Zusammenfassung der Ressource
'An Inspector Calls'- Sybil Birling
- Themes:
- Capitalism
- Anti-Feminism
- Blames Eva for getting pregnant and doesn't stand up for women rights
- Class
- She is a snob,thinks she's better than people because of her social status
- Responsibility
- Doesn't take responsibility
- Blame
- Character Description:
- "about fifty, a rather cold woman and her husband's social superior."
- Her husband is more superior and dominant over her.
- Priestley's Message (intended on the audience)
- Priestley uses Mrs Birling to epitomize all that is wrong with society.
- he represents the social snobbery and hypocrisy of the upper classes and shows no remorse in her cruel
treatment of Eva Smith.
- Priestley presents her as an absurd haracter that ironically passes her own social guilt onto her own son
– condemning him
- Priestley shows us that we should not trust the wealthy members of society to tell the truth.
- Quote Bank (key);
- “girls of that class”
- Mrs Birling’s language is quite abrupt and dismissive: ‘that class’/ ‘that sort’/ ‘the type’. She believes she is
morally and socially superior to them
- “I’ve done nothing wrong – and you know it.”
- Mrs Birling uses imperatives as she commands the Inspector and other characters which conveys her
superiority, confidence and self-assurance.
- “As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!”
- Again thinks she's socially superior and judges Eva with out getting to know her.
- “Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.”
- Blames her own son without having a clue. Eva class gives Sybil the confidence to empower her
- “I’m sorry she should have come to such a horrible end. But I accept no blame at all”
- Does take blamer responsibility which show the readier and audience the role of the elder characters
- “She was giving herself ridiculous airs...claiming elaborate fine feelings...that were simply absurd in a girl
in her position.”
- Puts on a pretence of respectability by her use of euphemisms: e.g. ‘a girl of that Class’ who has found
herself in a ‘particular condition’
- ‘I’m very sorry. But I think she only had herself to blame’