Mr. Birling (the capitalist)

Mr. Birling is a successful businessman, who has been Lord Mayor of Brumley. He’s the father of Sheila and Eric, and husband to Mrs. Birling

ACTIONS DURING THE PLAY

• Hosts the dinner to celebrate Sheila’s engagement to Gerald Croft

• Claims a man’s responsibility is only to himself and his family (capitalist values)

• Fired Eva Smith from his factory 2 years ago

• Only concerned with protecting his reputation and avoiding a scandal

Mr. Birling’s unlikable characteristics

• pompous (self-absorbed)

• selfish

• arrogant

• materialistic

START OF PLAY

The play opens with Mr. Birling asking for the port to be poured. Birling tries to impress Gerald by choosing the same port Gerald’s father likes. Perhaps Priestley is using the port as a symbol to reveal the materialistic side of Mr. Birling.

INSPECTOR INTERRUPTING

Just before the inspector arrives, Mr. Birling dismisses socialist views of community and claims a man ‘has to mind his own business and look after himself’. The inspectors interruption of Birlings speech could be foreshadowing how the inspector will disrupt and challenge these arrogant views.

ENDING

Mr. Birling hasn’t changed. He’s delighted to discover the inspector was a fake and be free from a scandal that would ruin his reputation. Priestley reveals that capitalists like Mr. Birling are simply too selfish to change.

DISMISSIVE OF THE INSPECTORS MESSAGE

Mr. Birling eagerly rejects all claims his involvement began the ‘chain of events’ that lead to Eva’s suicide. Why is he so dismissive of the inspector?

• Worked hard to earn a high social status

  ‘ a man has to make his own way - has to look after himself’

• Maintain and protect his reputation/public image

• Rejecting social responsibility

CAPATILISM

Mr. Birling is a capitalist who values business and profit above everything. He states his views clearly, in speeches in Act 1, they do not change.

He toasts to “lower costs and higher prices” instead of Sheila, his daughters health/marriage. Perhaps stating that he views Sheila’s marriage as more of a business deal than an act of love exposes his obsession with climbing up the class hierarchy

SYMBOLISM OF MR. BIRLING

• static character (doesn’t change)

• capitalist higher middle-class

• older-generation are resistant to change

• completely unlikable

PRIESTLEY’S MESSAGE (BP IDEAS)

Priestley exhibits Mr. Birling as the living embodiment of the capitalist ideology. Even his physical appearance reflects capitalism, the formal clothes that look “heavy looking” symbolise his greed, as he frequently displays his portentous attitude when speaking to Gerald. Perhaps Priestley presents Mr. Birling in this extreme way to expose to the 1945 audience how selfish the capitalist system is, and that to improve Britain after WW2 they should leave capitalist ideals behind.

Priestley uses the character of Mr. Birling as a symbol to represent the selfishness and arrogance of capitalists in Edwardian society. Priestley wants his 1945 audience to dislike Mr. Birling and reject his capitalist attitudes. This would influence the audience to lead a more responsible, socialist view.

Priestley uses Mr. Birlings insecurity of his social position and obsession with avoiding scandal to explore the social hierarchy of 1912 Edwardian society. Priestley wants his 1945 audience to want to change and to destroy the social hierarchy after the wars and to treat and view everyone as equals, not based on their social status.

Priestley presents Mr. Birling as a static character, who doesn’t change after learning the inspector is fake, only caring about the scandal and not Eva. Priestley could present Mr. Birling in this way to demonstrate to the 1945 audience how resistant the older-generation is to change, and how younger people need to be involved in choices for the future of Britain post WW2, like by voting in the 1945 election, for Labour who will bring in changes like Benefits, or the Welfare Estate.

Priestley presents Mr. Birling as an unlikeable character through his selfish and materialistic ways. Priestley wants his 1945 audience to dislike Mr. Birling and reject his capitalist attitudes. This would influence the audience to lead a more responsible, socialist view.