'An Inspector Calls': Mrs Birling Character Analysis (animated)

[@admmm_]

Im not even doing English gcse anymore, but I still enjoy english and love your videos. Amazing what you do for the younger students, helped me get from a 5 to an 8.

[@mrbruff]

Thanks!

[@_rehmz_]

Wowowowow!

[@arikbhuiyanparveen3182]

inspirational

[@kiraxopatel4656]

hi @NotAdmm please can you help on how you did ur notes for mr bruffs videos as im not sure how to write my notes ... did u do it by writing the notes on paper or even on flashcards or mind maps?.....

[@sayfulislam3085]

this is inspirational to get a better grade thank you for this comment

[@Sollapoke]

I swear Priestly was an old fashioned version of the people that complain about society on twitter and reddit. Like instead of writing a badly written nonsense paragraph on a twitter forum he outright made a work of art out of his frustration. What a legend!

[@Gay4545]

Well tbf no bc unlike those twitter rants, priestly actually had a point to make and made a phenomenon piece of artt He's more like old fashion movie writers that have meaningful messages and themes interwoven into them in a compelling way instead of having female characters just say and do things that are very on the nose feminism. It's like some writers just have the prompts "female", "sassy", "independent" and call it a day. Its cheesy and inaccurate to what feminism actually stands for

[@Mistakennn]

Summary or more like an Essay question on the character of Mrs. Birling: JB Priestley uses the character Mrs. Birling to criticize the inequality of the class system evident within the Edwardian Society. One of the ways Priestley criticizes the class system is through the negative depiction of Mrs. Birling as Bossy and controlling. The opening directions that Mrs. Birling is ‘her husband’s social superior’ and much of the initial dialogue afforded to her character are based on controlling and reprimanding the actions of others. On-screen are a few examples taken from just the opening pages of Act 1 where we see Mrs. Birling directing or controlling other characters: ‘Arthur, you are not supposed to say such things’ and to Sheila ‘Sheila don’t tease him’ ‘Now stop it you to’. Priestley immediately presents Mrs. Birling as a controlling and demanding character. Much of her time is spent obsessed with actions that might give a bad impression (presumably to Gerald who is, at this point the only character on stage from outside the family). Priestley establishes Mrs. Birling as bossy and controlling at the start of the play in order to set up the inevitable conflict with Inspector Goole when he arrives. In Act 2, Mrs. Birling complains that Inspector Goole’s comments are ‘a trifle impertinent’ and in Act 3 describes his questioning as ‘peculiar and offensive’. She is clearly used to having her own way and cannot understand why she is unable to order the police Inspector around. Priestley uses Mrs. Birling’s discomfort at having a police Inspector refuse to obey her as an example of the wealthy middle and upper classes’ complacency when it comes to the law. Both Mr and Mrs. Birling name drop people they know in the police, expecting Inspector Goole to give them an easier time. When people use their connections to avoid prosecution, we call this corruption. Mr and Mrs. Birling clearly see themselves as above the law and they struggle when faced with someone who is moral and insisting that justice is served. Priestley uses Mrs. Birling as a dramatic device to develop tension. Of all the characters Mrs. Birling is the most resistant to confess her connections to Eva Smith. Mr. Birling and Sheila explain their link as soon as they realize they know her, Gerald attempts to lie to Inspector Goole but almost immediately thinks better of it and confesses, but Mrs. Birling lies outrage for two pages ‘No, why should I?’, before finally admitting she recognizes Eva. However, even ones Inspector Goole has prized this admission out of her, Mrs. Birling defends herself and dodges questions until the very end of Act 2. The effect of writing her dialogue in this way is that the audience is waiting for the total confession, and both tension and frustration are slowly building with every rebuff and refusal to answer. Mrs. Birling seems to embody here everything Priestley disliked about the behavior of the middle and upper-class women of Edwardian society. In his radio show, Priestley spoke about women who after the war were more concerned about their own lives than helping others. He described how he received bitter letters ‘from ladies doing nothing in inland resorts, where their energy is all… turning into hostility instead of helpfulness and fun’. Mrs. Birling shares many characteristics with these women, and Priestley uses her as an example of how petty and self-centered some people can be when they themselves live easy and comfortable lives, whilst others are struggling to eat. The situation for women like Eva Smith was made worse by the lack of support from the government. In 1912, there was no NHS, no benefit system, and no access to contraception. Therefore, women were reliant upon charities to help them cope when they were struggling. Priestley uses the charity committee who are swayed by Mrs. Birling's prejudice to demonstrate how fallible this system was. Mrs. Birling working to help out society makes her opinion of the working class clear: they will lie, they will accept stolen money, and they are to blame for their own situation. If Mrs. Birling has such a low opinion of the people she is meant to be helping, why is she involved in charity. We can infer that her ulterior motive to work on the committee has more to do with how it looks to chair such a committee and to wield power, rather than be driven by the desire to help other people. Priestley presents another sign of Mrs. Birling’s privilege in the reference to the bells and the presence of Edna. Mrs. Birling tells Edna she will ‘ring’ from the drawing-room and this system of bells for maids had fallen out of common usage by 1945. The Birling Family’s use of domestic staff highlights the ‘old’ ways of doing things were working-class women were made to work in difficult working conditions for very little money. Priestley’s inclusion of Edna and Mrs. Birling’s order emphasizes how out of date the Birlings are and how to achieve their thinking is. The notion of being privileged runs through the play. Characters who are apparently unaware of their privilege take advantage of other characters that are less privileged than themselves. Priestley questions the morality of Edwardian society through his depiction of a privileged family and their attitudes to others who are less fortunate than themselves.

[@Mistakennn]

@MrBeast Gaming lolll

[@MiniChalk]

Savior

[@emilytrent9706]

wow this is amazing thank u sm

[@blueraspberry2928]

❤

[@minecraftheaven5965]

Just gonna say that I love the animation style. It's a great way to help me visualise the work.

[@mrbruff]

Thanks!

[@n0s693]

This bouta be the best academic comeback of the millennia

[@rishigupta8467]

I’m not even in gcse. I’m reading this in 10th grade in America and these videos are really helpful, thanks a lot

[@mrbruff]

Fantastic!

[@aaryanamin3333]

go away u yank

[@theefactor1360]

@Mowahib Olol Mate how do you expect to pass when you don't even know the difference between their and there.

[@callummullaney2353]

AHAHAA

[@edenschannel101]

@@theefactor1360 touché

[@heloisa4692]

finally a video with amazing analysis and it's not 40 minutes long!

[@_m0ggy_]

You helped me go from a 6 to a 9 damn I’m grateful for you mr. Bruff

[@mrbruff]

Well done!

[@zoeleaman4446]

This is so helpful! Thank you so much for making these videos, they are going to help me so much with my revision work at school.

[@mrbruff]

No problem!

[@osaanaka]

absolute life saver omg. id completely forgotten most of this and my mocks are next week

[@isabahk1132]

It's hard to get higher grades, especially if you know all the points (worthy of high grades) to write about and do it but not too coherently and without making sense. I wish to send you one of my answers to see what I can improve, but I highly doubt that it would make it into your videos. What should I do? P.S. With my teacher, she is also busy too

[@aashifkadar6242]

Idk

[@mharding23]

english lit tomorrow!! these are so helpful, now i need to find heroes revision.

[@popopum]

doing my mocks in a few days how did it go?

[@connorrichardson9725]

I agree this is quite helpful and really detailed I'm surprised you actually take your time out just to make these videos

[@trevorcorreia6396]

Mrs birling is like the 20th century Karen.

[@sharleenchahal8791]

I have gcse’s this year. I am soo terrified

[@Shashu2007]

By the time the video ends, I've already finished like 4 essays of q cards.

[@YK-qo6uf]

Sir, i have constantly been getting grade 8s but was just wondering how to get the grade 9. What is the difference between grade 8 and 9?

[@rokerlegend6137]

What structure do you use PEE or any other and do you use embeded quotations? Out of curiosity

[@YK-qo6uf]

@@rokerlegend6137 i embed my quotes and don't use a set structure,

[@rokerlegend6137]

@@YK-qo6uf do you relate to the audience in question2 language paper 1 ,its very hard to embed quotations and tell me tip

[@YK-qo6uf]

@@rokerlegend6137 Yes i always relate to the audience after i have interpreted my quote wit at least 2 perspectives and to embed quotes, pretend you are just writing a sentence with the quote in it. e.g Mr Birling is described by Priestley to be "provincial in his speech" which is stated in the stage directions. "provincial in his speech" is a quote that Mr Birling says (always say that Priestley makes Mr Birling say it). Hope this Helps!!

[@user-he4vh8hs1z]

Y K ahh

[@aceofhearts5276]

Mr Bruff I am currently doing Macbeth, I need to have quotes for Lady Macbeth. I am searching the play for some quotes. Should I have the small or longer quotes. Should I have quotes about her ambition,power or the façade she has or about the suicide

[@JMB7777]

InfernoCurry shorter quotes are better and more effective.

[@aceofhearts5276]

Josh Morris-Blake Thanks

[@mrbruff]

See my Mac’s Not Hot revision song for some useful quotations.

[@aceofhearts5276]

mrbruff Thank You 👍

[@Paul-iq8bu]

Out, damn spot is probably the best one.

[@Ali.Ash17]

English lit paper 2 in 3 days On Inspector calls, these videos are so helpful i feel confident with the lit paper 1 because i used your Macbeth analysis

[@mrbruff]

Great!

[@igobynico7886]

This is great! Thank you Sir

[@mrbruff]

Thanks!

[@AbbasMustafaChannel]

Thank you sir!

[@mrbruff]

You are welcome!

[@m.m4769]

I am supposed to be learning the pla but all I'm doing is trying to figure out what animations software you used as that style looks familiar lol

[@rokerlegend6137]

What he just said is a whole essay

[@mrbruff]

That's the point of these animated videos - my script is around 1000 words in length each time.

[@rokerlegend6137]

@@mrbruff By the way can you make a video on embeding quotations and a good and fixed strcture to use in language paper 1 question 2

[@K_10107]

sir i am finding it difficult to answer exam questions could you please give me advice on how to do it

[@mrbruff]

See my playlists on the Language and Literature exams.

[@AhmedSh.]

@@K_10107 use seneca

[@JONSNOW-jw3zx]

@@K_10107 practice past exam papers, until you're confident

[@kirsxc]

Can you do DICKENS? David Copperfield needed!

[@shamiyahm9552]

Who is better mr or mrs birling

[@shamiyahm9552]

@@erin7800 I don't know but thanx for your reply

[@theefactor1360]

Tbh I think Mr Birling is nicer. At least he acknowledged the fact that Eva Smith dying was a bad thing. They were both assholes though

[@joshthenoshh3464]

Thank you I’m doing my English mocha for my yr11 grades and watching your video right now

[@social-experiments453]

Could you please do one for jekyll and hyde

[@mrbruff]

I have a playlist of videos on Jekyll and Hyde already.

[@social-experiments453]

mrbruff oh ok thank you

[@jasonwong4619]

Time stamp for self 2:41

[@ceosajid]

studies from manchester tryna link my ancestor

[@jakealmond9423]

This was a very amazing animation love it 10/10 gotta go feed my dog oh yeah he died yesterday my bad cya yall have a good won ya boi carrot muncher 69

[@dexter1273_]

mr bruff my goat

[@lschlanker9765]

Love the vids man❤️😎😜

[@larabirch5328]

i’m doing Pigeon English and i’m really struggling looking for quotes in the book and there it’s absolutely nothing online for this book for some reason is there any chance you could do a video on it thanks x

[@fishytree7183]

Surely your point about the bells is void as the play is set in 1912 at which time the use of bells wasn’t as rare

[@mrbruff]

You are correct about the bell system being normal in 1912. But remember, Priestley was writing for a 1946 audience. As far back as 1927 he wrote that having servants was as 'obsolete as the horse', so he’s using 1912 in the play to show how out-of-touch the Birlings are. By the time people first saw the play, bells and servants were old news. It’s like showing someone using a typewriter today - it feels ancient. So, when Mrs. Birling is ringing for Edna, it’s not just about history. It’s Priestley telling the audience, 'Look, these people are living in the past.' Their whole mindset, not just about servants but about class and money, is outdated. Priestley's saying, 'This isn’t just a story about 1912. It’s about us, now, and how we need to change.'

[@cristina_bbyxx5764]

How does priestly use the character of Mrs birling to explore the importance of the class decision in an inspector calls?

[@tfe1788]

What is the test and question involved around inspector calls e.g is it a 40 mark question on Characters?

[@dragonbirbtube1439]

It is a 34 mark. You will be given two questions and you'll have to pick one to answer. It could be about 'How does Priestley present Mr Birling as a man who cares only for himself', for example. The question could be about any character, theme or idea in the play.

[@jessm6379]

Does anyone know who the female lead is, because I know that the main topic is about Eva smith but it Sheila the female lead or is Mrs Birling?

[@marsfu]

neither. they both show different traits depending on where they are in she and hierarchy

[@dollya5407]

Thanks Mr Bruff

[@mrbruff]

No problem!

[@Weenietheman]

Hi sir I sent an email regarding the paid tuition pls help me .

[@hetviparmar2707]

Hi, I have a question on how should we revise for English language. I am still struggling after 2 resits.

[@ziyadalnawfal9657]

He made a playlist on how to answer english language questions

[@hannahhackett3924]

Love it photo help me learn but hard over lockdown

[@emmyjemmy4208]

how does Mrs Birling being uncomfortable with a police inspector not obeying her show her complacency with the law? surely that's her not being complacent with the law?

[@mrbruff]

Mrs. Birling being uncomfortable when Goole refuses to be bossed around reveals her complacency with a flawed and unequal legal system that she expects to operate in her favour.

[@EternusTV]

Lol we just saw this in class. Pretty pog

[@speckid6998]

this is easy english homework

[@_rehmz_]

Can u PLEASEEE do Lord Of The Flies Cause that’s what im doing for GCSEs Pleaseeee ☺️☺️😉

[@mrbruff]

It’s done: check my playlists.

[@_rehmz_]

mrbruff Lol I didn’t check the playlists before ! 😂😂 But thanks!!!

[@maiz3558]

hey thanks but PLEASEEE can u do A TASTE OF HONEY!! There are NOO revision videos for it

[@yikesQuakes]

That's sad your school did you dirty

[@maiz3558]

ZHI SPORTS i knowwwww, teacher said they wanted to be more “unique” so the examiners are less bored😭😭😩

[@s.1656]

Sir can you do animal farm,Christmas carol and Romeo and Juliet if can 🥴😄

[@noahsamuel9780]

I’ve got my English lit exam tomorrow wish me luck !!🤗 🤞

[@Isa-ny2ec]

GL HOMIE

[@risen_demon5464]

Usefull

[@thisisbob1001]

My wife !

[@ruhul135]

Damn wth I'm still subscribered well I'm gonna unsub now thanks for helping me in #Gcse2019 I managed to get a 5 in language after a remark from a 3 to a 5 and a 6 in literature you probably wont see this but thanks mr bruff

[@mrbruff]

Thanks!

[@mrbruh4301]

ShortBroom 88 😂

[@ellaheartzjesus3635]

Why unsub tho

[@alistairbradford410]

Good luck 🤞

[@hetcorfishsofa]

Mortimer sqaud

[@mrrobinsonenglish]