A Comparison of the Roles of Women in J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

A Comparison of the Roles of Women in J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls:

A Comparison of the Roles of Women in J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

In this essay I will focus on three different characters in the play
of 'Inspector Calls', written by J.B Priestly. I am going to compare
and contrast the roles of the three women in the play. These
characters are; Sheila Birling, Mrs Birling and Eva Smith also known
as Daisy Renton. I am going to talk about each of these characters,
and use quotes to support my ideas in what I think about them as a
person and their personalities. I'm mainly going to concentrate and
focus on Sheila and Mrs Birlings reactions after they find out about
the fate of Eva Smith.

I will first start with Sheila Birling. We know from what Priestly
tells us that Sheila is, pretty, attractive, honest, in her early
20's, pleased with her self and excited at the fact that she is
engaged to an upper class gentleman, Gerald Croft, son of a wealthy
family. Her father, Mr Birling, he is delighted and glad that his
daughter is becoming part of the aristocracy; this also means that
their business will join up with the Crofts. Sheila is both socialist
and capitalist. She is a very warm person compared to her mother.

Mrs Sybil Birling is a typical upper class citizen, though she is
married to a middle class citizen, Mr Birling a businessman. She is in
her mid 50's, she is a very cold woman (unlike her daughter,) and a
superior to her husband they have a lot in common. She is a
capitalist; this means that she is only interested in her family's
life and business. She doesn't like her associating with people
in the lower class. The most important thing in her life would have to
be her family name and reputation.

Finally I will discuss the facts about Eva Smith also known as Daisy
Renton. The audience don't get to meet or see her in the play; the
of this is to make the audience want to meet her. Priestley's'
use of dramatic device manipulates the audience in to feeling an
actual sense of loss at not meeting her, less sympathetic for the
people that we as the audience meet. We learn from Priestly that Eva
Smith is 24, working class citizen (lower class) ex-worker in Birling
Ltd she got fired after going on strike for a pay raise. She was a
good worker, ready for promotion, so why did she go on a strike for??
You might ask it's because she was a socialist similar to Sheila they
were both honest and very pretty as well. She wanted everyone to be
treated in the same way. So this led her to have no work for 2months,
this also meant that she had no wages. This shows that Eva is prepared
to put the welfare of others before her own. She then finally gets a
job in a shop called 'Milwards' a well known expensive clothes shop,
mainly for middle class and upper citizens. People like Sheila and Mrs
Birling shop there. Eva Smith has an unfortunate role in the play. She
commit suicides from a chain of events, she can't take anymore. She
feels that there is nothing left for her anymore. No job, no life, no
money, I feel that she thought that there's no point in so she
drunk some disinfectant, and was taken to the infirmary where she had
died.

When inspector Goole consults Sheila about the fate of Eva Smith,
(before she is aware of her connection to it) she becomes very sad and
she feels really sorry for the young girl who could have had a future,
who had huge potential, who commits suicide. She hasn't got the
faintest idea that she could also be involved in the death of Eva
Smith.
Act 1, page 12

"Oh how horrible! Was it an accident?"

This is a preview of the whole essay

The audience is able to tell from the way that Sheila acts, that she
is a very honest person, warm hearted, caring and kind. This also lets
the audience know that she has the capacity to sympathise. The young
girl, Sheila is nothing compared to her mother, I feel that if Sheila
had the chance she would help people in the working class (lower
class). She has some care for people lower than her class; she agrees
with the fact of socialism otherwise she wouldn't have cared about the
fate of Eva Smith.

When Sheila is confronted with the fact that she had a role in the
misfortunate fate of Eva, she is terrified. The audience notice a
marked a change in Sheila's character. Before the inspector could even
tell her she was involved, she has an idea that he is trying to get to
her and he succeeds. He announces that a young girl got fired after a
customer complaint. The girl that got sacked from Milwards an
expensive shop. Sheila realises that it was herself, which caused the innocent, young, pretty girl fired.

Act 1, page 15

(Staring at him; agitatedly) "When was this?"

"What-what did this girl look like?"

Then she asks questions all of a sudden, this shows the audience that
there is a certain connection between the two young females. Sheila is
more curious and interested than before; she has a guilty face now.
The playwright breaks her sentences up again, but only this time to
show her shock and fear, this is presented by the way she stutters.

Sheila thought of Eva as pretty young girl, she admired her beauty.
When Eva wore the dress, she looked absolutely astonishing and
sophisticated, though when she wore it, she felt extremely hideous.
She didn't look remarkably amazing as Eva did. This made her envious.

This frustration forced Sheila to make a customer complaint and
threaten to close their account with Milwards and tell people in the
middle class and up. Milwards couldn't take a chance, so they sacked
Eva.

Sheila has an insight that Mrs Birling doesn't have. Sheila is more
humane and caring.

Secondly I will discuss the facts about Mrs Birling.

MRS BIRLING

From the way Priestly tells us, that she is; an upper class citizen,
cold woman and her husband's social superior.

Quotations from Mrs Birling when we first meet her:

Act 1, page 2

(Smiling,) "Very well, then, just a little, thank you." Calm when
talking to her daughter.

She hears her husband saying; "Well, well - this is very nice. Very
nice. Good dinner too, Sybil. Tell cook from me." After hearing her
husband say this, she is rather annoyed at the fact that her husband
is talking to a working class servant. She'd rather prefer him talking
to people in their class should not mix.

(Reproachfully,) "Arthur, you're not supposed to say such things."

She has strong ideas about mixing classes.

The audience is able to tell from the way Mrs Birling expresses
herself as a tranquil, in control person also she has a rather high
and mighty character. She has clear ideas about behaviour and tells
her husband off for complimenting the servants. She believes in the
class system. Their reputation of the Birling's is very important, Mrs
Birling reputation the most. She doesn't like mixing with other
classes, so scandal is the worst of all possible issues.

When Mrs Birling learns of the fate of Eva Smith, she shows no
sympathy for the young girl. She doesn't show much affection. She
doesn't feel sorry and sad for the young girl, like her daughter does.

(Easy tone) "I'm Mrs Birling, y'know. My husband has just explained
why you are here and we'll be glad to help you?"

She goes on with her life as if everything is normal and just as it
was before. She's positive that this 'murder enquiry' has nothing to
do with them.

This shows the audience that Mrs Birling doesn't give a damn about
this commit suicide case. She and her daughter have totally different
personalities. Mrs Birling doesn't have the capacity to sympathise.
She isn't much curious of the whole situation. Though like her
daughte.

Mrs Birling knows that she is involved in the death of Eva Smith, but
she doesn't give herself away like the rest of the family did. She
denies ever knowing her? until; of course, the inspector finally
catches her out.

Inspector questions her. "Do you recognise her?"

Mrs Birling, "no. why should I?"

"She appealed to your organisation for help?"

This shows the audience that Mrs Birling could no-more hide her strong
and calm self. She could no long take the fact that she did know Eva

Mrs Birling was affronted at the fact that Eva had used the Birling's
name to get help. Mrs Birling thought that she was messing around and
that she'd impertinently made use of their name. She wasn't satisfied
enough with the girls' claim.

"First she called herself Mrs Birling-yes. I think it was simply a
piece of gross impertinence- quite deliberate? smug of confidence.
If the family name is one of the most important things ever, how could
anyone get away with it by using their name? To show that she is
really furious, she refuses help for Eva, when she appeals to Mrs
Birlings' organisation, when most vital.

"Only herself to blame" She's unconcerned, shows no curiosity what so
ever.

Mrs Birling is being questioned about the fate of Eva Smith. When Eva
appeals for help, Eva is pregnant. Mrs Birling tells the inspector
that the of her child has every responsibility for her and her
child, she doesn't. If the father abandoned them, he should be
punished. Unaware of the fact, that when she is accusing the father of
the baby, that it's her one and only son Eric Birling. When the
inspector tells her that he is the father of the child, Mrs Birling is
gob-smacked.

The reaction on her face changes immediately. She goes in to a shock
and starts crying, having nothing to say.

IMPRESSIONS AFTER BEING TOLD THAT THE WHOLE MURDER CASE IS

"HOAX"

Gerald appears and confronts the family that the inspector never even
existed.

Mrs Birling feels a relief. She is so glad that, she and her family
are 'innocent' and that no one gets to know about anything, so their
family reputation doesn't get tarnished.

Smiling, "and I must say, Gerald, you've argued this very cleverly,
and I'm most grateful."

She is pleased that Gerald has done an excellent job, in investigating
whether or not the inspector was a fake, because this means that
everything is ok for her now.

Mrs Birling might be grateful and relieved, but her daughter still has
a guilty conscience, Sheila still has some on her shoulders.

"But you're forgetting one thing that I still can't forget. Everything
we said had happenedreally had happened. If it didn't end tragically,
that's lucky for us. But it might have done. You're pretending
everything's just as it as before."

She remembers from what the inspector said,

"Fire, blood and anguish!"

Sheila is terrified the way everybody is acting as if nothing had
really happened. She is outraged that her parents don't even care
about the consequences of their actions.

Mrs Birling just feels really amused, as the whole thing was a 'joke'.
She knows she is as guilty as the rest of the family; she tries to
wriggle her way out of nay responsibility for Eva's death.

Mrs Birling, feeling rather relaxed,

"They're all over-tired. In the morning they'll be as amused as we
are."

"I suppose were all nice people now" Sheila sarcastically remains
affected by everyone's role in Eva's death. She believes that their
actions, still matter even if Eva has not committed suicide.

Sheila feels so depressed she even re-thinks about Gerald proposal.

Gerald, "Everything's all right now, Sheila. What about this ring?"

Sheila, "No, not yet. It's too soon. I must think."

She still feels that everyone is guilty, even if Gerald didn't look
after Eva or Daisy as his mistress, he still cheated on Sheila., it's
not like everything's ok now.

She still feels shocked and frightened. It would take her some time to
calm down. Gradually the family receive a call, when they find out
that a young girl has just killed herself, by drinking some
disinfectant. The whole family just gaze at each other. Wondering.