What does Mrs Birling represent?
What does Mrs Birling represent?
Priestley’s message Priestley uses Mrs Birling as a symbol to represent the wealthier, privileged classes and their selfish attitudes. She sees the working class as morally inferior. Priestley wanted his audience to despise Mrs Birling and the ignorant social snobbery she represents.
How is Mrs Birling presented as an unlikeable character quotes?
Ms Eva explained her situation to Mrs Birling and Mrs Birling refuses to help a pregnant woman. Mrs Birling can be quite an unlikeable character in this situation because she refuses to help a poor woman and says that her drunk husband should now decide what to do next and that is his duty to take care of his family.
How is Mrs Birling presented in An Inspector Calls Grade 9?
Mrs Birling is presented throughout the play as a narrow-minded, patronising character by Priestley through her views and responses to Eva’s suicide. In doing so, Priestley’s wider points about the unfair distribution of power, and the corrupting influence it has upon society and human life emerge.
What words describe Mrs Birling?
Birling. Arrogant, Conceited (excessively proud, in terms of status), Pompous (self important – in how she values her surname) , Haughty (arrogantly superior), Imprudent (not caring about the consequences of an action), Overbearing.
How is Mrs Birling presented as a hypocrite?
Priestley portrays Mrs Birling as unable to accept any responsibility as she deflects blame onto Eric inadvertently. Yet, her hypocrisyis further revealed when she realises, and states “I didn’t know”, implying that she would not have placed the blame on her son for the same action.
What is Mrs Birling’s role in An Inspector Calls?
In the play ‘An Inspector Calls’, J B Priestley presents Mrs Birling as the archetype of middle class social standards. Mrs Birlings’ role in the play is to symbolise the older generation and their unwillingness to change their views. Sybil displays the traditional female role in the house.
How is Mrs Birling hypocritical?
How is Mrs Birling snobbish?
Sybil shows that she is snobbish when she criticises members of her family for their behaviour. “What an expression, Sheila! Really, the things you girls pick up these days!” Sybil shouts at Sheila for using the word ‘squiffy’ – meaning drunk.
How is Mrs Birling presented as a powerful character?
Mrs Birling shows off her social power by using the possessive pronoun “my” when referring to the committee, and the verb “allow” reminds the audience that she could have helped Eva if she wanted to. Priestley presents Mrs Birling as someone who is moralistic as she is a “prominent member” of a charity.
How does Mrs Birling show selfishness?
Priestley uses the construct of Mrs Birling to expose the selfishness hidden under the polite facade of Edwardian society. Her insistence that she was doing her ‘duty’ in using her ‘influence’ to refuse support for the pregnant Eva Smith brutally exposes her charitable organisation as a fraud.
How is Mrs Birling Mr Birling’s social superior?
Mrs Birling is, as Priestley describes her in the stage directions, her husband’s “social superior”. Therefore, her upper class social etiquetteand mannerisms are not natural to Mr Birling and we see that this causes embarrassment to Mrs Birling; image, the way they are perceived by others, is everything.
Does Mrs Birling accept responsibility?
‘ – using unambiguous language, Mrs Birling makes it clear that she feels no remorse for what she did and shows that, despite the Inspector’s efforts, she does not accept her responsibility. ‘She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl of her position.
