English Lit - Mr Birling Quotes

ACT ONE

"Germans don't want war. Nobody wants war"                                                                     -dramatic irony, as a number of groups wage war a few years after the play is set, and it helps Priestly (the playwright) go on to discredit the capitalist Mr Birling right from the start

"a man has to make his own way - has to look after himself - and his family too"         -the capitalistic view that Mr Birling presents, at a point when people are aware that he is not a creditable figure, so is a device of Priestly's to negate non-socialist views, such as his

"the Titanic - forty six thousand eight hundred tons - forty six thousand eight hundred tons - and unsinkable - absolutely unsinkable"                                                    -portrays the didactic nature of Mr Birling, ang goes through to highlight the Edwardian hubris (pride/confidence) of the time, and…