Sybil Birling Flashcards
about ….., a rather …. w….
about fifty, a rather cold woman
unsympathetic and individualistic nature. stage directs show that she has a lack of compassion. an unloving person. makes the rader not feel any emotion to her, depicting her as unlikeable.
oxymoron at the time- women are meant to be caring but she isn’t, highlights the self centred nature.
……, you aren’t meant to say …. ……
….. you m..
+ marriage
Arthur, you aren’t meant to say such things
She is the social superior to her husband, she personifies the upperclass constantly trying to perceive a good reputation.
Leave you men
shows she knows her place in society and maintains the patriarchal status quo
her marriage is a transaction and not for love A THEIR HOME IS NOT ‘HOMELIKE’
when you [……] are ……., you’ll realise that m.. with …….. work to do sometimes have to spend nearly … their time and ……. on ……….
when you [Sheila] are married, you’ll realise that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on business
patriarchal norms that she tries to force onto her daughter that women should be submissive and not question their husbands
I don’t ….. it, I …. believe it
I don’t believe it, I w’ont believe it
rejection of her responsibility shows she is living in a concealed world as she doesn’t believe the upperclass treats the lower class poorly. Believe shows her firm denial.
you’re …….. like a …….. child
you’re behaving like a hysterical child
emotion a sign of weakness.
when Sheila questions her parents and advocated for social repsonsibility, she tells her that she is hysterical- a disorder that made women uncontrollably emotional. supresses her daughter. also shows he capitalist ideologies are weak as she can’t counter it well.
undermines her own gender as she is a position of privilege- no change.
Sheila is her antithesis and challenges her stereotypical views-
‘…… business’
‘G…. of that …..’
‘I didn’t like her …….’
absurd business , girls of that class, I didn’t like her manner
shows her repugnance and hatred of the lower class ans she doesn’t care about the lower class.
‘that’ shows how she wants to distance herself from the lower class
absurd shows her dismissivness
‘A piece of ….. ………’
A piece of gross impertinence
how she reacts to Eva’s sad story that she told, but because she referred to herself as Mrs Birling, Sybil believes that she has to be absolved of all responsiility.
‘I did my ….’
I did my duty
she defines duty as upholding a capitalist angenda favouring the upper class, has no moral duty as she lets ES suffer.
‘she only had herself to …..’
‘I ….. the girl’
I blame the girl + she only had herself to blame
The fact she blames the girl is ironic after all that her family have done
Blame reptition shows how keen she is to absolve herself of the blame
‘I didn’t ….’
I didn’t know
Blames the ‘young man’ but then retracts all blame. hyprocrisy and double standards. shows how she doesn’t want the family reputation to tarnish
‘I used my ……. to have it ………’
I used my influence to have it refused
cruel and uses her social status to manipulate others and no sense of emotion for a young woman and still shows no guilt even after her death. rooted in her classless ways. tone of pride
‘……… affair’
disgusting affair
she is disgusted the GC slept with lower class ES, not by his betrayal to her daughter.
