Mrs Birling

1. MrsBirling Character Study

2. Sybil • The Roman / Greek prophetess…. • Who can’t see

3. Key points about character • Even more hard-faced and arrogant than her husband. • Introduced as her husband's ‘social superior’ • Is very snobbish, conscious of and uses social position to try and intimidate. • She expects other to respect her, her opinions and defer to her. • Resents being contradicted, even when caught lying by the inspector.

4. Ignorance of Modern Society… • Sybil Birling seems to be genuinely surprised to hear about Eric's drink problem, although this doesn't surprise Sheila or Gerald and surprised to hear about Joe Meggarty, despite the fact it appears to be common knowledge. • Her concerns during these times of 'revelation' are that her daughter be protected form such 'unpleasant' things ("It would be much better…"). • Sybil seems to consider Sheila to be a child, indicating that she will only be able to understand situations when she is older and has greater experience.

5. Discuss… • Consider whether Sybil genuinely does not know about these incidents, or if she chooses to ignore them deliberately. Is this because she considers ignoring the truth as necessary to keeping up the image of upper class society life? Is her ignorance pretence, based on keeping up the appearance of respectability?

6. Sybil and Eva • She can be seen as a heartless person in some respects, especially the way that she receives the news about Eva Smith's suicide. • She dismisses the news, not able to see how the death of a lower class person could be of any interest to, or connected to, the Birlings. • Sybil seems to think that these lower class people have different feelings to her own, that they are less human than she is. • She sees Eva's pleas as being evidence of 'giving herself ridiculous airs' and of 'claiming elaborate fine feelings' that are restricted to people of Sybil's own social standing. • She refuses Eva Smith charity for having the cheek to use the same name as her calling it ‘A piece of gross impertinence’

7. Elements of Responsibility • When exposed to criticism she hides behind words such as, 'truth,' 'duty' and 'deserving,' and obviously feels herself qualified to judge what they mean and who they apply to. • If she feels her position has been suitably acknowledged she will be courteous, but if not she will take 'offence' at what she considers as 'impertinent' • It is Sybil's injured pride and offended sensibilities, through the 'impertinent' misuse of the Birling name by the now pregnant Eva , that provokes her vindictive decision to persuade, using her influence, the other members of her 'charitable' group to refuse Eva assistance. It is this that causes her to be responsible in part for the fate of Eva Smith, yet she puts the blame on the shoulders of Eva when Eric and the other members of the family would be the more accurate targets. • Sybil Birling refuses to accept any part of the blame for Eva's death, despite her actions, which contributed to its occurrence and is so sure of her beliefs that she states she is not at all ashamed. See Eric's speech for a summary (pg. 55). • Her hypocrisy in this situation is shown in the way that she accepts no responsibility herself, but is fully able to consider herself in a position to put this responsibility on the shoulders of the father of Eva's baby (pg. 45, 46, 48). It is this depth of feeling that the Inspector uses to have Sybil Birling identify her own son's responsibility in the matter. Yet, continuing in her hypocrisy, she identified that this placing of blame would not have occurred if she had known it were her son who was 'responsible' (pg. 50). • Consider whether Sybil Birling, at the end of the play, has learnt to behave in a compassionate or caring way, or whether the Inspector's call has only served to harden her attitudes. • Do her attitudes towards the lower classes and her actions towards Eva give her more or less responsibility than the others?

8. Mrs Birling is a snob who looks down on people with less money • She is also a hypocrite and judges lower classes more harshly than her own family • She calls (in a moment of dramatic irony) her own son a ‘drunken young idler’

9. Mrs Birling is married to Mr Birling and the head of a charity. She refused to help Eva Smith when Eva came to her and told her she was pregnant.'She needed not only money but advice, sympathy, friendliness. You’ve had children. You must have known what she was feeling. And you slammed the door in her face.'(45) • Sheila criticises her actions. 'Mother, I think it was cruel and vile.'(45) • She is complacent and arrogant and thinks that her treatment of Eva was 'no more than my duty' (60) • Like Mr Birling, at the end she has learnt nothing, and criticises Sheila and Eric for being upset about Eva. 'They're just over tired. In the morning they'll be as amused as we are.'(71)