Theme/Character Quotation Analysis
Mr Birling - Capitalist 'As if we were all mixed up like 'mixed up' - recognises a divide between
bees in a hive - community and classes - finds it distasteful to mix
all that nonsense' simile of bees - where everyone is
workers and there is little hierarchy to
abuse
animalistic/primitive to mix classes -
irony - model of a bee hive community
very organised and effective - his blatant
rejection of a potentially extremely
successful society model - makes him
seem pompous and ignorant
Pause - makes Mr B seems more
ridiculous - separates statement,
emphasising point
Shows lack of duty towards others -
failure to take responsibility as a member
of a higher status to protect and care for
those of a lower status - rejects even the
notion of being linked and responsible for
others - conveys him in a very selfish
light, without a care for those around him
Dismissive of the idea of community
would have angered the post WW2
audience, encouraging them to have an
unfavourable predisposition towards Mr
Birling and his capitalist views -
community was an essential aspect of
WW2 survival - 'blitz spirit' - everyone
took responsibility of each other
regardless of class - war stripped people
of their material wealth and they
emerged from it with a new found
resolve to better the community spirit.
Presented as bigoted
Mr Birling - Capitalist 'Now that you have brought us Pause - emphasises to the audience Mr
together, we may perhaps look B's exploitative tendencies, he
forward to a time when crofts represents the greed and self importance
and Birlings are no longer of capitalism and encourages the
competing but are working audience to dislike him - leading the
together - for lower costs and audience to be more inclined to adopt
higher prices' Priestley's view of community and
socialism
Dismissing Sheila's idea of marriage for
love - he views even the most intimate of
events as a transaction - may show his
lack of affection for Sheila.
Represents the bourgeoisie - he is not
concerned about the immorality of his
actions - his decisions centre primarily
on money
,Mr Birling - Selfish 'heavy-looking, rather portentous 'heavy' - represents over-indulgent
man in his middle fifties but bourgeoisie class - selfish - whilst the
rather provincial in his speech.' poorer proletariat class (Eva) struggle for
survival, the gluttonous capitalist class
gorge on food and luxuries - shows the
disparities in wealth between classes.
'heavy' - may also imply he is burdened
by greed and arrogance to such an
extent that it affects his physical stature
'provincial' -
narrow-minded/unsophisticated - may
also indicate he has "climbed" the social
hierarchy which is emphasised by being
Mrs B's social inferior - suggestion that
he has exploited others in order to get to
the position he holds now - empitomises
capitalist ideology "every man for
himself" - audiences' first impression of
Mr B is that he is a selfish and potentially
hedonistic man - encourages audience
to dislike him - subconsciously prompts
the audience to choose between
capitalism and socialism
The description of the family in terms of
their status markers (speech, social
positions) suggests the play's focus on
class and status.
Mr Birling - Selfish Mr B: "I...me...mine" contrast - Mr B foil for inspector -
Inspector: "our... we... subconscious rejection of community
ourselves" and responsibility - compounded with the
presentation of Mr B as uncaring and
indifferent towards Eva's death
encourages the audience to reject
capitalist ideology
Mr Birling - indifferent "(rather impatiently)", "Yes, yes. Immediately his indifference towards
to the plight of the Horrid business. But I don't Eva's death irritates audience.
poor/ uncaring understand why you should Short simple sentences - brevity shows
come here, Inspector" how he attempts to dismiss Eva's suicide
Repetition of 'yes' indicates that he is
trying to brush away the topic by hurrying
the Inspector
Feigns care, calling it "horrid business",
the abruptness of starting the next line
with the co-ordinating conjunction "But"
highlights his real concern is over why
the Inspector came to his house, rather
than any sympathy for the death of the
girl.
Compounded by how he spoke
"impatiently", implying that this lower
class girl's suicide does not merit any of
, his attention or time.
Priestley utilises Mr Birling as an
embodiment for the lack of sympathy the
upper class had for the workers at the
time. This lack of care resulted in deep-
rooted class divisions, where the rich like
the Birlings led comfortable lives while
the poor suffered greatly with no one to
help. This problem is one that Priestley
urges the audience to address in his
play, by promoting Socialism and mutual
responsibility over the flawed Capitalism
that Mr Birling endorses.
Mr Birling - Self ' I was and alderman for years- Pauses in speech - attempt to impress
Aggrandising and Lord Mayor two years ago - upon the inspector his high ranking
and I'm still on the bench' status - repeated multiple times to assert
control and intimidate inspector
Long sentences to emphasise his
position in an attempt to control the room
- this in contrast to the inspectors' more
effective short, simple sentences make
him seem more ridiculous to the
audience.
Mr Birling - Self 'Hard-headed practical man of Repetition - structured throughout the
Aggrandising business' speech - shows how he often needs to
reinforce his power to keep control of the
room - inspector 'immediately creates an
impression of massiveness in the room'
and therefore gains the audiences'
respect instantly
bourgeoisie - only concerned with
material gain
alliteration - emphasises harsh tone -
mirrors harsh treatment of workers -
views himself as a patriarch
Mr Birling - Ignorant 'I say - there isn't a chance of Declarative - audience feels shocked
war' and angry - Priestley wanted to give an
example of the type of man he believes
causes conflict.
'I say' - Imposing his (blatantly wrong)
opinion as fact. - Dramatic irony - makes
him seem more ridiculous - represents
upper class as pompous and ignorant -
audience reject his view and support
Priestley's political diatribe critiquing
society and capitalist ideology
Mr Birling - Ignorant 'Still, I can't accept any incorrigible - 'can't' - modal verbs -
responsibility' emphasises how set in his ways he is
use of conjunctions - shows how he
qualifies his actions despite
Mr Birling - Capitalist 'As if we were all mixed up like 'mixed up' - recognises a divide between
bees in a hive - community and classes - finds it distasteful to mix
all that nonsense' simile of bees - where everyone is
workers and there is little hierarchy to
abuse
animalistic/primitive to mix classes -
irony - model of a bee hive community
very organised and effective - his blatant
rejection of a potentially extremely
successful society model - makes him
seem pompous and ignorant
Pause - makes Mr B seems more
ridiculous - separates statement,
emphasising point
Shows lack of duty towards others -
failure to take responsibility as a member
of a higher status to protect and care for
those of a lower status - rejects even the
notion of being linked and responsible for
others - conveys him in a very selfish
light, without a care for those around him
Dismissive of the idea of community
would have angered the post WW2
audience, encouraging them to have an
unfavourable predisposition towards Mr
Birling and his capitalist views -
community was an essential aspect of
WW2 survival - 'blitz spirit' - everyone
took responsibility of each other
regardless of class - war stripped people
of their material wealth and they
emerged from it with a new found
resolve to better the community spirit.
Presented as bigoted
Mr Birling - Capitalist 'Now that you have brought us Pause - emphasises to the audience Mr
together, we may perhaps look B's exploitative tendencies, he
forward to a time when crofts represents the greed and self importance
and Birlings are no longer of capitalism and encourages the
competing but are working audience to dislike him - leading the
together - for lower costs and audience to be more inclined to adopt
higher prices' Priestley's view of community and
socialism
Dismissing Sheila's idea of marriage for
love - he views even the most intimate of
events as a transaction - may show his
lack of affection for Sheila.
Represents the bourgeoisie - he is not
concerned about the immorality of his
actions - his decisions centre primarily
on money
,Mr Birling - Selfish 'heavy-looking, rather portentous 'heavy' - represents over-indulgent
man in his middle fifties but bourgeoisie class - selfish - whilst the
rather provincial in his speech.' poorer proletariat class (Eva) struggle for
survival, the gluttonous capitalist class
gorge on food and luxuries - shows the
disparities in wealth between classes.
'heavy' - may also imply he is burdened
by greed and arrogance to such an
extent that it affects his physical stature
'provincial' -
narrow-minded/unsophisticated - may
also indicate he has "climbed" the social
hierarchy which is emphasised by being
Mrs B's social inferior - suggestion that
he has exploited others in order to get to
the position he holds now - empitomises
capitalist ideology "every man for
himself" - audiences' first impression of
Mr B is that he is a selfish and potentially
hedonistic man - encourages audience
to dislike him - subconsciously prompts
the audience to choose between
capitalism and socialism
The description of the family in terms of
their status markers (speech, social
positions) suggests the play's focus on
class and status.
Mr Birling - Selfish Mr B: "I...me...mine" contrast - Mr B foil for inspector -
Inspector: "our... we... subconscious rejection of community
ourselves" and responsibility - compounded with the
presentation of Mr B as uncaring and
indifferent towards Eva's death
encourages the audience to reject
capitalist ideology
Mr Birling - indifferent "(rather impatiently)", "Yes, yes. Immediately his indifference towards
to the plight of the Horrid business. But I don't Eva's death irritates audience.
poor/ uncaring understand why you should Short simple sentences - brevity shows
come here, Inspector" how he attempts to dismiss Eva's suicide
Repetition of 'yes' indicates that he is
trying to brush away the topic by hurrying
the Inspector
Feigns care, calling it "horrid business",
the abruptness of starting the next line
with the co-ordinating conjunction "But"
highlights his real concern is over why
the Inspector came to his house, rather
than any sympathy for the death of the
girl.
Compounded by how he spoke
"impatiently", implying that this lower
class girl's suicide does not merit any of
, his attention or time.
Priestley utilises Mr Birling as an
embodiment for the lack of sympathy the
upper class had for the workers at the
time. This lack of care resulted in deep-
rooted class divisions, where the rich like
the Birlings led comfortable lives while
the poor suffered greatly with no one to
help. This problem is one that Priestley
urges the audience to address in his
play, by promoting Socialism and mutual
responsibility over the flawed Capitalism
that Mr Birling endorses.
Mr Birling - Self ' I was and alderman for years- Pauses in speech - attempt to impress
Aggrandising and Lord Mayor two years ago - upon the inspector his high ranking
and I'm still on the bench' status - repeated multiple times to assert
control and intimidate inspector
Long sentences to emphasise his
position in an attempt to control the room
- this in contrast to the inspectors' more
effective short, simple sentences make
him seem more ridiculous to the
audience.
Mr Birling - Self 'Hard-headed practical man of Repetition - structured throughout the
Aggrandising business' speech - shows how he often needs to
reinforce his power to keep control of the
room - inspector 'immediately creates an
impression of massiveness in the room'
and therefore gains the audiences'
respect instantly
bourgeoisie - only concerned with
material gain
alliteration - emphasises harsh tone -
mirrors harsh treatment of workers -
views himself as a patriarch
Mr Birling - Ignorant 'I say - there isn't a chance of Declarative - audience feels shocked
war' and angry - Priestley wanted to give an
example of the type of man he believes
causes conflict.
'I say' - Imposing his (blatantly wrong)
opinion as fact. - Dramatic irony - makes
him seem more ridiculous - represents
upper class as pompous and ignorant -
audience reject his view and support
Priestley's political diatribe critiquing
society and capitalist ideology
Mr Birling - Ignorant 'Still, I can't accept any incorrigible - 'can't' - modal verbs -
responsibility' emphasises how set in his ways he is
use of conjunctions - shows how he
qualifies his actions despite
