the moment, as a successful business man and a pillar of the community.
There is evidence that he had worked his way to the top on page 10 when
he says “A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and
his own.” If my assumption is correct then I find this aspect of Birling’s
life very admirable, it shows that he is a very hard-working man.
However, in the script there are some instances where he has contradicted
himself and his inaccurate predictions might be a sign that he is not as
intelligent as he would like people to think. For example, when Birling
says “a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his
own.” He then contradicts this after the inspector has left on page 64 by
telling Eric off for standing “as if you’d nothing to do with the rest of us.
Overall though I think that he is well educated and I also admire the way
that Birling tries to pass on his knowledge to Gerald and Eric by lecturing
them. It is good to share what you have learned.
Birling has risen one daughter called Sheila and one younger son
called Eric and he is married to Sybil. He treats Sybil with a lot of respect
but then Sybil comes from a high class family and Birling has a weakness
in this area but I shall discuss this later. Birling’s treatment of his children
is the opposite. He disregards their comments and opinions on several
occasions throughout the play and is constantly talking down to them.
This kind of treatment might be acceptable if his children were young but
his children are in their twenties, they’re young adults! We have to
consider that the social belief at the time was slanted towards the belief
that young adults were still children and therefore inferior but this still does
not excuse Birling. This could be interpreted as more evidence of
Birling’s childhood, it might be that he was also talked down at as a child
and he feels that this is the way that children should be treated. He also
protects his children, particularly Sheila from certain subjects like
prostitution for example (page ) As a father though it is understandable
that Birling should do this, it is a natural fatherly instinct, as is evidence
that he does really care for his children, I would be surprised if he didn’t.
I don’t however accept the way he patronizes them and disregards their
comments, particularly as usually they show him up. As a (younger) child
I know that this is very frustrating and I find this behavior very unworthy.
Birling is very concerned about social class, it is very important to
him and although he isn’t I think he likes to view himself as upper class. I
say that he isn’t upper class because there is evidence in the script that it’s
only an act (but this is a separate issue). It is his concern for social class
that makes him very snobby towards the working class and those that
don’t necessarily agree with him (e.g. the inspector) There are a number
of instances in the playscript where Birling comes out with very snobby
but subtle remarks like when he was defending his decision not to give
Eva Smith a raise he said “If you don’t come down sharply on some of
these people” (Page 15) and “The strike was broke after a week or two
pitiful affair” all these comments and others he makes suggest the lower
classes are inferior and uncivilized. This discrimination and sweeping
generalization I find wholly unsatisfactory and not admirable.
Birling’s wife Sybil comes from an upper class family which puts
her above Birling socially, this is also true of Gerald Croft who is engaged
to his daughter Sheila. I have already commented on Birling’s concern for
social class and it is most apparent in the way he treats and almost sweet -
talks Gerald because he knows that Gerald’s family are in a higher “social
league” than he is. In my opinion this behaviour is a sign of insecurity,
Birling feels that he is inferior to those around him (this is probably why he
wants his knighthood so much). On page 8 he even informs Gerald that
he thinks that Mrs. Croft (Gerald’s mother) “feels you might have done
better for yourself socially”. If my interpretation of this behaviour is right
then it shows that Birling is really rather pretentious when I compare it with
my last point. He behaves like a upper class citizen by putting down the
lower classes when really he knows that he isn’t really much above them
anyway. It is a kind of false ego or confidence and this confidence is
blatantly shattered by the inspector’s imposing character. There is
evidence of Birling’s false confidence throughout the play as the night
progresses his involvement in the apparent death of Eva Smith becomes
increasingly deeper. At first he tries to dismiss the situation as irrelevant
and nothing to do with him (page 12 “I don’t understand why you should
come here inspector”). As the plot thickens he starts to try and change
the subject and hurry the inspector (page 17 “there’s nothing else,
y’know. I’ve just told you that.”). He then starts to become violent
towards the inspector and by the end of the inspector’s questioning he
resorts to bribery and just to protect his reputation to make way for his
knighthood (“look inspector - I’d give thousands - yes, thousands -”) All
of a sudden he is reduced from a well experienced successful
businessman to a weak, insecure character who can’t face up to his
mistakes. This steady deterioration shows Birling in a way that is very
uncommon for him, by offering money he simply makes it worse, it is not
admirable.
Once the inspector goes Birling immediately pins the blame on Eric,
“you’re the one I blame for this” and claims he had nothing to do with it
“there’s every excuse for what both your mother and I did - it turned out
unfortunately, that’s all.”. He also totally misses the point of the situation,
that a girl has died due to miss - treatment by all of them. It is ironic that
Eric and Sheila (the “children” in Birling’s opinion) are the only ones that
have learnt from the experience. It is obvious that his only concern is for
his reputation, “you don’t seem to care about anything. But I care. I was
almost certain for a knighthood in the next honours list.” Once Gerald
enters and they figure out that he was a hoax, Birling is back to his old self
but then the bell rings.
There are a number of factors we must consider which each of
these points. We must consider the social belief at the time, it was set in
about 1912 and society had different priorities and opinions back then.
We have to consider Birling’s achievements, before we slander his name
we mustn’t forget all that he has achieved, surely they show that he is at
least half good. His upbringing may also play a part in his personality and
also those that surround him (i.e. his upper class wife putting ideas into his
head like the treatment of the lower class). It is difficult to brand anyone
good or bad because most people have several different sides to their
personality, one also has to be careful not to be hypocritical. However
fictional characters and indeed real people would not appear real if they
were all good or all bad. I think it is fair to say that Birling could try
harder to be kinder to people and stop being so self - centred and snobby,
and because I am finding these faults that could all be linked to his
admirable qualities I conclude that I don’t think we should admire Arthur
Birling .
