After the Second World War there were signs of change-Priestly felt that people should make the most of these changes and build a more caring society and welfare state.
Mr Birling is a central character because he is the type of person Priestly wanted to teach a lesson. He is too concerned about his social standing, business interests and is totally selfish. He believes a man has to “look after number one” and “make his own way”.
Mr Birling’s physical appearance is he is “heavy looking”; he is a man in his 50’s with good manners but rather narrow minded in his speech. He believes he is always right and every action him and his business do are the best that could have been done.
He also believes that he works for the good of his family. He is heavy looking because he would stand out in a crowd with a big grey beard and I can imagine Mr Birling being overweight.
Mr Birling likes to be in control. He likes to think he is the dominant force of the family. Maybe sometimes he is a bit too controlling. Sometimes he can be very bossy: “Give us the port Edna”.
Often he acts like a snob. He thinks that men are superior to women and thinks he and his family are upper class. He treats women like he cannot trust them. Respect is something that he lacks to lower class people.
The characters behave to him differently. His wife and children respect him and do not stand up to him: “just let me finish Eric!” The inspector does not treat him the same at all. Just because he is upper class the inspector speaks to him a normal person. This gives me the impression that the inspector feels that everyone should be treated the same so he wants justice for Eva Smiths death: “why?” Birling is very surprised that someone has just questioned him. He is not used to this.
There is also dramatic irony included in the play. This is when the audience know something that the characters don’t: The titanic, sails next week……..and is unsinkable” obviously the audience know that this is untrue because the titanic did indeed sink.
I think an audience in 1945 will respect Birling. A lot of people were still in poverty and respected rich people. Nowadays an audience would think he is a posh snob because most people have some money in this day and age.
The doorbell rings when it does because Arthur Birling is telling Eric and Gerald what to do because he knows best and he does everything right. Then the doorbell rings and he is in double trouble because of the murder. This contradicts what he has just said to the men: “Ive earnt in the good hard school of experience that a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own and”-.
The mood of the play all the way through is very tense. This is because no-one knows what the others have done. In the room the mood is quite sombre because everyone feels they have been lied to.
At the end of act one the audience feel intrigued because they want to know what Birling and his family have done.
The audience change their opinion at the end of act one because Birling was doing what was right. Eva Smith also did things she shouldn’t have. The Birling family realise that their family is not as perfect as they thought. The family also learnt that it doesn’t matter how much money you have got because everyone is equal.
