Arthur Birling In An Inspector Calls

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As the play starts we find a lot about Arthur Birling just from the stage directions. He is described as a “heavy-looking, rather portentous man”, this indicated that he is a not only outsized in figure but also in his personality as he is pompous man. As well as that he is “rather provincial in his speech”, which means he had an accent whereas most people in a higher-class society had a sophisticated accent. Mr Birling also owns a "fairly large suburban house" although it is "not cosy and homelike", this gives the impression that his family are more concerned with their reputation rather than family life. Mr Birling is concerned with his social standing because while pouring port he remarks to Gerald that it is “exactly the same port as your father buys”, this emphasises that he is trying to be…show more content…
“She’d had a lot to say—far too much—so she had to go.” Gerald Croft concurs that Birling “couldn’t have done anything else.” Birling is starting to become a little unsettled by the Inspector, and he asks Goole to spell his name, which he does. Birling then tries to threaten the Inspector by K mentioning that he is an “old friend” of the Chief Constable, Colonel Roberts. The Inspector simply remarks, “I don’t see much of him.” Eric comments that, were it I up to him, he would have let Eva Smith stay at the factory, which provokes an angry putdown from Birling, who then tries to close the case: “I don’t see we need to tell the Inspector anything more.” J Sheila enters from the drawing room to find out what is happening, and she is surprised to see the Inspector.
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