Birling

Question 1

Stage directions:

BIRLING is a heavy looking, rather portentous man…

Answer 1

architypical man of that era

Question 2

page 2, act one

“giving us the port, Edna?”

Answer 2

shows that Birling is already manipulative and patronising too anyone lower than him

Question 3

page 2, act one

“tell cook from me”

Answer 3

in this Birling speaks about the nice meal he is having, and due to his previous background (middle class),saying “tell cook from me” is a very highly unregarded act to do when being an upper class citizen

Question 4

act one
“now you’ve brought us together, and perhaps we may look forward to the time when Crofts and Birling are no longer competing”

Answer 4

• these people are Geralds parents, who are very wealthy
• Birling and the crofts were business rivals, but since Gerald is marrying Sheila, Birling wants to be business partners, which he thinks will bring more profit
  this shows that even at an event which wasn’t meant for Birling, he will turn it round into himself, showing a selfish portrayal
• it also shows that he his obsessed with work, and wants a constant persona of a ‘successful business man’

Question 5

act one

“there’s a very good chance of a knighthood”

Answer 5

ambitious

Question 6

act one

“so long as we behave ourselves, don’t get into the police court or start a scandal”

Answer 6

this is very ironic because obviously the title of the play is an inspector calls, so surely something to do with the police will occur

Question 7

act one

“hard-headed business man”

Answer 7

business minded, constant work ethic

Question 8

act one
“unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable” (titanic)
“the germans don’t want war”

Answer 8

• this play was set just before world war one and before the titanic set sail
• however the audience for the play was an audience in 1946 so they already knew this outcomes of these acusations
• Priestley uses dramatic irony, showing a comedic element to the play and to make Birling look overconfident
• it makes the audience think that Birling might be wrong about a lot of things, such as his belief in the motto ‘Every man for himself’

Question 9

act one

“a man has to mind his own business and look after himself”

Answer 9

Birlings looking for number one, and he’s not going to change
he wants his business to make higher profits, but Priestley uses the character of billing to show that this profit comes with a high moral cost

Question 10

act one

Pg 6: ‘Are you listening, Sheila? This concerns you too. And after all I don’t often make speeches at you-‘

Answer 10

this is very typical, sexist mans point of view

Question 11

act one
Pg 11: ‘I was an alderman for years – and Lord Mayor two years ago – and I’m still on the Bench – so I know the Brumley officers pretty well’

Answer 11

• trying to intimidate the inspector but Birling himself is rather intimidated as he has ‘no leg to stand on’
• feels a sense of insecurity

Question 12

act one
Pg 14: ‘I can’t accept any responsibility. If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we’d had anything to do with, it would be very awkward’

Answer 12

very selfish and childish take on the matter

Question 13

act one

Pg 15: ‘[to Eric] Look – you just keep out of this. You hadn’t even started in the works when this happened.’

Answer 13

• mr birling refuses to take any responsibility and will look at anyone even his ‘loved ones’ to point a finger at
• possibly due to his might be up an coming title

Question 14

act one

Pg 17: ‘Nothing to do with you, Sheila. Run along’

Answer 14

patronising

Question 15

act two

Pg 41: ‘(angrily, to Inspector) Look here, I’m not going to have this, Inspector. You’ll apologise at once.’

Answer 15

birding is very frustrated because an Inspector of that level/ class shouldn’t be talking to someone of a higher class

Question 16

act two
pg41
BIRLING: “You’ll apologize at once … I’m a public man -“
INSPECTOR [massively]: “Public men, Mr. Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges.”

Answer 16

• Here the Inspector, who by this middle act of the play is gaining in power and control over the situation, “massively” silences Birling with a putdown.
• It is also important because Priestley points an extra finger of blame at Birling not just for his actions, but for his failure to see that his public position entails a duty of responsibility to other people.

Question 17

act two

Pg 45: ‘(dubiously) …The Press might easily take it up-‘

Answer 17

obsessed with his public image and doesn’t want to jeopardise his ‘future title’

Question 18

Pg 14: ‘I can’t accept any responsibility. If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we’d had anything to do with, it would be very awkward’

Answer 18

a very selfish and childish take on the matter