Mr Birling

Symbolic meaning

• Represents the capitalist ethos and world of business

• Represents the patriarchal structure of Edwardian England

• Represents the older generation

Context and message

• Priestley uses birding to criticise the flawed capitalist classes as foolish, arrogant, prejudiced and cruel.

• Criticises the obstinate older generation and their dismissiveness of new ideas and resistance to change

Dramatic irony

• ‘The Germans don’t want war’

  • Present him as foolish and overly confident, optimism is misplaced

• ‘Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable’

  • Demonstrates poor judgement

• ‘Time of steadily increasing prosperity’

  • Great Depression followed 1912, 1945 audience identify Mr B as unreliable and dislike him

Capitalism vs socialism

• ‘We may look forward to the time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing- but working together- for lower costs and higher prices’

  • True motive behind Sheilas marriage- profit

• ‘Mixed up together like bees in a hive’

  • Trivialise and dismiss the concept of socialism- social classes should not interact

• ‘A man has to look after himself’

  • Strong capitalist view philosophical

• ‘They’d be asking for the earth’

  • Reflects absurdity of refusal to pay decent wage

Insecurity

• ‘Provincial in his speech

  • Low- class origins, compensate for lower- class roots with material possessions

• ‘Next honours list’

  • Inadequacy due to lower social status- compensate with knighthood

• ‘You ought to like this port Gerald… exactly same port your father gets

  • Insecurities regarding social status- hesitant to command Gerald

Older vs younger generation

• ‘Why you hysterical young fool- get back- or ill-‘

  • Irony, threatens violence and insults- audience dislike

• ‘The famous younger generation who know it all… can’t even take a joke’

  • Trivialises Evas death- emphasises static nature of Mr B

Responsibility

• ‘I can’t accept any responsibility’

  • Reveals Mr Bs lack of morality

• ‘Obviously it had nothing to do with this wretched girls suicide’

  • Emphasises arrogance, disregard for social responsibility, reluctance to see working class as individuals

• ‘There’s every excuse for what both your mother and i did’

  • Seperates generations- diversion of blame on children reveals selfish core and inability to develop social responsibility

Self absorbed

• A heavy looking, rather portentous man

  • Self indulged temperament

• ‘Happiest nights of my life’

  • Own life- emphasis on status and reputation increasing, no care for the marriage