Mrs Birling is married to Mr Birling and the head of a charity. She refused to help Eva Smith when Eva came to her and told her she was pregnant.
- 'She needed not only money but advice, sympathy, friendliness. You’ve had children. You must have known what she was feeling. And you slammed the door in her face.'(45)
- Sheila criticises her actions. 'Mother, I think it was cruel and vile.'(45)
- She is complacent and arrogant and thinks that her treatment of Eva was 'no more than my duty' (60)
- Like Mr Birling, at the end she has learnt nothing, and criticises Sheila and Eric for being upset about Eva. 'They're just over tired. In the morning they'll be as amused as we are.'(71)