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Summary Mr Birling in an inspector calls
All you need about Mr Birling
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Mr Birling● A wealthy businessman who owns a factory in Brumley. He
has been the city’s lord mayor and is a magistrate.
- He hosts a celebratory dinner for Sheila’s engagement to
Gerald, he is also keen for the Birlings and Crofts to
unite in business as well as marriage.
- He is keen to receive a knighthood
- Says that a man’s responsibility is only to himself and his
family and not to the wider community.
- Reveals that he dismissed Eva Smith from her job at his
factory two years previously
- Tries to take control when the inspector arrives but fails
- Fears scandal and tries to protect himself and his family
from involvement with Eva Smith
● Arthur Birling believes that the individual has responsibilities
only to himself and his family. In business his aim is to make a
profit and if this is at the expense of his workers, so be it.
Although he has gained public office, he does not feel a
responsibility to give anything back to the community. His
views are opposite to inspector Goole.
● ‘Heavy-looking, rather portentous man’ - reveals him as a
thickset, pompous man. His size helps to give him a
threatening appearance.
● ‘A hard- headed, practical man of business’ - thinks of himself
as a man who does well in business. He doesn’t let the
sentiment get in the way of whatever needs to be done to
succeed.
, ● ‘yes , my dear, i know - i’m talking too much’ - likes to air his
views and is aware that he tends to monopolise the
conversation. Has a high opinion of his own importance.
● ‘I’m a public man’ - he has been in positions of power, locally,
as a member of the town council and Lord Mayor and is still a
magistrate. He expects others to acknowledge his importance
and show respect.
Foolish -
● Priestley highlights Mr Birling as an ultimately foolish character, who likes to
tell everyone how great their future will be.
● Priestley uses dramatic irony here to show the audience that Birling was naïve
and idiotic.
Obsessed with power -
● Mr Birling is shown as being in control and in charge right from the start of the
play.
● Mr Birling tries to intimidate Inspector Goole into leaving or changing his
questioning. He doesn’t know how to cope with the fact that Goole isn’t
impressed, or intimidated, by him.
Bad father -
● We also learn that Mr Birling has alienated (isolated) his son – when he tells
Eric he should have come to him for help, Eric replies that Birling isn’t the type
of father a son could ask for help.
● Even within their family, their relationships are fragile and fake – Birling seems
to be the caring father so he looks good, but is actually not.
Unwilling to change or learn from actions -
● When the family discovers that Inspector Goole does not work for the local
police force, Birling is very happy to forget the whole thing and to forget any
possible consequences of his actions.
● Mr Birling does not learn from the story of Eva Smith – instead, he only cares
about it when he fears that the story might be made public, which could
damage his reputation.
● He cares about himself, not about how his actions affect others.
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