Sheila Birling: Character Analysis

This page focuses on Sheila Birling, a central character in An Inspector Calls:

Sheila is the daughter of Arthur and Sybil Birling, engaged to Gerald Croft at the start of the play. Initially appearing naive, she proves to be one of the most insightful and adaptable characters.

Key traits of Sheila include:

• Quick to understand the Inspector's purpose, ahead of her family
• Emotional and remorseful upon realizing her role in Eva's death
• Rejects capitalist views in favor of more socialist, egalitarian ideals
• Disagrees with her family's treatment of workers
• Shows character growth and openness to change

Quote: "But these girls aren't cheap labour - they're people." - Sheila Birling

Highlight: Sheila represents hope for the younger generation, demonstrating the potential for social change.

Sheila's character arc involves:

1. Recognizing her jealousy-driven actions that contributed to Eva's firing
2. Feeling genuine remorse and taking responsibility
3. Challenging her family's outdated views
4. Embracing a more socially conscious perspective

Example: Sheila's reaction to her role in Eva's dismissal from Milwards shows her capacity for empathy and willingness to acknowledge her mistakes.

Priestley uses Sheila to illustrate the possibility of moral growth and the adoption of more progressive social attitudes.

Eric Birling: Character Analysis

This page delves into the character of Eric Birling in An Inspector Calls:

Eric, the son of Arthur and Sybil Birling, is a complex character who undergoes significant development throughout the play.

Key characteristics of Eric include:

• Early 20s, upper-class background
• Struggles with alcoholism
• Disagrees with his parents' capitalist views, leaning towards socialist values
• Responsible for getting Eva Smith pregnant and stealing money from his father's business

Quote: "We all helped to kill her." - Eric Birling

Eric's role in the play:

1. Represents the younger generation's potential for change
2. Highlights the inequality between upper and lower classes
3. Demonstrates the consequences of irresponsible behavior

Character development:

• Initially presented as irresponsible and childish
• Takes responsibility for his actions and shows genuine remorse
• Realizes the full impact of his behavior on Eva Smith

Highlight: Eric's character arc symbolizes the possibility of moral growth and social awareness among the younger generation.

Priestley uses Eric to:

• Contrast the attitudes of the younger and older generations
• Illustrate the damaging effects of privilege without responsibility
• Show the potential for change and acceptance of social responsibility

Example: Eric's theft from his father's business to support Eva and their unborn child demonstrates both his guilt and his attempt to take responsibility, albeit in a misguided way.

Eric's character serves as a critique of the upper class's abuse of power and the need for greater social consciousness.

Arthur Birling: Character Analysis

This page focuses on Arthur Birling, a central figure in An Inspector Calls:

Arthur Birling is the patriarch of the Birling family, a wealthy industrialist who embodies capitalist values and social climbing in early 20th century Britain.

Key characteristics of Mr. Birling:

• Lacks empathy and is often emotionless
• Prioritizes business interests and social reputation over moral considerations
• Questions and doubts the Inspector's authority
• Described as a "hard-headed businessman"
• Attempts to impress Gerald Croft due to social hierarchy

Quote: "A man has to make his own way - has to look after himself and his family too." - Arthur Birling

Birling's role in the play:

1. Represents the capitalist mindset and resistance to social change
2. Serves as a foil to the Inspector's socialist ideals
3. Illustrates the shortsightedness of purely profit-driven thinking

Highlight: Priestley uses dramatic irony to make Birling appear foolish, particularly in his comments about the "unsinkable" Titanic and the impossibility of war.

Character analysis:

• Married into a higher social class
• Ignorant of the consequences of his actions on others
• Refuses to accept responsibility for his role in Eva Smith's death
• Primarily concerned with maintaining his public image and business interests

Example: Birling's decision to fire Eva Smith for asking for higher wages demonstrates his prioritization of profit over worker welfare.

Priestley uses Arthur Birling to critique the selfish and socially irresponsible aspects of capitalism, presenting him as an unsympathetic character whose views are consistently challenged throughout the play.

Mrs. Birling: Character Analysis

This page examines the character of Mrs. Birling in An Inspector Calls:

Mrs. Birling, wife of Arthur Birling and mother to Sheila and Eric, represents the entrenched upper-class attitudes and social prejudices of early 20th century Britain.

Key characteristics of Mrs. Birling:

• Socially conservative and class-conscious
• Dismissive of those she considers beneath her social standing
• Reluctant to accept responsibility for her actions
• Attempts to intimidate and criticize the Inspector

Quote: "She was giving herself ridiculous airs. She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position." - Mrs. Birling

Mrs. Birling's role in the play:

1. Embodies the rigid class structure and social prejudices of the time
2. Demonstrates the lack of empathy among the upper classes towards the less fortunate
3. Serves as a contrast to her children's more progressive attitudes

Character analysis:

• Shows no remorse for her part in Eva Smith's death
• Attempts to silence those she sees as a threat to her social position
• Fails to recognize her son's involvement in Eva's pregnancy

Highlight: Mrs. Birling's refusal to help Eva Smith when she came to the charity organization reveals her deep-seated class prejudices and lack of compassion.

Priestley uses Mrs. Birling to:

• Critique the hypocrisy of upper-class philanthropy
• Illustrate the damaging effects of rigid class distinctions
• Show the resistance to social change among the older generation

Example: Mrs. Birling's dismissal of Eva's plea for help, based solely on her use of the name "Mrs. Birling," demonstrates her inability to see beyond class boundaries and her own social prejudices.

Mrs. Birling's character serves as a stark representation of the social attitudes that Priestley sought to challenge through An Inspector Calls, highlighting the need for greater empathy and social responsibility across class divides.

Character Analysis: The Birling Family

This page provides an overview of the main characters in An Inspector Calls and their key traits:

Arthur Birling: A wealthy industrialist who embodies capitalist values. He is stubborn, self-centered, and primarily concerned with his business interests and social status.

Mrs. Birling: Arthur's wife, who refuses to take responsibility for her actions and looks down on those of lower social class.

Eric Birling: The son, who struggles with alcoholism and guilt over his role in Eva Smith's death. He shows potential for change and adopting more socialist views.

Sheila Birling: The daughter, who demonstrates the most growth and willingness to accept responsibility. She comes to reject her parents' capitalist attitudes.

Gerald Croft: Sheila's fiancé, who seems to be the only character from 1945 rather than 1912, highlighting the changing social attitudes.

Highlight: The characters represent different responses to social responsibility, with the younger generation more open to change than their parents.

Quote: "We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other." - Inspector Goole

The page also outlines key themes including responsibility, social equality, morality, generational differences, public image, and gender roles in early 20th century Britain.