Question

How does priestly present mr Birling as a selfish character ?

Answer 1

One instance of selfishness is with the Birling family, who appear to live in their own “comfortable” bubble of wealth and avarice, which inhibits and warps their views of the world. For instance, the stage directions describe the “suburban” Birling family home as “pink and intimate”. The use of the adjective “pink” connotes ‘rose tinted spectacles’; the sense that the Birling family has a nostalgic, anachronistic and out-of-touch perception of the world, implying they are detached from the realities of modern Britain. This feeling is further augmented when the Inspector arrives and shatters their rapacious ignorance. The lighting changes drastically, going to “brighter and harder”. The implication of such a change is that the Inspector is shining a light (as though in a police interrogation) on areas the Birlings had never previously seen (because of the ignorance afforded to them by their greed and selfishness).

Hope this helps! x