Birling As A Social Climber Analysis

105 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Masculinity and femininity

Priestley presents Birling as an ignorant business oriented social climber, who is obsessed with bettering himself in the industrial city of Brumley. This claim is backed up by the fact that on page 7, act one, Birling says that war will be impossible, and the Titanic is unsinkable, which leads the audience of the 1940s to view him as a fool who holds forth about subjects that he does not know about. He is known to be a social climber as on page 8, act 1, he is talking to Gerald about his social status which he obviously cares more about than truth or law.

Show More
Related

  • The Role of Social Class in Priestly's, An Inspector Calls

    945 Words  | 2 Pages

    Priestley mainly uses the characters in the play to present his views, especially Mr and Mrs Birling, to present his ideas about class and society. In the Birling family, Mrs Birling is the most upper class, and is always referring to the lower class female factory workers such as Eva Smith as ‘girls of that class’. She seems to think that working class people are not humans at all.

    Read More

  • How Priestly Uses the Characters to Represent His Own Views on Society

    2022 Words  | 5 Pages

    This is the concept of collective responsibility. Priestley says, 'things could really improve if only people were to become more socially responsible for the welfare of others'. We have to confront our mistakes and learn from them. The play starts off with the Birling family celebrating their daughter's engagement to Gerald Croft. The family included Mr Birling, Mrs Birling, Eric Birling, Sheila Birling and Gerald Croft.

    Read More

  • Priestley's Main Aim in An Inspector Calls

    1031 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mr Birling is a very cruel man. I think this because of what he did to

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Characters of Mr. Birling and Inspector Goole in J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

    903 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Comparison of Characters of Mr. Birling and Inspector Goole in J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

    Read More

  • An Inspector Calls - Write fully about one of the characters in the play.

    1739 Words  | 4 Pages

    The play is set in the house of the Birling family. As soon as the

    Read More

  • Mr Birling Analysis

    1580 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1912, Great Britain was the place to be. With a mighty empire spanning the globe, Great Britain was the richest, the most technological, and the most powerful country on the planet. For everyone fortunate enough to be British, it was the perfect time to be alive. Or was it?

    Read More

  • Inspector Goole and the Theme of Socialism in An Inspector Calls

    2333 Words  | 5 Pages

    A ‘sharp ring is heard of the front door bell’ interrupting Mr. Birling’s dialogue that explicates “that a man has to make his own way- has to look after himself” as though the ‘sharpness’ of the ring is opposing Birling’s ‘solemnity’ in his words. The stage direction instantly demonstrates juxtaposition between the Birling and the other anonymous individual; this also generates tension because of the fact that the individual is yet to be introduced. Eric felt very ‘uneasy’ after Edna said to Birling that an Inspector has arrived which gives the audience clues of Eric being involved in a crime, Eric’s uneasiness also makes Birling ‘sharply’ stare at Eric- this creates suspense for the audience.

    Read More

  • Priestley’s Main Aim in An Inspector Calls

    1424 Words  | 3 Pages

    He uses the downfall of Eva Smith and a chain of events to demonstrate this. This leads to a very convincing and well-devised play, which puts across JB Priestley’s views clearly and precisely. In Edwardian Britain there was a great difference in the roles of men and women in society and the outlook of what and was not accepted differed substantially. A prime example of this in the play is when Mr Birling says ‘Nothing to do with you, Sheila.

    Read More

  • The Role Of The Inspector In An Inspector Calls

    1393 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Inspector, straight form his introduction, is commanding and authoritative. Upon his entrance he creates, “…at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness.”(PG.11) The Inspector continues to create this impression as he progresses through his speeches and through his interrogation of the family. The Inspector remains confident, sturdy and composed, while people around him crumble and fall to pieces. His ‘solidity’ is proven by the fact he remains on task despite numerous attempts from Birling to digress from the points he is making. The Inspector is told to appear ‘purposeful’; this is shown where he explains to Birling that Birlings way of thinking “Every man must only look out for himself,” is not the case, and all warps of society are interlinked. The view is best illustrated in the Inspectors final speech, where he says, “We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”(p.56). This idea is one that Priestley, himself believed in deeply, and many of Priestleys writing shared this very theme.

    Read More

  • Messages About Morality and Politics Conveyed in Priestley's An Inspector Calls

    1229 Words  | 3 Pages

    This helped Priestley promote socialism against capitalism. JB Priestley uses dramatic devices to make An inspector calls a modern day morality play, to do this he uses dramatic devices, such as dramatic irony and tension in order to convey the message through the entire play. They are used accurately considering the time in which the play is set. Priestley also uses the characters as dramatic devices, they symbolise the dramatic devices, an example of this is Priestley makes us hate Mr. Birling because he symbolises capitalism, and in Priestley’s eyes capitalism is wrong. Throughout the play, Mr. Birling is the voice of capitalism....

    Read More

  • J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

    954 Words  | 2 Pages

    Birlings, as they find out that they have all played a part in a young

    Read More

  • Drama at the End of Act Two in An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley

    2500 Words  | 5 Pages

    In this section at the end of Act Two we find out that Mrs Birling

    Read More

  • Priestly's Political Message in "An Inspector Calls"

    1384 Words  | 3 Pages

    In order to encourage the audience to apply their critical faculties, Priestley makes them feel superior to Birling.He thoroughly discredits and degrades Birling, and through him, the right wing philosophy. This tells us very early on that Priestley uses Birling as a diametric mouthpiece to voice his left-wing opinions and that the play is completely biased to the socialist perspective. The theatricality of the dramatic irony Priestley uses makes the audience think outside the proscenium arch, about the world and their relationships to it. This is all part of the non-illusory experience.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Like Riding A Bicycle By George Bilgere

    770 Words  | 2 Pages

    George Bilgere, an American Poet writes a touching but sad poem about his personal life. Bilgere who is the main character in the poem takes his readers on a journey about the survival of his struggles in life. Coming from a family with divorced parents, alcoholic father and mother who passed away lead him to be more open with his poetry. In the poem “ Like Riding a Bicycle” Bilgere informs his readers about the struggles he had to face throughout his childhood due to not having a mother or father figure around at a young age. Throughout the poem, Bilgere shows that even though you struggle in life, there is alway a way to find yourself as a successful individual.

    Read More

  • J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

    817 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first point is how the scene is set. It is set in the Birling's

    Read More

More about Birling As A Social Climber Analysis

Open Document