Mr Birling: The Capitalist Villain

Meet Mr Birling - a middle-aged, "heavy-looking" businessman who's basically the human embodiment of greed. He's nouveau riche (newly wealthy), which explains why he's so desperate to show off his status with quotes like "I was an alderman for years - and Lord Mayor two years ago." Priestley makes it clear that this man cares more about "lower costs and higher prices" than actual human beings.

His attitude towards socialism is absolutely shocking - he dismisses community spirit as "nonsense" and compares it to "bees in a hive." When the Inspector arrives to investigate Eva Smith's suicide, Mr Birling's true colours really shine through. He's completely dismissive, saying "Yes, yes. Horrible business" without any genuine sympathy.

The most telling moment? When he declares "Still I can't accept any responsibility" for Eva's death, even though he fired her for asking for a pay rise. He justifies this by claiming "It's my duty to keep labour costs down" - putting profit before people every single time.

💡 Key Point: Priestley uses dramatic irony brilliantly when Mr Birling calls the Titanic "unsinkable" - the 1945 audience would know how wrong he was, hinting that capitalism might sink too!