Mr Birling (Arthur Birling)

Pg 1: "Arthur Birling is a heavy looking, rather portentous man"

"rather provincial in his speech"

He is a wealthy business man who owns a factory in Brumley. He has been the city's lord mayor and is a magistrate. Mr Birling's size helps to give him a threatening appearance. He is a thickset, pompous man. The way Mr Birling's "speech" is described conveys a lack of sophistication and refinement.

Pg 6: "a hard-headed, practical man of business" - Mr Birling

He thinks of himself as a man who does well in business and doesn't let sentiment get in the way of whatever needs to be done to succeed.

Pg 7: "yes, my dear, I know - I'm talking too much" - Mr Birling

He likes to voice his views and is aware that he tends to take over the conversation. Suggests he has a high opinion of his own importance.

Pg 41: "I'm a public man" - Mr Birling

He has been in positions of power, locally, as a member of the town council and Lord Mayor, and is still a magistrate. He expects others to acknowledge his importance and show respect.

Timeline

- Hosts a celebratory dinner for Sheila's engagement to Gerald Croft.

- Is keen for the Birlings and Crofts to unite in business as well as in marriage.

- Is keen to receive a knighthood

- Says that a man's responsibility is only to himself and his family and not to the wider community.

- Reveals that he dismissed Eva Smith from her job at his factory two years previously

- Tries to take control when the Inspector arrives, but fails.

- Fears scandal and tries to protect himself and his family from involvement with Eva.

- Calls Chief Constable Colonel Roberts to confirm Inspector Goole isn't a real Inspector

- Takes the final telephone call at the end of the play.

Why is Arthur Birling important?

Arthur believes that the individual has responsibilities only to himself and his family. In business his aims are to have "lower costs and higher prices" (pg 4), even at the expense of his workers. Although he has gained public office as mayor and an alderman and is expecting a Knighthood from the community, he does not feel a responsibility to give anything back to the community. His views oppose Inspector Goole's.