A closer look at

Mr Birling

A self-made man...

The opening scene establishes Mr Birling as a powerful man- in society and in his own family.

An impressive CV...

So far, he has been:• A magistrate• Lord Mayor• A prosperous employer, owner of Birling and CoAnd in future...• He hopes for a knighthood• And to be related to the aristocracy through

Sheila’s marriage to Gerald

Within the family...

• He is patriarchal: You’ve a lot to learn yet • He patronises his children: you youngsters... • His wife refers to him respectfully: ...men with

important work to do...• But she is happy to contradict him: Now Arthur, I don’t

think you ought to talk business on an occasion like this • He is very pleased to have Gerald as a future son-in-

law: your engagement to Sheila means a tremendous lot to me ...he looks forward to a merger of the two businesses.

His values

• He speaks as a hard-headed businessman And he is wrong about:• The forthcoming war• The general strike• The Titanic• Peace and prosperity in the 1940s- very ironically for

the play’s first audience The author’s purpose is to establish him as a powerful

and influential man- who is nevertheless mistaken about many things.

He resists being judged...

When the Inspector arrives, Mr Birling tries to patronise and intimidate him: How do you get on with our Chief Constable, Colonel Roberts.... We learn that he sacked Eva Smith, a ringleader of a strike at Birling and Co, who wanted an increase of two shillings and sixpence (12 ½ pence). He shows no interest in the fate of Eva Smith after she left his factory and denies any responsibility for her. I was quite justified.

The author’s purpose

• The author intends Birling to represent people in society who are:

• Rich• Selfish• Unwilling to change• Unwilling to take any responsibility for the

society they live in

A friend of mine went over this new liner last week - the Titanic - she sails next week - forty-six thousand eight hundred tons - forty-six thousand eight hundred tons - New York in five days - and every luxury - and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.

But take my word for it, you youngsters - and I've learnt in the good hard school of experience - that a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own - and - We hear the sharp ring of a front door bell.

BIRLINGYou'll apologize at once ... I'm a public man -INSPECTOR [massively]Public men, Mr. Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges.

So what does Priestley use to bring Birling to life?•Props (ornaments, food, drink, dress)•Stage directions (actions, adverbs)•Dialogue•His treatment of others•How others treat him•Contrasting characters•Structure of scenes etc