5.1.3

Mr Birling Quotes Act 3

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Mr Birling - Key Quote (Act 3)

'You! You don’t seem to care about anything. But I care. I was almost certain for a knighthood in the next Honours List.’ Here's an analysis of this key quote from Act 3:

Irony

Irony

  • Mr Birling exclaims this at Eric.
  • The irony here is clear – Mr Birling repeatedly says that Eric doesn’t care about anything; in reality, it is Mr Birling who does not care about anyone but himself.
Disconnects from family

Disconnects from family

  • Mr Birling uses the second person pronoun ‘you’ to verbally (with words) attack his son and show how he is separating Eric’s ideas from his own – they have become ‘you’ and ‘I’, two very different people who have completely opposite ideas about life.
  • Eric wants the family to take responsibility for their actions and think of other people, while Birling is obsessed with his reputation and is desperate to get his knighthood.
  • This shows a huge crack in the façade (fake image) of the Birling family.

Mr Birling - Key Quotes (Act 3)

<b>‘I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can’

‘I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can’

  • Mr Birling, as is consistent (stays the same) with his character throughout the play, only cares about covering up this story so it doesn’t affect their reputations, social status, or his chance at receiving a knighthood.
  • He consistently shows a selfish, self-centred attitude. He obsesses over his reputation. He is not very concerned with the consequences of his actions.
<b>‘this makes a difference...'

‘this makes a difference...'

  • ‘This makes a difference, y’know. In fact, it makes all the difference’.
  • As far as Mr Birling is concerned, the most important factor in the story is that Inspector Goole is not a real police inspector.
  • This is vital for Birling because he knows that the story of Eva Smith is now unlikely to end in a scandal for him.
  • He doesn’t care about his actions on the girl’s life or the effect of these actions on the girl herself.
  • If the Inspector has no connection to the police, he has no power to cause problems for Birling, and so Mr Birling is prepared to forget the whole story and continue with life as before.
Jump to other topics
1

Plot Summary

1.1

Act 1

1.1.1Act 1 Summary1.1.2Act 1 Key Quotes
1.2

Act 2

1.2.1Act 2 Summary1.2.2Act 2 Key Quotes
1.3

Act 3

1.3.1Act 3 Summary1.3.2Act 3 Key Quotes1.3.3Act 3 More Key Quotes1.3.4End of Topic Test - Acts 1, 2 & 3
2

Context & Key Themes

2.1

Context & Key Themes

2.1.1Social Class & Equality2.1.2Class Tension2.1.3Abuse of Power & Corruption2.1.4Socialism vs Capitalism2.1.5Blame & Responsibility2.1.6Attitudes to Women2.1.7Characterisation of Women2.1.8Dramatic Function of Characters2.1.9End of Topic Test - Context & Key Themes2.1.10End of Topic Test - Context & Key Themes 22.1.11Grade 9 - Key Themes2.1.12Diagnostic Misconceptions - Socialism vs Communism2.1.13Diagnostic Misconceptions - Edna2.1.14Diagnostic Misconceptions - Women in the Play2.1.15Diagnostic Misconceptions - Eva Smith
3

Key Characters

3.1

Mr Birling

3.1.1Mr Birling Analysis3.1.2Mr Birling Quotes3.1.3Diagnostic Misconceptions - Arrogance3.1.4Diagnostic Misconceptions - Illegality
3.2

Mrs Birling

3.2.1Mrs Birling Analysis3.2.2Mrs Birling Quotes3.2.3Exam-Style Questions - Mrs Birling
3.3

Sheila

3.3.1Sheila Analysis3.3.2Sheila Quotes3.3.3End of Topic Test - The Birlings & Sheila
3.4

Eric

3.4.1Eric Analysis3.4.2Eric Quotes
3.5

Gerald

3.5.1Gerald Analysis3.5.2Gerald Quotes3.5.3Diagnostic Misconceptions - Gerald's Morals
3.6

Inspector Goole

3.6.1Inspector Goole Analysis3.6.2Inspector Goole Quotes3.6.3End of Topic Test - Eric, Gerald & Inspector Goole3.6.4Diagnostic Misconceptions - Ghost
3.7

Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.7.1Grade 9 - Key Characters
4

Authorial Method

4.1

Arrangement & Structure of the Play

4.1.1Setting, Lighting & Dramatic Irony4.1.2Structure & Chronology4.1.3Structure & Chronology 24.1.4End of Topic Test - Authorial Method4.1.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Flashbacks
5

Recap: Main Quotes

5.1

Mr Birling Quotes

5.1.1Mr Birling Quotes Act 15.1.2Mr Birling Quotes Act 25.1.3Mr Birling Quotes Act 3
5.2

Mrs Birling Quotes

5.2.1Mrs Birling Quotes Act 15.2.2Mrs Birling Quotes Act 25.2.3Mrs Birling Quotes Act 3
5.3

Sheila Quotes

5.3.1Sheila Quotes Act 15.3.2Sheila Quotes Act 25.3.3Sheila Quotes Act 3
5.4

Eric Quotes

5.4.1Eric Quotes Act 15.4.2Eric Quotes Act 1 (2nd Quote)5.4.3Eric Quotes Act 3
5.5

Gerald Quotes

5.5.1Gerald Quotes Act 15.5.2Gerald Quotes Act 25.5.3Gerald Quotes Act 3
5.6

Inspector Goole Quotes

5.6.1Inspector Goole Quotes Act 15.6.2Inspector Goole Quotes Act 25.6.3Inspector Goole Quotes Act 3

Practice questions on Mr Birling Quotes Act 3

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    <b>'You! You don’t seem to care about anything. But I care. I was almost certain for a knighthood in the next Honours List.’</b><br>Which word emphasises Mr Birling's attack on Eric?Multiple choice
  2. 2
    <b>'You! You don’t seem to care about anything. But I care. I was almost certain for a knighthood in the next Honours List.’</b><br>What's ironic about what Mr Birling is saying here?Multiple choice
  3. 3
    _'You! You don’t seem to care about anything. But I care. I was almost certain for a knighthood in the next Honours List.’_<br>Which words in this quote highlight the contrast between Eric and Mr Birling?True / false
  4. 4
    Key quotes from Mr Birling in Act 3:Fill in the list
  5. 5
    Which of these are key quotes from Mr Birling in Act 3?True / false
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Mr Birling Quotes Act 2

Mrs Birling Quotes Act 1