Mr Birling is basically everything Priestley wants you to hate about capitalism. His famous line "a man has to mind his own business and look after himself" shows he couldn't care less about his workers or community. The repetition of "his" and "himself" hammers home how selfish he is.

When he talks about "lower costs and higher prices," Priestley's using juxtaposition to show how the working class gets exploited whilst the rich get richer. Mr Birling literally celebrates his daughter's engagement because it'll help his business - family means nothing compared to profit.

The "unsinkable" Titanic reference is dramatic irony at its finest. You know the ship sank, so you immediately distrust everything he says. Priestley's basically telling you that capitalism will sink just like the Titanic when the Inspector (the metaphorical iceberg) arrives.

Mrs Birling is just as bad but in a different way. She's obsessed with social class and has zero empathy for anyone beneath her. When the Inspector says "you must have known what she was feeling," the repetition of "you" forces her to face her cruel actions towards Eva Smith.

Quick Tip: Remember that both Birlings represent the older generation's refusal to change - perfect exam material for comparing generational attitudes!

Mrs Birling's phrase "girls of that class" is absolutely loaded with prejudice. She uses "girls" to make working-class women sound immature and weak, whilst "that class" treats them like they're barely human. It's properly grim when you think about it.

Her belief that Eva can't have "fine feelings" because of her social position shows how twisted her worldview is. The alliteration in "fine feelings" makes her sound sarcastic and cruel - she genuinely thinks poor people can't have proper emotions.

Sheila starts off just as bad but she's willing to change. Her line "these girls aren't cheap labour... they're people" shows she's beginning to see the injustice. Yes, she still says "these girls" (keeping that distance), but at least she recognises they're human beings.

Sheila's honesty about firing Eva because "she was very pretty" reveals how insecurity and class anxiety work together. She admits she wouldn't have bothered if Eva was "plain" - showing how women were judged purely on looks and saw each other as competition for male attention.

Exam Focus: Sheila's character development from selfish to responsible is perfect for questions about how characters change throughout the play.

Gerald represents the upper-class man who thinks he can use his privilege without consequences. His admission "I didn't feel about her as she felt about me" is brutally honest - he knew Eva loved him more but carried on anyway because he could.

His description of "hard-eyed dough-faced women" shows his superficial view of women. He reduces them to objects valued only for their appearance, completely missing that their "hard" exterior comes from the tough lives they've been forced to live.

Eric might be the most complex character here. Unlike his parents, he actually grows throughout the play. His angry question "The girl's still dead, isn't she?" cuts through all the family's excuses and denial. That rhetorical question forces everyone to face the reality of Eva's death.

Eric's drinking problem and aggressive behaviour when he "threatened to make a row" shows the dark side of upper-class masculinity. He took advantage of Eva's vulnerable position, but unlike Gerald, he was prepared to marry her - suggesting some sense of responsibility.

Character Analysis: Eric represents hope for change in the younger generation, making him crucial for essays about social responsibility and generational conflict.

The Inspector is Priestley's mouthpiece for socialist values and social responsibility. He's not just investigating a death - he's putting the entire capitalist system on trial.

His famous speech about being "members of one body" uses religious imagery to show that society should work together as one unit. The collective pronoun "we" emphasises that social responsibility affects everyone, not just individuals.

The warning about "fire and blood and anguish" if people don't learn their lesson is properly ominous. Priestley's using a tricolon with war imagery to suggest that ignoring social problems will lead to conflict and suffering - pretty prophetic considering the World Wars that followed.

The Inspector's omniscient knowledge (he seems to know everything) and moral authority make him almost godlike. He forces each character to confess their sins and face the consequences of their actions.

Essay Gold: The Inspector represents Priestley's socialist ideals and serves as the moral compass of the entire play - essential for any question about themes or Priestley's message.