and she does not want the Birlings to appear showy, overeager, or lacking in sophistication. She is trying to protect the family’s image and uphold the standards of decorum expected from genteel society.

   1. It hints at her commitment to maintaining apperances. Throughout the play, Mrs Birling is obsessed with behaving “properly” and following the outward rules of respectability, even when her moral behaviour is deeply flawed. Her correction here shows how central apperances, social rules, and etiquette are to her worldview.

Marriage in Edwardian Britain as transactional

In 1912, marriage for the middle and upper classes were often less about romance and more about:

• Strengthening family status

• Combining wealth

• Political or business advantages

Sheila and Gerald’s engagement reflects this:

• Mr Birling is delighted because the marriage will unite two powerful businesses

• Marriage was a way for families to keep or increase their social standing

For middle class women especially, marriage was seen as their main “career path” because many professions were closed to them. It provided financial security, social acceptance, and stability.

Partiarchal society and the partonising of women

The society of 1912 was dominated by patriarchy, meaning:

• Men held power in politics, business, and the household

• Women were expected to be seen but not heard

• Men made decisions; women were expected to accept them

Examples in the play:

• Mr Birling dismissed Sheila’s opinions (“nothing to do with you”).

• Gerald hides the truth from Sheila “for her own good”.

• Mrs Birling reinforces partiarchal rules by expecting Sheila to obey her father and husband.

Priestley uses these attitudes to critcise how women were spoken to and treated, highlighting the need for change.

The Role of Women in Marriage

In Edwardian Britain, marriage was shaped by strong partiarchal expectations. Middle class women were expected to be dutiful, loyal, and unquestioning wives, while men were viewed as the dominant partners whose careers and social lives naturally took priority. This context helps explain Mrs Birling’s comment that Sheila will “have to get used to” men being busy at work, a remark which carries the implied suggestion that wives must tolerate not only a husband’s long absences but also his potential unfaithfulness. It hints at a social code where men’s behaviour, even morally questionable behaviour, was excused as part of their public or business life.