st 21 Friday January Essay Question: BIRLING • What do you remember about Birling from the play? • Think about how he interacts with other characters; • Think about what themes he is related to; • Think about why Priestley includes him – what is he trying to suggest about society? What do you think about Mr. Birling and the way he speaks and behaves at different points in the play? [20] In your answer you should refer to events in the play and its social, cultural and historical context. CHARACTER QUESTION TYPES ROLE For these types of questions, you should be APPEARANCE answering using a format called RAPPOPAY. PAST PRESENT For each of the sections from A-P, you OTHERS’ VIEWS should be using PEAS paragraph structure. PERSONALITY AUTHOR’S VIEW POINT YOUR OPINION EVIDENCE EXPLAIN SOCIAL CONTEXT What do you think about Birling and the way he speaks and behaves at different points in the play? [20] In your answer you should refer to events in the play and its social, cultural and historical context. Plan ROLE APPEARANCE PAST PRESENT OTHERS’ VIEWS PERSONALITY AUTHOR’S VIEW YOUR OPINION • • • • • • • • • • • KEY QUOTES “Arthur Birling is a heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties with fairly easy manners but rather provincial in his speech’ “I can’t accept any responsibility.” “It’s my duty to keep labour costs down.” “If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth.” “Perhaps I ought to warn you that that [the Chief Constable is] and old friend of mine. We play golf together.” “I don’t like your tone nor the way you’re handling this enquiry.” “I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can.” “Why you hysterical young fool – get back – or I’ll –“ “I care. I was almost certain for a Knighthood in the next honours list.” “By the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense.” “A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own – and –’ What do you think about Birling and the way he speaks and behaves at different points in the play? [20] In your answer you should refer to events in the play and its social, cultural and historical context. Plan ROLE - Differences upper/lower class - Mistreatment of workers APPEARANCE P: Self-indulgent E: ‘heavy-looking rather portentous man’ A: Has means to afford finer things resulting in weight gain S: Corrupted by wealth and class. • • • • • • • • • • • KEY QUOTES “Arthur Birling is a heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties with fairly easy manners but rather provincial in his speech’ “I can’t accept any responsibility.” “It’s my duty to keep labour costs down.” “If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth.” “Perhaps I ought to warn you that that [the Chief Constable is] and old friend of mine. We play golf together.” “I don’t like your tone nor the way you’re handling this enquiry.” “I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can.” “Why you hysterical young fool – get back – or I’ll –“ “I care. I was almost certain for a Knighthood in the next honours list.” “By the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense.” “A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own – and –’ What do you think about Birling and the way he speaks and behaves at different points in the play? [20] In your answer you should refer to events in the play and its social, cultural and historical context. Plan PAST P: Selfish E: ‘If you don’t come down […] asking for the earth’ A: doesn’t care about anyone other than himself as he is self-interested. S: Criticising class who viewed social rank above social welfare. • • • • • • • • • • KEY QUOTES “I can’t accept any responsibility.” “It’s my duty to keep labour costs down.” “If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth.” “Perhaps I ought to warn you that that [the Chief Constable is] and old friend of mine. We play golf together.” “I don’t like your tone nor the way you’re handling this enquiry.” “I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can.” “Why you hysterical young fool – get back – or I’ll –“ “I care. I was almost certain for a Knighthood in the next honours list.” “By the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense.” “A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own – and –’ What do you think about Birling and the way he speaks and behaves at different points in the play? [20] In your answer you should refer to events in the play and its social, cultural and historical context. Plan PRESENT P Sly – cares only about social rank E ‘I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can’ A suggests he hasn’t learned from the experience S image-obsessed capitalists. • • • • • • • • • • KEY QUOTES “I can’t accept any responsibility.” “It’s my duty to keep labour costs down.” “If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth.” “Perhaps I ought to warn you that that [the Chief Constable is] and old friend of mine. We play golf together.” “I don’t like your tone nor the way you’re handling this enquiry.” “I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can.” “Why you hysterical young fool – get back – or I’ll –“ “I care. I was almost certain for a Knighthood in the next honours list.” “By the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense.” “A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own – and –’ What do you think about Birling and the way he speaks and behaves at different points in the play? [20] In your answer you should refer to events in the play and its social, cultural and historical context. Plan OTHERS P Inspector doesn’t respect him as he wants to be E ‘I DON’T’ LIKE YOUR TONE’ A wants to be dominant S Upper middle class won’t accept criticism/blame • • • • • • • • • • KEY QUOTES “I can’t accept any responsibility.” “It’s my duty to keep labour costs down.” “If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth.” “Perhaps I ought to warn you that that [the Chief Constable is] and old friend of mine. We play golf together.” “I don’t like your tone nor the way you’re handling this enquiry.” “I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can.” “Why you hysterical young fool – get back – or I’ll –“ “I care. I was almost certain for a Knighthood in the next honours list.” “By the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense.” “A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own – and –’ What do you think about Birling and the way he speaks and behaves at different points in the play? [20] In your answer you should refer to events in the play and its social, cultural and historical context. Plan PERSONALITY P self-centred E ‘a man has to mind his own business’ A personally obsessed with building his enterprise S Narcissism of the bourgeoisie • • • • • • • • • • KEY QUOTES “I can’t accept any responsibility.” “It’s my duty to keep labour costs down.” “If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth.” “Perhaps I ought to warn you that that [the Chief Constable is] and old friend of mine. We play golf together.” “I don’t like your tone nor the way you’re handling this enquiry.” “I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can.” “Why you hysterical young fool – get back – or I’ll –“ “I care. I was almost certain for a Knighthood in the next honours list.” “By the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense.” “A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own – and –’ What do you think about Birling and the way he speaks and behaves at different points in the play? [20] In your answer you should refer to events in the play and its social, cultural and historical context. Plan AUTHOR’S VIEWS - Wealth/Classes - Gender - Age - Status - Capitalism - Treatment of workers • • • • • • • • • • KEY QUOTES “I can’t accept any responsibility.” “It’s my duty to keep labour costs down.” “If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth.” “Perhaps I ought to warn you that that [the Chief Constable is] and old friend of mine. We play golf together.” “I don’t like your tone nor the way you’re handling this enquiry.” “I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can.” “Why you hysterical young fool – get back – or I’ll –“ “I care. I was almost certain for a Knighthood in the next honours list.” “By the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense.” “A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own – and –’
