Mr Birling

The play was written in 1945 but set in 1912 so the audience watch it knowing what happens in the future when the characters do not know this. This technique is called what?

• Dramatic Irony

• Pathetic fallacy

• Alliteration

• Personification

Because of this technique we find out Mr Birling is an arrogant fool and therefore all his views are trusted less by an audience. Which of the following are his incorrect claims:

• The strikes will be the end of the 'labour troubles'

• Nobody's interested in 'war' except some 'half civilised' people in the 'Balkans'

• The working class were unreasonable for requesting a pay rise

• The Titanic is 'unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable'

As a 'hard headed' man of business he is focused on money. This makes him a:

• socialist

• optimist

• capitalist

• pessimist

He wants his daughter to marry Gerald Croft because...

• He knows she loves him despite all of last summer 'when he never came near' her

• He is a really lovely chap and a 'well bred man about time'

• He thinks the businesses can work together for 'lower costs and higher prices' and therefore make more money

• He thinks the relationship will lead to his business destroying Gerald's business

Before the inspector comes Mr Birling comments that 'a man has to look after himself and his own' structurally this is important because...

• it links the inspector's arrival to the comment and therefore that he is there to teach the family a capitalist lesson about our responsibility to look after others in society

• he highlights that Mr Birling is absolutely correct and is there to stop him accepting responsibility

• it reveals the Inspector is there to reinforce a capitalist message to the family

• it links the inspector's arrival to the comment and therefore that he is there to teach the family a socialist lesson about our responsibility to look after others in society

How does Mr Birling try to influence the inspector?

• He tells him he plays 'golf' with his superiors and that he used to be 'Mayor' and on the 'bench'

• He tells him he plays 'golf' with his superiors and that he used to be 'Mayor' and on the 'beach'

• He tells him he plays 'tennis' with his superiors and that he used to be 'Mayor' and on the 'bench'

• He tells him he plays 'golf' with his superiors and that he used to be 'Mayor' and a judge'

What did Mr Birling think of Eva Smith before she went on strike?

• she was an average worker and he hadn't really met her- this reveals he doesn't really care about the people who work for him and isn't willing to get to know them.

• she was a terrible worker and that is why he would never even consider a pay rise- this reveals that he knows his workers well

• he had no idea who she was!

• she was an excellent worker and he was going to 'promote' her- this makes what he does even worse as it reveals he is happy to take advantage of her strengths and work ethic but then as soon as she would like something from him he rejects her.

Why do the workers go on strike?

• Because they didn't like the work that they had to do in the factory and were being selfish and a bit precious!

• Because they were greedy, as the government protected them with a minimum wage already and if they wanted to leave they could live off the welfare system, so they may as well take the risk.

• They desperately needed more money. It was a risky thing to do, as if they were sacked there wasn't a welfare system to support them. There wasn't a minimum wage however and so they had no option than to take action on a strike together.

• They desperately needed more money. The government however did protect them and so if the strike backfired they would still be supported by the state.

Mr Birling states 'I refused,......................'

• 'sadly'- which reveals he felt guilty but he had no other option

• 'of course'- which reveals he expects everyone to agree they should be exploited and that profit was more important than people

• 'naturally'- which reveals he expects everyone to agree they should be exploited and that profit was more important than people

• 'initially'- which reveals he changed his mind after he considered their desperate situation

He refuses to accept any responsibility for what he did arguing '‘If you don't come down sharply on some of these people, they'd soon be asking for the.................’

• world- the exaggeration here suggests he either doesn't see how desperate their situation is or he tries to make the working class sound more unreasonable to justify his actions

• business- this suggests he thinks that they are just trying to take over his job and that they are threatening his position

• earth- the exaggeration here suggests he either doesn't see how desperate their situation is or he tries to make the working class sound more unreasonable to justify his actions

• bank- this metaphor suggests that they are so obsessive about money, they are being greedy and will keep demanding more.