Arthur Birling
- Created by: Beth_trim
- Created on: 04-03-18 16:19
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- Arthur Birling
- He is very confident
- Head of his family. Boss of his own business
- He likes to be in control and he likes to remind the other characters that he is control
- Birling dosen't want to be told what to do.
- He "angrily" tells the inspector, "Well - if you don't mins - I'll find out first"
- Birling dosen't want to be told what to do.
- Birling is
- Ambitious
- "there is a very good chance of a knighthood"
- Business-minded
- "a hard-headed, practice man of business"
- Selfish
- "a man has to make his own way"
- Anxious
- "there'll be a public scandal - unless we're lucky"
- Ambitious
- He is optimistic about the future
- He thinks the strikes won't be a problem for his company
- He dismisses fear of war
- Priestly used dramatic irony to make Birling's optimism seem foolish and short-lived. This undermines his authority.
- He is confident that the Titanic IS unsinkable
- He thinks the strikes won't be a problem for his company
- "silly little war scares"
- Priestly used dramatic irony to make Birling's optimism seem foolish and short-lived. This undermines his authority.
- He is confident that the Titanic IS unsinkable
- Dosent accept responsibility
- He dosent believe in "community and all that nonsense"
- He views other people (the working class) as "cheep labour"
- He is selfish and self-centred.
- He would rather pass off the Inspectors visit as a "Hoax" than face up to what he's done.
- He wants his business to make higher profits, but Priestley uses the character of Birling to show that this profit come with a high moral cost
- "a man has to mind his own business and look after himself"
- So he blames the inspector for making a "nasty mess" of the night's events
- He dosent believe in "community and all that nonsense"
- He is a public figure
- When his good name is threatened he comes terrified and would "give thousands" (a bribe) to avoid the scandal.
- He isn't used to being challenged
- The Inspector barley says 20 words befe Birling shows "a touch of impatience"
- Birling's family is falling apart, and he can do nothing about it.
- So he blames the inspector for making a "nasty mess" of the night's events
- Birling uses authoritative language to gain control
- Priestley uses stage directions and careful language choices to help build his character.
- In the stage directions Priestley writes that billing must have a regional accent
- "Provincial in his speech"
- Accent and social class were closely linked, so it would be clear that Birlingwas a middle-class businessmn rather than upper-class
- Birling is a deathly business man but i would have been more prestigious to come from an "old country family" like the Crofts, that had land, inherited wealth and titles (eg. ':Lord' and 'lady')
- He has the most continuous speech int he play.
- He dosen't like being interrupted
- When Eric try to correct him, Birling ignore him, saying "Just let me finish, Eric"
- He dosen't like being interrupted
- He repeatedly shouts "Rubbish!" to dismiss what other people have said.
- But he finished his own sentences with "of course", to make his own claims seem obvious and matter-of-fact.
- In the stage directions Priestley writes that billing must have a regional accent
- Priestley uses stage directions and careful language choices to help build his character.
- He is very confident
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