Mr Birling in an inspector calls.

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mr Birling in an inspector calls

In the introduction of Act One, we are given a few brief details about Mr Birling by the author. We are told that he is a 'heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties with fairly easy manners but rather provincial in his speech.'

So we already know that Mr Birling is a man of some significance who is quite well mannered. Although, just by the way in which the author has mentioned that even though all those things are visible, the way he speaks shows him up. He is not a highly intellectual man of upper-class grace, but a man who still speaks with limited interests and narrow-minded views, a man who may well have moved up a level or two in social grouping but still lacks refinement and good taste.

At the start of the play, we discover that the Birling's are in the middle of a dinner party, to celebrate the engagement of Mr Birling's daughter, Sheila to Gerald Croft, the son of a rival factory owner.

Mr Birling behaves in a very high-spirited manner and is extremely euphoric because he is pleased about his daughter's engagement. Some Fathers would be saddened to see their daughters married off and others maybe quite pleased because they are safe in the knowledge that their daughter has found a nice partner to care for them. However, Mr Birling is the latter but he also appears to be more enthusiastic than the couple in question! He is very gallant and brash. He would gain a great deal from this marriage as well. Now we know he is a brave but vulgarly self0assertive man who always declares himself to be true.

'Oh-come-I'm treating Gerald like one of the family.'

'It's one of the happiest nights of my life.'

'You're just the kind of son-in-law I've always wanted. Your father and I have been friendly rivals in business for some time now-though Crofts Ltd are both older and bigger than Birling & Company - and now you've brought us together.'

He means this on a social and economic scale. He is basically more concerned about financial gain, if he gets the corporate contacts, he gets the contracts for his business. He hopes that the Crofts would be happy to be part of the Birling institution. Crofts Limited has an established reputation because it is older and from an aristocratic association, so Mr Birling wants a firm hold upon this renowned name. He wants people to know that Crofts are part of Birling so he can gain more business and profit; to take over Crofts would be to seal his rise to social status.

'We may look forward to the time when Crofts and Birling are no longer competing but are working together-for lower costs and higher prices.'

Basically Mr Birling wants a monopoly and doesn't really care if this is achieved at the expense of the workers.

Mr Birling was previous to his marriage, a working/middle class man but now he is firmly middle/upper class because he is of his wife's class. This has meant he has been accepted in materialistic terms but not quite socially. He is a man who is socially climbing all the time and he sees his daughter's marriage as a step towards social acceptance This makes it clear that he started this in his own private life and he now wants his daughter to do the same, marry into status. He believes success is wealth, class and power and the easiest route to success is to marry into it. Success brings good fortune and contacts, something he wants more of especially for his daughter.

'You ought to like this port, Gerald. As a matter of fact, Finchley told me it's exactly the same port as your Father gets from him.'

You can tell from this statement that Arthur Birling wants a great deal and worries a great deal about being accepted. He is just a man who really likes to please those in higher circles. He has also implied that he has a will to buy something that someone else with influence purchases as well. He is a weak man in this sense and doesn't want to get left behind in the 'purchasing game.'

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This character appears to be quite willing to part with money if it keeps him up with the latest fad or designer accessory.

We find later on in the play that Mr Birling believes he is due for a knighthood. Generally, most people would be just happy if they were in this position, but he actually finds it as important because it would guarantee his social position.

'I have an idea that your Mother - Lady Croft - while she doesn't object to my girl feels you might have done better for yourself socially.'

Gerald's parents are upper class ...

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