Mr Birling

“unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable”

• unable to comprehend the possibility of disasters

  → despite wishing to appear outwardly pragmatic “hard headed businessman”, he puts himself in a shell of naivety

refers to suggestions of war as “fiddlesticks“

trivialises suggestions of war

1946 audience, having lived through two wars would be disgusted by his dismissive attitude

stage directions:

(heavy looking)

(portentous)

household:

“substantial […] but not cosy or homelike”

superficial status defined by wealth (heavy looking) euphemises his greed

• start of the play

  → shows how important people regard wealth as it is the foremost aspect of him we see

portentous highlights his need to ‘appear’ of a high status

cosmetic nature of their comfort

When gerald and sheila announce engagement

he toasts to “lower wages and higher prices“

he personifies the capitalist mindset

his daughter is only used as a means of connections

his bluntness highlights his distasteful attitude

“a man has to make his own way”

social darwinism: justifies class inequality. it is the nature of the poor to be poor and this is reflected here.

an attempt to justify the lack of responsibility he takes

mr birling offers gerald a drink at the end of the play

cyclical structure

• shows that the older generation dont change