Mrs Birling

Birling: “Tell cook from me“

Mrs birling: “Arthur, youre not supposed to say such things“

• Reversal of traditional gender roles; she is assertive

• ‘such things’ implies that even mentioning them is bad

  → attempting to break the barriers of class is a grave sin

• old money vs new money; even within the upper class there is a division

• paints both as ignorant; something so trivial is a means of division

“Unlike the other three, i did nothing im ashamed of"

• Fails to show remorse

• comma is a means of seperating “i“ from “the other three”

“I don’t believe it. I won’t believe it”

• she is innately ignorant and arrogant

• contrasts her earlier stage direction

  (understanding now)

  → heightens the magnitude of her arrogance

“she had only herself to blame”

• ‘only’ shifts all blame to eva and dismisses all guilt

  → shocking to a post ww2 audience who are currently embracing social responsibility and are influenced by the welfare state

“girls of that class”

Dehumanizes women of the working class

‘that class’ implies reluctance to name it

→ she wishes to dissasociate with the inferior

Reinforces the widespread opinion on fallen women

→ counters it by highlighting the flaws of those who hold it (mrs birling)