an inspector calls- mr Birling

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  • Created by: hollys27
  • Created on: 19-12-19 17:17
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  • Mr Birling
    • 'I'm taking as a hard headed, practical man of business'
      • Mr Birling behaves as the patriarch should do. society would  expect him to be the provider for his family, unemotional and rational focusing on the family business and maintaining their wealth.
      • Their alliteration of the H sounds in hardheaded -a phrase which Birling repeats frequently has a cold time has a cold tone mimicking his coldness towards his workers 'hard' shows Mr Birling has no caring compassionate side and 'headed' suggest he views things with his head not his heart -he has no sympathy
    • 'lady croft, while she doesn't object to my girl, feels you might have done better for yourself socially'
      • Mr Birling makes it clear he knows that lady croft feels the billings are below them socially. To their generation marriage about social status not love.
      • The phrase done better makes marriage  seem competition Gerald has failed. The word socially has nothing to do with love or compassion but entirely to do with public appearance
      • Birling refers to Sheila as 'my girl' it may be that this is is said with a sense of pride but the tone seems to be one of ownership rather than love.
    • 'everybody has to look after everybody else as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive-community and all that nonsense.'
      • Birling dismisses the idea of a community. The play is set pre war but performed after World War II time where the country had to come together. The  simile refers to 'bees' insects are all workers except a single Queen bee -there would be no hierarchy for Birling to abuse. a 'hive' is an enclosed space with nowhere to hide from responsibilities
      • Words such as 'everybody' 'together' and 'community' are dismissed by the birlings as they suggest people need to take responsibility others. Being 'mixed up' would alter the class system that protects the birlings hence is dismissive and patronising tone when describing it is nonsense.
    • 'Now look at the pair of them, the famous younger generation know it all. And they can't even take a joke'
      • Birling dismisses his children and their new view of the world in a sarcastic manner to try and reassert his authority after the inspector's departure. Birling's  patronising claim that they know it all is ironic everything he predicted wrong, the inspector and generation are indeed correct Birling's  patronising claim that they know it all is ironic, everything he predicted wrong. The inspector and  younger generation are indeed correct.
      • 'The pair of them' makes Eric and sheila seem like little children. 'the famous younger  generation' is  aggressively sarcastic   from a father  determined to regain authority.
      • he noun joke infuriates the audience - the idea that their behaviour can be passed off as a 'joke' is disturbing and shows that Birling has learnt nothing.

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