Eric Birling and Gerald Croft:
Both Eric and Gerald had an affair with Eva Smith but Eric’s affair was more serious than Gerald’s was. Although Gerald is not a Birling, they both brought down the Birling name, by sleeping with a lower class woman.
Gerald.
He is a wealthy young man who belongs to the Croft family who are very wealthy. Gerald fails to take responsibility for his actions, as he did not consider that his fiancée Sheila Birling would find out. Due to his generosity to Eva Smith by letting her stay at a friend’s estate, he did not think that he could be a prime suspect for her suicide. Because of this, he jeopardises his relationship with wife to be Sheila.
Although he broke off the connection between Eva Smith and himself, Sheila still feels reluctant to forgive him.
Eric.
He is a young man who doesn’t take responsibility for his actions as he drank too much and didn’t consider the consequences of sleeping with Eva Smith. Eva Smith is partially to blame, as she didn’t reject Eric, as she knew that Eric suffered from a drink problem.
Eric also stole money from his fathers business so he could try to support Eva Smith after he found out the predicament she was in. Eric also failed to think ahead that his father would find out that he had been stealing from him. Although his intentions were good when he stole the money he should of first asked for advice about his predicament and then asked his father for some money to support the mother of his child.
Mrs Birling and Sheila Birling:
Both ladies denied Eva Smith money to support herself, which led to her suicide.
Mrs Birling.
She is a lady who bleeds inside because of her grief after rejecting Eva Smith money and a stable place to live but she tries to put on a brave face until she meets the inspector. Mrs Birling is the engine of the family and tries to keep things running perfectly. When Eva Smith approaches Mrs Birling using Mrs Birling's name, Mrs Birling rejects her straight away and doesn’t look back. Mrs Birling also believes that she takes a major part in Eva Smith’s death. She doesn’t act like any person in her family because she doesn’t victimise lower class people and she doesn’t think she’s better off than lower class people, but she also worries about her family reputation.
Sheila Birling.
She’s in her late twenties and is due to marry Gerald Croft. She also doesn’t care about lower class people so she acts like her father, Mr Birling. She is a lady who likes to think no one can stand in her way and if they do, they pay. If her marriage goes ahead, she will be financially settled for the rest of her life but she also does not take responsibility for her actions. Sheila gets Eva Smith fired from Millwards (Clothes Store) due to pure jealousy and paranoia which was Eva Smiths only income. She felt that Eva Smith was laughing at her when she was wearing a dress and when Eva Smith put the dress up against herself, Sheila felt jealous.
Paragraph 3: Setting.
The play was set in the Birling's house in Brumley, an industrial city in the North Midlands. The year was 1912 where there was a barrier between upper and lower class people. The relationship between upper and lower class people was very distant. Lower class people worked for higher class people and they did not mix after working hours. Although the play was based on the death of a lower class lady, it showed the thoughts of higher-class people after they were all linked to one ladies death.
The attitude of higher-class people to lower class people was discriminating and harsh. They thought that they were not worth anything apart from working at low rates. They thought that they weren’t entitled to good paying jobs, freedom of speech, equal opportunities and independence. However, J.B. Priestly shows us why this way of life changes.
Working conditions were poor at that period of time, and as trade unions did not exist, employees belonged to their bosses. Lower class people were given long working hours earning pennies, bad working conditions and bad equipment and as most lower class people needed money to support their families, they were afraid to speak out.
Paragraph 4: Inspectors Main Role.
I think that the inspector was created by the writer to look out for the Birling family. He paid a visit to the Birling’s so they could sort out their stories before a real inspector did come. The writer makes the inspector a demanding person and someone to be afraid of. He asks awkward questions that puts each person in a compromising position to unwire the question, the way they would like.
I think J.B. Priestly presents him in a great way because he paints a picture into the minds of the readers that he is a commanding person who loves to hear the truth. The writer also tries to create a character that makes the other characters afraid.
Paragraph 5: Conclusion.
I think that J.B. Priestly could not put his message across any better. He first shows the relationship between higher-class people and lower class people. He then shows how we are all members of one body, as each person contributed to the death of Eva Smith and we are responsible for each others actions, because if you’re discriminating to one person, the next person is the same as you.
After reading this play, the writer has taught me to treat people as individuals and not to categorise them in to different classes.
