THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.
Mr. Birling, a typical businessman who follows typical business practices, is so certain that life will turn out his way because he made all his money by working hard. “ And I’m talking as a hard-headed practical man of business.” He is so sure of himself and thinks he has nothing more to learn. He is also wrong headed, everything he say’s won’t happen, happen he likes to pontificate, “ There’s a lot of wild talk about possible labour trouble.” And there is a general strike in 1926. He says the Titanic is ‘UNSINKABLE’ and it sinks in 1912. “ Nobody wants war” and there is a massive war in 1945 ‘The Second World War!’
After the inspector makes everyone confess, he is worried about his Knighthood, “look inspector-I’d give thousands-yes thousands.” He is the head of the family and every member of his family has been exposed, so he wants to give money to cover up the frets of his family he has recognised. He is very pleased when they hear that no girl has died,” No police inquiry. No one girl that all this happened to no Scandal.”
THE ROLE OF WOMEN
Eva Smith has no recourse when she is dismissed from her job on two occasions because, she has no one to stand for her and complain to Mr. Birling. She is of a low status and has had enough of being chucked out of work by people of a higher status than her. She is a strong, determined person with good leadership qualities and a sense of justice, but she can’t cope with always being the one to be chucked out. Because of her vulnerability Gerald and Eric use her, even though she knew that Gerald wouldn’t marry her because they are of two very different classes she still goes out with him.
Sheila, a typical rich daughter, destined never to work, to be looked after by her father, then her husband to be, is introduced as a silly flirtatious rich daughter. She is not really a bad person, but because she is used to always having her way, she gets Eva sucked, for she sees her smiling when she tries on a dress that everyone had told her would look silly on her. She uses her money power to have her way. When she hears of Eva’s death, she is sympathetic, and thinks how lucky she is. “Oh how horrible! Was it an accident,” sorry it’s just that I can’t help thinking about this girl.” She feels really bad. When she hears that her dad sucked Eva because she organised a strike in order to get a raise, she is compassionate and says “ but these girls aren’t cheap labour, they’re people.” Sheila takes full responsibility for her own action, “ it was my own fault,” she says to the inspector. She is also the first person in the play to understand what the inspector is trying to make them understand about themselves, that they should be responsible for their actions because there actions affect other people, so she is also trying to make her parents understand the same, " you mustn’t try to build some kind of wall between us and the girl. If you do the inspector will just break it down.” She tells them because they are just because no girl has died.
Mrs. Birling is a stereotypical rich wife and mother who doesn’t work but spends her time doing charitable deeds. She is always worried about property and telling her husband what to and whatnot to say. “ Now Aurthur, I don’t think you ought to talk business on an occasion like this.” She doesn’t know her son that well and isn’t willing to accept the truth,” it isn’t true. You know him Gerald and you are a man-you must know it isn’t true,” she says when hears of Eric’s drinking habits. She has a very rigid morality, no room for mistake and thinks that if anything isn’t proper “it is disgusting,” she says. When she finds out that Eva was impregnated by her son and would not take stolen money from him. That’s why she came for help to her and she denied her help, she still doesn’t admit she was wrong and say, ‘I’m very sorry, but I think she only had herself to blame.
THE ROLE OF MEN
ERIC
Eric is a typical rich son who is dominated by his father and destined to take over his father’s business. He is always disagreeing with what his father says; he disagrees with him, about him sucking Eva Smith; “he could have kept her on instead of throwing her out. I call it lack.” His words create tension between him and his father. Eric is frightened to tell his parents about his relationship with Eva, because he knows that they will not approve because she is form a lower class than they are and she can damage their reputation if anyone was to know that she was their son’s girlfriend. Like Sheila, he also took responsibility for his own actions and recognises that what he id was wrong whether someone else knew or not, “ whoever that chap was, the fact remains that I did what I did.
GERALD
Gerald is a typical aristocratic businessman; even though he is nice to Daisy Renton he has the same business practices as Mr. Birling. “ I know l would have done the same thing.” He spends the first half of the play supporting and flattering his father in law to be (Mr. Birling). When Mrs Birling says his affair with Daisy was disgusting, he says,” it wasn’t disgusting” because he is not ashamed of what his done and at that time it was more acceptable for men to have affairs than women. He has put himself in the same camp as Mr. Birling (those who don’t learn anything and want to forget about it when they find out that no girl is dead) and he says to Sheila, “what about this ring,” expecting that she’ll take him back, after everything she has learnt he expects that she’ll just forget about it, but because Sheila is remorseful, she doesn’t. Maybe if he was remorseful as well she might have taken the ring back.
THE INSPECTOR
The inspector acts as conscience of the characters and the audience. He knows everything about all the characters and ignores and transcends all social hierarchies. He isn’t a real inspector and his investigating a murder that hasn’t happened yet. He is the voice of Eva and all other homeless people of 1912,1946 and 2002. He is also the voice of the playwright JB Priestly. He is the element of mystery in the play as he is a voice from the future. The aspects of his character means that he goes beyond a realistic character and is the moral messenger.