Arthur Birling Analysis (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
Arthur Birling represents a caricature of a capitalist businessman, and his selfish and blinkered ideals stand in direct opposition to Inspector Goole’s (and therefore Priestley’s) socialist aspirations.
Mr Arthur Birling character summary
What does Arthur Birling symbolise?
Mr Birling represents the greedy industrialist businessmen of the early 20th Century:
He is a wealthy capitalist: he prizes money and social status above all else, framing his attitude as that of “a hard-headed, practical man of business”.
He is a self-important patriarch: he represents the power of men over women in 1912 English society, and treats Sheila’s engagement to Gerald as an opportunity to further his own business interests.
He symbolises the older generation: his refusal to change his ways and learn social responsibility contrasts with the receptiveness of Sheila and Eric, who represent the younger generation’s potential to change for the better.
Arthur Birling language analysis
Priestley uses a range of techniques to make Mr Birling an unlikeable caricature, representing the worst excesses of Capitalism. His speech is characterised by:
Dramatic irony: Mr Birling’s optimism for the future — including predictions in Act 1 about the Titanic’s success and the impossibility of war — would have seemed laughable to a 1945 audience. The audience therefore know from the outset that Mr Birling’s opinions on social responsibility are not to be trusted.
His regional accent: Birling’s “provincial” manner of speaking signifies his lower-class status in comparison to his wife and Gerald Croft. It also emphasises the importance of class in 1912, and adds context to his eagerness to impress Gerald, exert authority over others, and get a knighthood.
Arthur Birling key quotes
Arthur Birling’s character development
Act 1 | Act 2 | Act 3 |
|---|---|---|
Attempt to assert his dominance: Mr Birling is introduced as an arrogant, money-driven businessman. He fails to intimidate Inspector Goole, and when the Inspector reveals that Birling’s firing of Eva Smith led to her death, Birling refuses to accept any responsibility. | Birling’s defence of others: Mr Birling fails to condemn Gerald for having an affair while engaged to Sheila. He encourages Sheila to rethink after she ends her engagement to Gerald. Later, he supports his wife, Sybil, when the Inspector reveals that Sybil cruelly denied Eva Smith charity. | Birling learns nothing: Mr Birling is more concerned that Eric stole company money than at the news of Eric’s involvement in Eva’s tragic fate. After the Inspector leaves, Arthur fails to learn the Inspector’s lesson about responsibility. He worries about the damage to his reputation, and celebrates the possibility of Eva’s death being a hoax. |
Arthur Birling character interpretations
Generational divide
It is important to remember that Priestley’s 1945 audience would have seen themselves in the younger generation represented by Sheila and Eric. To this audience, Mr Birling represents an older, pre-war generation whose interests would have felt deeply out of touch with the reality experienced by Priestley’s 1945 audience. Men like Birling were responsible for withholding the right to vote from women, and their mistakes led to disasters such as the tragedy of the Titanic. Mr Birling’s behaviour also contrasts sharply with that of Eric and Sheila. The receptiveness of the younger Birlings to the Inspector’s socialist message aligns them with a more socially progressive audience. It is ironic that Mr Birling treats Eric and Sheila as foolish and naïve when, in reality, he is perhaps the most ignorant character of all — as demonstrated by his false predictions in Act 1.
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