Sybil Birling Character Analysis (AQA GCSE English Literature) : Revision Note
Sybil Birling reflects the cruelty, ignorance and hypocrisy of the wealthy middle and upper classes. Her ideals directly oppose Inspector Goole’s (and therefore Priestley’s) socialist aspirations.
Mrs Sybil Birling character summary
What does Sybil Birling symbolise?
Sybil Birling represents the damage that can be caused by power and status in an unfair capitalist society:
She abuses her social position: she prizes social status above all else, and believes in strict class segregation, even chastising her husband when he praises the cook
She is hypocritical: she associates poverty with immorality and blames the father of Eva Smith’s unborn child for Eva’s circumstances, but rejects this idea when the Inspector reveals that Eric Birling was the father
She symbolises the older generation: her refusal to change her ways and take responsibility for her actions contrasts with the receptiveness of Sheila and Eric, who represent the younger generation’s potential to change for the better
Sybil Birling language analysis
Priestley uses a range of techniques to make Sybil Birling a deeply unlikeable caricature who represents the callousness attitude of the wealthy towards the poor:
Dramatic irony: At the end of Act 2, the Inspector reveals that Sybil’s son, Eric, impregnated Eva. The scene is heavy with dramatic irony: the audience all understand the truth long before Eric is revealed to be the father. Before long, Mrs Birling is the only character who does not realise what is about to happen.
His dismissive language: Mrs Birling shows nothing but disdain for Eva Smith, branding Eva “impudent” and saying that “girls of that sort” would never refuse stolen money as Eva claimed to have done. Sybil also does not use Eva’s name, and refers to her, disrespectfully, as “she”.
Sybil Birling key quotes
Sybil Birling’s character development
Act 1 | Act 2 | Act 3 |
She is dismissive of lower classes: Sybil Birling is introduced as cold and prejudiced. She tells her husband off for praising the cook, is dismissive of Inspector Goole, and unsympathetic towards Eva Smith’s plight. | She abuses her power: Mrs Birling calls Gerald’s affair with Eva “disgusting”, but reveals that she abused her power over Eva Smith in an even worse way by denying her and her unborn child charitable support. She did not consider Eva to be “deserving”, and blamed the child’s father. She is shocked when Eric is revealed to be the father. | She rejects social responsibility: While shaken by the news of Eric’s involvement in Eva’s tragic fate, Mrs Birling refuses to accept any responsibility of her own. After the Inspector leaves, she celebrates the possibility of Eva’s death being a hoax, and chastises Sheila for believing the Inspector’s message. |
Sybil Birling character interpretations
Social responsibility
Although Mrs Birling is perhaps the most unlikeable character in the play, we may nevertheless feel sympathy towards her after the Inspector reveals that Eric was the father of Eva’s unborn child. She is clearly devastated by the news, as shown through her broken sentence structure and then by her pointed silence for two whole pages of the printed text before “coming to life” again.
The implication is that, after discovering Eric’s involvement, she feels so guilty for contributing to the death of her own grandchild that it shakes her to her very core. Under these circumstances, it is perhaps understandable — if not likeable — that she is so keen to pretend that the Inspector’s story was a hoax: Gerald’s suggestion that the family were tricked may have felt like a lifeline to her.
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