Mrs Birling Quotes Act 2

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Mrs Birling - Key Quotes

Mrs Birling says the following key quotes in Act 2:

'You seem to have made a great impression on this child'

Mrs Birling is talking to Inspector Goole.
She shows that she doesn’t respect Sheila as a young adult – she still thinks of her as a child, and talks about her as if she is not in the room.
She also belittles (plays down) the effect the Inspector has had. She suggests that this ‘impression’ will be short-lived, and that Sheila will not be permanently affected by him.

'You know, of course, that my husband...'

‘You know, of course, that my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago and that he’s still a magistrate?’
- This highlights the influence of the upper classes.
- Most people would let the Birlings be treated differently and receive special treatment – both Mr and Mrs Birling find it unacceptable that Inspector Goole refuses to worship or fear them.
- Priestley uses their attitudes to show the corruption (moral wrongness) in a society that lets the social classes be treated differently and, in some cases, not even be included in criminal investigations purely because of their social class.

‘It’s you – and not the Inspector’

This exclamation from Mrs Birling to Sheila shows a crack in their apparently-perfect family façade (fake image).
The family members have begun to separate. They verbally attack one another, suggesting that their perfect family is not so perfect after all.

‘She had only herself to blame’

Mrs Birling says many times that Eva Smith was to blame for her own fate, and for the charity refusing to help her. She then goes on to blame the man who got Eva pregnant.
At no point in the whole play does Mrs Birling accept any responsibility for her own actions, or think that her actions may have negative consequences for others. She doesn't understand that she should think about other people.
Mrs Birling only cares about her own family, how they look to other people, and keeping (or improving) their social standing.

‘Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility’

As soon as Mrs Birling finds out that Eva was pregnant, she shifts all blame to the father of the child. -
As this man is described, dramatic irony (when the audience knows something the characters don’t) unfolds as the audience realise that this man is actually Eric, Mrs Birling’s son.
As Mrs Birling continues her speech, the audience waits for her to work out that she is actively criticising her own son.
As long as this man is anonymous (not named), she does not care what happens to him.
When she starts to realise it could be her son, she stutters and stops talking.

Mrs Birling - Key Quote (Act 2)

‘It would be much better if Sheila didn’t listen to this story at all.’ Here's an analysis of this key quote from Act 2:

Family

Mrs Birling focuses on how her family should behave around other people – she feels that Sheila should not be exposed to the nasty reality of the tale of Eva Smith.
She tries to protect Sheila from the harsh truths of life.

Class dynamics

This suggests that the upper class did their best to avoid recognising the hardships of working-class people – these harsh truths are considered inappropriate for Sheila to hear.
Mrs Birling is happy for Eva Smith (who was around the same age) to experience them first-hand – because she is lower-class.

1Plot Summary

1.1Act 1

1.1.1Act 1 Summary

1.1.2Act 1 Key Quotes

1.2Act 2

1.2.1Act 2 Summary

1.2.2Act 2 Key Quotes

1.3Act 3

1.3.1Act 3 Summary

1.3.2Act 3 Key Quotes

1.3.3Act 3 More Key Quotes

1.3.4End of Topic Test - Acts 1, 2 & 3

2Context & Key Themes

2.1Context & Key Themes

2.1.1Social Class & Equality

2.1.2Class Tension

2.1.3Abuse of Power & Corruption

2.1.4Socialism vs Capitalism

2.1.5Blame & Responsibility

2.1.6Attitudes to Women

2.1.7Characterisation of Women

2.1.8Dramatic Function of Characters

2.1.9End of Topic Test - Context & Key Themes

2.1.10End of Topic Test - Context & Key Themes 2

2.1.11Grade 9 - Key Themes

2.1.12Diagnostic Misconceptions - Socialism vs Communism

2.1.13Diagnostic Misconceptions - Edna

2.1.14Diagnostic Misconceptions - Women in the Play

2.1.15Diagnostic Misconceptions - Eva Smith

3Key Characters

4Authorial Method

4.1Arrangement & Structure of the Play

4.1.1Setting, Lighting & Dramatic Irony

4.1.2Structure & Chronology

4.1.3Structure & Chronology 2

4.1.4End of Topic Test - Authorial Method

4.1.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Flashbacks

5Recap: Main Quotes

5.1Mr Birling Quotes

5.1.1Mr Birling Quotes Act 1

5.1.2Mr Birling Quotes Act 2

5.1.3Mr Birling Quotes Act 3

5.2Mrs Birling Quotes

5.2.1Mrs Birling Quotes Act 1

5.2.2Mrs Birling Quotes Act 2

5.2.3Mrs Birling Quotes Act 3

5.3Sheila Quotes

5.3.1Sheila Quotes Act 1

5.3.2Sheila Quotes Act 2

5.3.3Sheila Quotes Act 3

5.4Eric Quotes

5.4.1Eric Quotes Act 1

5.4.2Eric Quotes Act 1 (2nd Quote)

5.4.3Eric Quotes Act 3

5.5Gerald Quotes

5.5.1Gerald Quotes Act 1

5.5.2Gerald Quotes Act 2

5.5.3Gerald Quotes Act 3

5.6Inspector Goole Quotes

5.6.1Inspector Goole Quotes Act 1

5.6.2Inspector Goole Quotes Act 2

5.6.3Inspector Goole Quotes Act 3

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