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'birling family is far from perfect' find three short quotes from act one to back up this statement.

User Ilya Gazman
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2 Answers

16 votes
16 votes

Answer: don't be an a, Eric

User Zysce
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9 votes

Answer

arthur you're not supposed to say such things

Mr Birling

o Birlings’ ‘ large surburban house’ – contrast with Eva’s ‘dingy little back bedroom’ (described by the

Inspector)

o Birling’s first line: ‘Giving us the port, Edna? That’s right.’ Structurally the play opens with Birling’s

focus on consumerism, his wealth and attempts to impress Gerald Croft

o Birling, celebrates the engagement of Sheila and Gerald: ‘It’s one of the happiest nights of my life’ (he’s

happy that the Croft and Birling firms may work together in the future!)

o “nobody wants war”

o “unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable” (about the Titanic)

o Describes himself repeatedly as ‘a hard-headed practical man of business”

o “a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own-and -(door bell rings)”

o “It’s my duty to keep labour costs down”

o Describes Eva’s death as a ‘horrid business’ (uses the language of business rather than understanding

the true horror of Eva’s death)

o ‘I was quite justified’ in sacking Eva Smith

o His main concern is to avoid a “public scandal”

o When worried his family is responsible for Eva’s death: ‘Look, Inspector - I’d give thousands – yes,

thousands –’ This reveals Birling’s hypocrisy – he has money to spare for a bribe, to avoid a scandal, but

he won’t pay his workers a penny more than they currently earn.

o After the Inspector leaves: ‘You allowed yourself to be bluffed. Yes – bluffed.’

o After the Inspector leaves: repeatedly described in the stage directions as speaking ‘triumphantly’

Step-by-step explanation:

User Levi Kovacs
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