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9 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Contrasting Characters
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Sheila and Eric Sheila: light-hearted, enthusiastic and exciteable manner CONTRASTED |
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Mr Birling Act 1
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Enjoys playing host Life centred round business Family just another way of increasing his business Can't resist making speeches as local politician Talks about future in lengthy monologues- peace, prosperity, 'Capital and 'Labour', working together Audience see extreme confidence misplaced |
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Mrs Birling Act 1
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Never really enters the general conversation Speaks- self-controlled rather cold Disapproves of young people drinking Places high value on things being done in the 'right way' |
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Act 1 summary
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1. Birling Family and Gerald enjoying dinner to celebrate engagement of Gerald and Sheila 2. Mr Birling- speech congratulating couple and expressing hope that marriage bring 2 families closer and more profitable links between 2 firms 3. Gerald gives Sheila engagement ring 4.Ladies leave room men enjoy port & cigars |
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Family's Social position
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Wealth suggested formal nature of dinner party Stage directions- set show privileged lifestyle Luxury taken for granted Hard furniture suggests lack of family warmth and homliness Mr Birling- toast wish happy couple 'the very best life can bring' suggest natural that life should be good to them. Priestley preparing audience for the contrast seen between way of life enjoyed by weathy & hardships endured by workers |
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Examiners Tip: Writing about mr Birling and the Social Context of the play
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Priestley uses comfortable view of life enjoyed by wealthy before WW1 indicate ways life would change during 20th century. Mr Birling confident that the future bring good times to factory owners like him -fewer strikes & greater prosperity. Talks about advances in technology, quoting Titanic as symbol of progress 'Unsinkable. Absolutely unsinkable'.Illustrates how we led to doubt what Mr Birling says later & how wrong we see him to in his views of what future holds. View that socialist ideas of equality and workers' rights are dangerous destroyed Inspector shows people like Eva Smith need protection
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Mr Birling
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'Men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business'
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Mr Birling
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' I speak as a hard-headed business man'
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