Notesale: Turn your study into money

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A​N​ I​NSPECTOR​ C​ALLS​ - C​HARACTERS​ ​AND​ ​THEMES
ARTHUR BIRLING
W​HAT​ I​ S​ T​ HIS​ ​CHARACTER​ ​LIKE​?
● Egotistical, Chauvinistic, Self-regarding, Disinclined, Capitalist, Intransigent,
Adamant, Avaricious, Mercenary, Rapacious, Sanctimonious, Polarised
● Mr Birling is Priestley’s socialist depiction of the vast majority of his class and
generation at the time and is a culmination of everything Priestley fought
against in society – the chauvinistic capitalists
...

● Arthur Birling’s significance is to represent the absurdity and shallowness of
capitalism and the evident need for revolutionary developments to be made to
society
...

● Priestley makes him the antithesis of the Inspector through the use of his
dictation and authority - Birling has artificial authority based on money and
social prestige, whereas the Inspector has authority deriving from morality and
justice and has the power to influence the mindset of many people
...

● ‘You ought to like this port, Gerald
...
Finchley told me
it's the same port your father gets from him’​ - socially insecure as Gerald
exceeds him in terms of social status, Priestley is using the port as a symbol to
reveal that Mr Birling is a materialistic character who cares about his status
and reputation above all else, uses it to ingratiate himself to his prospective
son-in-law
...
And after all I don’t often
make speeches at you-' ​– highlights his attempts to indoctrinate Sheila with
capitalist propaganda, the direct address to Sheila exhibits that Mr Birling
wants Shelia’s utmost attention as he expresses his materialistic ideologies
such, presenting Birling as manipulative and calculated
...

‘Clothes mean something quite different to a woman
...

‘I’m talking as a hard-headed, practical man of business’​ – doesn’t let
sentiment get in the way of whatever he needs to do to succeed, his prime
motive is to keep wages down and maximise profit, he has a high opinion of his
own importance, alliteration conveys a sense of aggression and forcefulness
...

Don't worry
...
They were joined by dockworkers, ironworkers, printers,
railwaymen, steelworkers and transport workers
...

‘I say there isn’t a chance of war’​ – sensitive topic, use of dramatic irony
allows the war-devastated 1945 audience to use hindsight to realise that
Birling’s confident predictions are foolish and injudicious, as the events turned
out in the opposite way he foresees them occurring, the First World War would
begin in July 1914, and last for over 4 years, killing 16 million soldiers and
civilians, and would be followed by WW2 in 1939 - global conflict was
imminent in 1912, undermining his credibility and reliability, further convinces
Priestley’s idea of socialism by presenting Capitalist Mr Birling, a
representative of capitalism, as short-sighted and making the audience resent
him and cast doubt over his capitalist ideas
...


● ‘​As if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and
all that nonsense’ - ​Mr Birling’s referral to ‘community’ and the idea of ‘bees
in a hive’ as ‘nonsense’ indicates his lack of social awareness as once this simile
has been ruminated, the audience will realise that ‘bees in a hive’ bring about
beneficial things to society
...

● ‘I was an alderman for years – and Lord Mayor two years ago’ – ​Mr Birling
constantly attempts to assert his social class and status through reference to
his previous positions of power, as a defense mechanism, when he feels his
position being challenged by the Inspector’s authority
...
,
instinctive action requiring little consideration
...

● ‘There’ll be a public scandal’ ​–mercenary,​ ​sees his business interests and
public image as imperative to the obligations of others in society, shows a lack
of concern for the death of one of his former employees
...

● [Act 3] ‘​There’s every excuse for what both your mother and I did’​ – moral
standing is not resolved, lack of regret or remorse for his actions, doesn’t learn
from the Inspector’s words, unwilling to change, traditionalist
...

● ‘Look, you’d better ask Gerald for that ring you gave back to him, hadn’t
you? Then you’ll feel better'​ - attempting to re-build relationship between his
daughter and ex-fiancé, simply for his financial gain
...

● ‘Probably a socialist or some sort of crank’​ – negative view on Socialism,
however this would encourage the audience to show interest and appeal to
Socialism as they have been driven to resent Birling
...

● ‘A police inspector is on his way here – to ask some – questions-’​ – dashes
show shock and panic, struggling to articulate himself, cyclical structure –
Socialist message that if societal views do not change, it will be stuck in a
continual cycle of suffering
...
Sybil has had to overcome all the cruel mishappenings and potential
infidelity of her husband; she has had to suppress that knowledge because the
only way to achieve power was to marry someone wealthy with influence
...

● ‘Sheila! Really the things

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