Mr. Birling is a middle classed family man who owns a business. He is an ex lord mayor and has been nominated for a knight hood. He comes across as quite a selfish character as he is very determined to get the knighthood and will do anything and protect himself from anything to get it. He has a lot of pride and he thinks he is better than everyone else, some may call him a snob and I tend to agree as he cares a lot about money and himself.
'There's a fair chance that I might find my way onto the next honors list, just a knight hood of course.' Mr. Birling likes to boast to people about his high status even at a time of sorrow and a family dilemma, he still manages to add a time to boast about himself and be proud of himself. This is a good quote to show about his selfishness. Another quote of his selfishness is when he says' I still can't accept responsibility...' He is a very unwilling person and the acceptation of responsibly in the older generation. He denies every bit of evidence when it comes to him looking bad and him loosing some of his pride. 'Well, well- this is very nice, very nice. Good dinner too, Sybil. Tell cook from me.' He may come across as being quite a kind man but this could be for an act as to gain capitalism. Birling also can be quite big headed with his powerful status of being a wealthy business man. This quote shows this well:-'I'm treating Gerald like one of the family. And I'm sure he won't object.' He tries and jokes about being big headed but when really he is being quite serious, he thinks he is the best.
Sheila represents the younger generation. She is Birling's daughter who is engaged to Gerald. She is a typical middle classed snob. She is very much like her father in the beginning of the play, very self centered. Sheila is quite a caring character which brings out the better of her. When the inspector tells her that Eva committed suicide, he response was 'Sorry! Its just I can't help thinking about this girl- destroying herself so horribly....' this shows she appreciates life but as she carries on talking '- and I've been so happy tonight. Oh I wish you hadn't told me.' Then she goes back to being selfish. Sheila is the most sympathetic character in this drama and she feels guilty when she realizes she has a part to play in Eva's suicidal. She is caring before she realizes she has a part in Eva's suicidal which shows the personality difference between her and her Father. This divergence really emphasizes the wide generation gap between the two characters.
Both Sheila and Birling use there high class status to the maximum but Birling does more, probably because he has more to offer. It seems that every chance he gets he will brag and boast about himself. 'I was an alderman for years- and lord mayor two years ago' this was when the inspector first arrived and Birling couldn't wait to introduce himself and offer him a drink of whiskey. Whiskey was most probably an expensive drink in the early 1900's. Birling thinks the inspector has called of 'some trouble about a warrant'. Birling could also be described as an impatient character as he tends to hurry the inspector with the questions. Birling uses his status for protection against the inspector. 'Well, inspector, I don't see that's in any concern of yours how I choose to run my business. Is it now?' he is quite rude to the inspector for it is his job but he does has something he wants to hide which is why he is acting as thou he wants to protect himself. Birling also tends to look down on the inspector, what a real snob would do:-'...They'd be soon asking for the earth.' and the inspector replies with a sly, witty comment '…But after its entire better to ask for the earth than to take it.' Birling has no comment to the inspector and changes the subject by asking for his name again.
Sheila uses her middle classed status to get Eva sacked. 'I went to the manager and told him the girl had been very impertinent.' She uses her status to exploit people in 'lower classes'. Sheila only went to the manager because her jealously of the better of her. She goes completely over the top and uses her status and being the daughter of the boss to get ever the sack. She didn't feel any sympathy when she did this to Eva but when Sheila found out Eva had killed her-self. ' I behaved badly too. I know I did, I'm ashamed of it.' And 'I felt rotten about the time and I feel worse now.' This shows how Sheila used her status and is now regretting her power of the evil thing she did. She has learnt her lesson and is highly unlikely to abuse her status again and use it for only for others benefits. Priestly uses social status as a point as don't take tour status for granted. If using your status wrong, you must be prepared to be responsible. Sheila learns this but as for Birling, he accepts no responsibility for Eva's death as if he does, it will ruin his reputation. In the elder generation, reputation is always paramount and this quote gives another good idea of Birling's selfish personality 'When this comes out at the inquest it isn't going to do us much good. The press might easily take it up…' He says 'us' in this quote but really he means 'me'. He is trying to cover up being selfish when it is obvious to the public.
Birling portrays the theme of community and the individual by the Priestly using the point of we are all together in this world and there should be no conflict. He uses this view by the inspector saying 'We are all members of one body'.
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Birling's characteristics bring historical values to the play by looking at his opening speech. He is in his house, with his family toasting to Sheila and Gerald's engagement. Being the man of the house and at this time, men was important at this time and men were treated better than women, knowing a bit of history about the 1910's helps. Birling congratulates his daughter and future son and law but also is again being selfish and thinks of what good can come to him with this wedding. Gerald has bout Birling's company and his fathers company together and Birling is pleased of this, although the rest of the family do not want to talk business on this special night. 'I don't think you ought to talk business on an occasion like this'. Priestly is trying to get the message through to readers that business isn't everything and all types of class, as poor people to rich higher class people should be treated the same and as individuals. Money doesn't make the world go round. I think priestly comes across as being quite biased thou because Birling has all the potential for the being the negative character of the play. I think Birling was purposely meant to be hated for he was the sort of person Priestly was fighting against.
Sheila has mainly all the positive characteristics and is supposed to convey typical values and beliefs of the younger generation. Sheila started of as a spoilt rich girl who lived of her father's status, who didn't really look far into the world. Sheila only saw what she wanted to see, and if she didn't see what she wanted, Sheila would change it and not care until after would when you could see the damage it has caused. Priestly thinks that being like Sheila you can learn from your mistakes and to teach and tell other people your mistakes so they can learn too from them. Through being like Sheila will lead to a better world because she is being honest.
Reputation played a big part for Birling in this play as he didn't want to ruin his reputation. 'Still I can't accept any responsibility.' He can't accept any responsibility because he doesn't want any thing to get in the way of him getting his knight hood. He sees Eva's death as an inconvenience or just an obstacle, nothing to important. 'I've got to cover this up as soon as I can' He is embarrassed about this whole situation because of guilt.
Sheila, unlike her father accepts full responsibility and this could be because of the age gap, you do not blame the elder.' But these girls aren't cheap labor- they're people' she accepts that everyone is the same. 'It was my own fault' A positive and obvious quote which shows that Sheila holds responsible for her own actions and is not afraid to express her feelings to the inspector, she has nothing to hide all though she is embarrassed and ashamed. Why cant her father just accept what he has done?
The characters change throughout the play but Sheila is the obvious character which changes and is willing to change even more. Birling doesn't really change at all; he stays his own arrogant self. Gerald is very much like Sheila as he admits he is responsible and is honest with his actions which are having an affair with Eva Smith. They are both alike because they are honest to the inspector as for Birling who will not give straight answers and avoids direct answers. 'Do you remember her, Mr. Birling? 'No- I seem to remember hearing that name- Eva Smith-somewhere. But it doesn't convey anything to me. And I don't see where I come into this.' Again he sounds rather rude and stuck up with his high status. Birling doesn't change because Priestly is trying to make him the bad character and for the readers to realize. It adds more conflict to the family if he is different by not holding responsible and changing.