Both Mr Birling from ‘An Inspector Calls’ and Ebenezer Scrooge from a Christmas Carol are visited by outsiders. Compare and contrast the two characters and how they are influenced by the outsiders.
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Introduction
Both Mr Birling from 'An Inspector Calls' and Ebenezer Scrooge from a Christmas Carol are visited by outsiders. Compare and contrast the two characters and how they are influenced by the outsiders. 'An Inspector Calls' is a play written by J.B. Priestley, which is about a woman who commits suicide because of a family, which, after a series of events, drive her into committing suicide. A Christmas Carol is a novel written by Charles Dickens, which is about a man called Ebenezer Scrooge who is a selfish and cold-hearted old man before the outsiders visited him. In 'An Inspector Calls', Mr Birling is one of the main characters and is one of the most ignorant characters in the play. He owns a business that seems to be doing well but he thinks that because he has done so well in life that everyone else should be able to achieve the same as him. He thinks people of lower class than himself are insignificant and do not matter. He does not take responsibility for his involvement in Eva's death. A Christmas Carol is about a man called Scrooge who was the owner of a business, which was owned, by him and his business partner, Marley, who died. ...read more.
Middle
Said scrooge. Buttoning his grey coat to the chin. 'But I suppose you must have the whole day. Be here all the earlier next morning." This shows that he is very tight because, unlike Birling, Scrooge does not even let his employee have Christmas day off. This shows he treats his employees very un-fairly and still pays the limited rate. Birling and Scrooge have social consideration, but in different ways. Birling cares what people think of him and wants to show people that he is superior. He wants people who are lower class than him to see what he has achieved and it is like he is laughing in their faces. He thinks that people lower class than himself are owned by him and if he can achieve so well in life, why are they not able to. He likes to boast a lot about what he has achieved and is so confident in himself that he thinks he is going to get a knighthood. "You see, I was Lord Mayor here two years ago when Royalty visited us, and I've always been regarded as a sound useful party man. So-well- I gather there's a very good chance of a knighthood- so long as we behave ourselves." ...read more.
Conclusion
Birlings philosophy of life remains the same although the Inspector has visited. He still thought the Titanic would not sink, but it did, and he said that there would be no world war, but there was. Birling was less likely to change than Scrooge because the outsiders in A Christmas Carol showed Scrooge his life and what would happen to him if he carried on in the same manner. Whereas Birling who was only visited by one outsider (the inspector), did not do much to change his mind and so he remained the same. He is more sociable than Scrooge. Scrooge is like a miser and likes his own company. His business is his life. His only friend was Marley who died. Scrooge changes for the better because of the outsiders visit. The novel shows how he changes at the end. Dickens shows how people can change if they are given a second chance like Scrooge did. Birling was not given as much of a chance to change as Scrooge, because scrooge had the advantage of four ghosts. Priestly shows that some people are so involved in there own world that they do not realise what they are doing to other people. He shows how Birling was given a second chance but failed to accept it. It was obviously too late for him to change but the inspector did change some of the characters in 'An Inspector Calls'. ...read more.
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