Content Warning: The source material and this section of the guide include references to death by suicide, addiction, and rape.

“You ought to like this port, Gerald. As a matter of fact, Finchley told me it’s exactly the same port your father gets from him.”

In the first act, Arthur Birling reveals both his ambition and his refusal to acknowledge reality. He has bought the same port as Gerald’s father in a blatant attempt to impress his new son-in-law, who is of a higher social standing. As he seeks Gerald’s approval, he hands a glass of port to his son, despite Eric’s barely concealed addiction. Arthur is more interested in impressing Gerald by mimicking Gerald’s father than in actually being a father to his son, who is dealing with an alcohol addiction.

“There’s a good deal of silly talk about these days—but—and I speak as a hard-headed business man, who has to take risks and know what he’s about—I say, you can ignore all this silly pessimistic talk.”

Arthur’s pompous speech operates on the premise of dramatic irony. The play is set in the past, before World War I and II, as well as before the tragic voyage of the Titanic. Arthur believes that war will not occur and that the Titanic will be a success; the audience knows that he is patently incorrect. Arthur uses his status as a “hard-headed business man” to establish his credentials (165); however, the audience views him as a boastful, self-important fool.

“They worked us hard in those days and kept us short of cash.”

Arthur revels in his own self-mythologizing. Rather than actually understand his son and his problems, he would rather construct an exaggerated version of history and then expect Eric to follow in these imaginary footsteps.