Capitalism vs socialism

“for lower costs and higher pricing” Mr Birling ACT 1

• mr b’s business strategy is pure capitalist greed: he wants to charge lots and pay little

“she sails next week, unlikable absolutely unsinkable” Mr B act 1

• comments about the titanic represent generations blind faith in capitalism

• dramatic irony as audience know that the titanic will sink

“ its better to ask for the earth than take it” Inspector Goole act 1

inspector uses Birlings own words against him to highlight his capitalist greed a selfishness

“ I wasn’t so satisfied with the girls claim - she seemed to me to not be a good case” Mrs B act 2

Mrs birling equates money with ones “claim” as though money only belongs to those who are deserving

“wee don’t live alone, we are members of one body. we are responsible for each other” Goole Act 3

uses metaphor ‘body’ to show people are dependant on one another

the inspector as an element of Capitalism vs Socialism

• The Inspector: Embodies socialism; his investigation and moralistic speeches condemn how the poor and impoverished are victims of capitalist greed

Mr B and Gerald as an element of Capitalism vs Socialism

• Mr Birling and Gerald Croft: Represent the greedy industrialists who treat workers like Eva Smith as cheap labour and refuse to raise wages

Eva Smith as an element of Capitalism vs Socialism

• Eva Smith: Her tragic fate shows the destructive potential of capitalism: she was fired for seeking a living wage, and denied charity on the basis of her perceived worth