Mr Birling Character Notes

MR BIRLING

“Arthur Birling is a man with some reputation in the town. He is the owner of Birling and Co., a factory business which employs several girls to work on (presumably sewing) machines. He believes that his worker's pay is reasonable and states that he pays the normal wage for his industry, oblivious to the fact that his actions will have consequences. Birling is a Magistrate and he was Lord Mayor of Brumley two years ago. Arthur is the husband of Sybil Birling (Mrs Birling) and father of Sheila and Eric Birling. J. B. Priestley describes him as a "heavy-looking man" in his mid-fifties, with easy manners but "rather provincial in his speech." He describes himself as a "hard-headed practical man of business," and he is firmly capitalist, and right-wing in his political views. He has no concept of value other than wealth or social status, he himself is a social climber. He believes that he and his wife uphold right”-www.oxnotes.com

“a heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties with fairly easy manners but rather provincial in his speech”

-Wealthy but not aristocratic: Birling was born in a lower class, shown in the stage directions because he is “provincial in his speech” and his wife is his “social superior”. He is uncomfortable in the presence of servants and “clearly relaxes” when Edna leaves. He’s highly conscious of his social status and is constantly trying to prove to himself and others that he is in the upper class. This is done through his “good solid furniture” which is “substantial and heavily comfortable but not cosy and homelike”. He tells Gerald he has a “good chance of a knighthood” and the Inspector that he was “an alderman”, “Lord Mayor” two years ago, is “on the bench” (a magistrate) and “plays golf” with the Chief Constable.

-Sycophantic: (meaning he sucks up to people) Firstly, he tries to impress Gerald, telling him that “it’s exactly the same port as your father gets”. This is because Gerald is of a higher class than him. Then, Birling tries to get the Inspector on his side by offering him “port” and mentioning that he and the Chief Constable “play golf together”- although this is also an attempt at intimidation.

-Self-important: His self-importance links to his sycophantic nature as he wants to impress Gerald and the Inspector. Priestley presents Birling as self-important in his long speeches as Birling uses “I” a lot. Birling thinks because he is successful in business, this puts him in a position to judge what’s correct, saying “I’m talking as a hard-headed, practical man of business. And I say there isn’t a chance of war”. Birling also thinks this means that he has more authority than the Inspector, and so challenges and rejects him saying “I don’t like that tone”.

-Selfish: During one of his speeches, Birling says “a man has to… look after himself- and his family, too” and refers to the ideas of community as “nonsense” and socialists as…