Write about the character of Mr Birling and his importance to the play.

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Write about the character of Mr Birling and his importance to the play.

You may want to consider:

  • His views and beliefs at the start of the play
  • The way he reacts to the Inspector
  • His attitude at the end of the play.

Mr Birling’s views and beliefs at the start of the play show us that he is an arrogant and conceited man. He is very concerned with his place in society and within his family. We know this at the start of the play when he tells Gerald, with great pride, that he may soon receive a “knighthood” from the Queen.

He enjoys talking a lot, making other people listen to him and telling the younger people in the play how to live their lives. For example, just before the Inspector arrives he speaks at length, in a very didactic manner, to Eric and Gerald, explaining how a man should put himself first and not worry about the community and society, as if we ‘were bees in a hive’ This shows us that he does not worry about the position of those less fortunate, or less wealthy than him, and he dismisses people who do think like this as ‘cranks’. Priestley ridicules these beliefs by including within this speech the statement, ‘Look at the Titanic! Absolutely unsinkable!’ – when in fact the Titanic sank shortly after the period the play was written in. Mr Birling can be seen as the main representative of a set of beliefs that Priestley sees as responsible for some of the catastrophes of the early 20th century.

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Mr Birling’s reaction to the Inspector shows us his concern for status, as he is constantly trying to influence the Inspector by dropping the names of important local policeman and politicians. This shows us how self-important he is and how he thinks that his power and influence can overcome the law. However, the Inspector is not concerned at all by these names, which seriously affects the attitude and behaviour of Mr Birling. He gets angrier and angrier at the Inspector, calling him ‘officious’ and threatening to report him. There is a definite clash of authority and beliefs between the ...

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