👱🏻‍♀️ mrs birling

Question 1

• mrs birling
• says many times that Eva Smith was to blame for her own fate
• at no point in the play does Mrs Birling accept responsibility or think that her actions may have negative consequences for others
• no sympathy

Answer 1

‘She only had herself to blame’

Question 2

• Shifts all the blame to the father of the child
• As this man is described, dramatic irony, unfolds that it was Eric
• Continues speech and audience waits for her to find out that it was her son. The man is anonymous so she doesn’t care what happens to him. When she realizes that it could be her son, she stutters and stops talking

Answer 2

‘Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility’

Question 3

• mrs birling
• Emphasis of ‘that’ = disgust
• thinks the two classes are different people, vulnerable and insignificant

Answer 3

‘Girls of that class’

Question 4

• mrs birling
• repetition of ‘I didn’t’ sense of panic and shame
• takes back what she said and contrasts to what she said earlier

Answer 4

‘I didn’t know - I didn’t understand’

Question 5

• mrs birling
• keep etiquette and understands the rules of pre-war etiquette. Scolds her husband for discussing business at the dinner table
• society and reputation. obsessed with how she and her family are percieved by others - she doesn’t want to risk gerald thinking that they do not know how to behave properly in society because this could risk and could damage their reputation
• women expectations. considered innappropiate to discuss business with women, who were thought to be too fragile, unintelligent and emotionally unstable to take part in such conversation

Answer 5

‘I don’t think you ought to talk business on an occasion like this’

Question 6

• mrs birling
• refusal to accept blame
• views it as a victory that she didn’t accept any of the blame that the inspector tried to lay at her feet. Smug in the statement because shes mocking others for answering the inspector’s questions truthfully. Cold nature
• almost as if shes won his game

Answer 6

‘I was the only one that didn’t give in to him’

Question 7

• mrs birling
• accusing Sheila of being immature and childish because she shows an interest in the case which goes against how women were expected to act at the time, relating to the social context

Answer 7

‘[severely] You’re behaving like an hysterical child tonight.