Birling family

of the Birling family by using a range of devices to convey his views of the class system and highlight to the reader the issues with capitalism. Priestley uses Mrs Birling to highlight how selfish the upper class are. In Act 3, Mrs birling stresses how “I told him quite plainly...I had done no more than my duty”. This shows that Mrs Birling thinks that despite how she is largely to blame for Eva’s death she is in denial of this in order to avoid a potential scandal that could ruin her family reputation

permeates the entirety of the play. Through the characters of the Birling family and the Inspector, Priestley explores the differing attitudes, values, and beliefs held by individuals of varying age groups in Edwardian society. The younger generation, represented by Sheila and Eric, embodies a sense of empathy, openness to change, and a willingness to acknowledge personal responsibility, while the older generation, typified by Mr. and Mrs. Birling, epitomizes rigidity, self-interest, and a lack of moral accountability

The Birlings are at home, celebrating Sheila Birling’s engagement to Gerald Croft, the son of Mr. Birling’s business competitor. In attendance are Arthur's wife Sybil and their adult children Sheila and Eric. There is a light atmosphere, and the people all chatter lively. Gerald produces a ring and shows it to Sheila, who immediately wears it with joy. Mr. Birling starts to make a speech talking about self-reliance, but soon, the speech has transformed into a business themed one. His wife disapproves

In An Inspector Calls, Preistley conveys Mrs Birling as the most unsympathetic character in the play. He does this by having the inspector say to Mrs Birling '[Eva] came to you for help at a time when no woman could have needed it more.’ We know that Mrs Birling turned her down and did not offer any help which shows the reader that she does not care about other peoples needs, even when they are clearly in distress. Also in the stage directions at the beginning of the play, Sybil is described as

Mr birling was the most to blame as he started the chain of misfortunate events of Eva Smith’s life which eventually lead to her suicide. Arthur birling, a wealthy capitalist man, his portrayal is said as being ‘rather portentous man’. Birling is a middle-class citizen and a proud owner of his company ‘Birling and Co’. Due to his higher status to Eva Smith he views the working class as cheap labour rather than humans. Birling boastly claimed that 'I have a couple of hundred workers under me, who

A reason why Mrs Birling is an unsympathetic character is that she cares more about presentation than she does for people. The demonstration of her high-handedness towards her children immediately makes her unlikeable. She criticized Sheila for describing Eric as “squiffy”: ‘What an expression Sheila’. Mrs Birling is more concerned with Sheila’s low appearance standards than the welfare of her son. Even her husband’s bad manners do not escape Sybil Birling: when he compliments the cook, she quips

book The Inspector Calls, the character of Mr Arthur Birling is portrayed as the owner of his company ‘Birling and Co’ which means that he is the breadwinner so also head of the household looking after his family; his children Sheila and Gerald, as well as his wife Mrs Birling. He is also well known for previously being the Mayor so this gives the reader an impression that he is a well respected, popular and highly knowledgeable man. Mr Birling has strong political views and his beliefs highly linked

admitted that he raped Eva Smith while drunk. Mrs. Birling cried for what has happened, so Sheila took Mrs. Birling to the drawing room.[the candlelight was shaking in the shadow, the second hand on the clock raping quietly.] Sheila: Mom, you see now. Eric is not that sort of mama’s boy you think anyone. Mrs. Birling: [still with a cry]: No, no, no…l will never believe it… Sheila, you can’t do it to your little brother. He is one of our families, he’s your brother, he’s my boy…. Sheila: Mom! How

the beginning, Mr. Birling is described as a prosperous manufacturer, a wealthy man that has two children, Eric and Sheila, and a wife, Sybil Birling. This character is very sure of himself, but socially speaking, he is inferior to his wife. In the play, he is in a really difficult situation since an inspector appears at his house and says that all his family has the blame of a girl´s suicide, but he does not handle it very well. Priestley makes the reader dislike Mr. Birling by making him say and

and Juliet’ was written in the 16th century by William Shakespeare and ‘An Inspector Calls’ was written nearly 400 years later in the early 20th century by J.B. Priestley. In both of these plays the relationships of fathers, Lord Capulet and Arthur Birling and their daughters, Juliet and Shelia, are portrayed as being a typical father daughter relationship with seemingly very caring but slightly controlling fathers. In ‘Romeo and Juliet’, Lord Capulet seems to be very caring and considerate towards