Exploring the Character of Mrs Birling in An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestley

• This is a focused analytical resource examining the role and significance of Mrs Birling in J. B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls.
• The text analyses how Mrs Birling embodies the arrogance, class prejudice, and moral inflexibility of the Edwardian upper class, highlighting her refusal to accept responsibility, her dismissive attitude towards the working class, and her contrast with the younger generation to reinforce the play’s critique of social inequality and call for collective responsibility.

Key features:

• Explanation of Mrs Birling as a representative of wealthy Edwardian society, with emphasis on her pride in social status and use of language to reinforce class divisions.
• Analysis of her prejudice towards the working class, illustrated through key phrases such as “girls of that class” and her rejection of Eva Smith’s plea for help.
• Discussion of her refusal to accept blame, including significant quotations like “I accept no blame for it at all,” and her unchanging attitude throughout the Inspector’s interrogation.
• Exploration of dramatic techniques such as dramatic irony, impertinence in her dialogue, and the generational contrast with Sheila and Eric.
• Examination of her role in conveying the play’s central themes of social responsibility, moral blindness, empathy, and the consequences of entrenched class attitudes.

Includes an accompanying worksheet to reinforce and practise key concepts.