Mr birling is the first person who is brought into the inquiry about the young girl who is called Eva Smith. Mr Birling believes that he is not to blame for her job and he did the right thing for a man in he position which show how arrogant he is. The inspector describes her suicide “ as a chain of events” which creates a sense of mystery making the audience wanting to know what the chain of events are. Mr Birling he won’t accept and responsibility for he suicide even on the smallest level. From this it changes Mr Birling’s mood, which changes the mood of the room. As Eric is starting to go against he father by saying “it isn’t if you can’t go and work somewhere else” which creates conflict between the father and son. The audience feel that Mr birling is stuck up and arrogant. Sheila enters the room and questions why the inspector is present in the room and wants to find out why he’s there. Sheila finds out about the girl and says “ I wish you hadn’t told me I’ve been so happy tonight” Although she has probably never in her life before considered the conditions of the workers, she shows her compassion immediately she hears of her father's treatment of Eva Smith: "But these girls aren't cheap labour - they're people." Already, she is starting to change
Sheila gets drawn into the investigation. By getting Eva smith fired from her job at Milwards. She is horrified by her own part in Eva's story. She feels full of guilt for her jealous actions and blames herself as "really responsible." The audience begin to see Shelia change from a light headed girl who has lived a sheltered life to a girl who is begging to see what poor people have to work for to live.
When the inspector mentions that Eva smith changed her name to Daisy Renton it changes the mood of the room as Sheila realises the startled look on Gerald’s face she knows he knew her. And she brings in last summer when Gerald never came to see he because he said that he was to busy with work. As Shelia finds out that Gerald has had an affair it creates tension between the two, which have just been engaged. She is curious. She genuinely wants to know about Gerald's part in the story. It's interesting that she is not angry with him when she hears about the affair: she says that she respects his honesty. She is becoming more mature. At the beginning of act 2 Shelia admits that she’s to blame. As she tries to protect her mother from saying something she’ll regret, but Mrs birling behaves in a stuck up manor and won’t listen to her daughter, as she believes that she knows best. As She sees Sheila and Eric still as "children" and speaks patronisingly to them. As the inspector says “young people are more impressionable”
Inspector starts to question Gerald about his relationship with Daisy Renton. As Mrs Birling has the least respect for the Inspector of all the characters. She tries - unsuccessfully - to intimidate him and force him to leave. When the inspector starts to question Gerald Croft “ Mr Croft when did you first get to know her” creates a dramatic device. Gerald croft is not as willing as Sheila to admit his part in the girl's death to the Inspector and initially pretends that he never knew her. Is he a bit like Mr Birling, wanting to protect his own interests? He did have some genuine feeling for Daisy Renton, however: he is very moved when he hears of her death. He tells Inspector Goole that he arranged for her to live in his friend's flat "because I was sorry for her; she became his mistress because "She was young and pretty and warm-hearted - and intensely grateful. Towards the end of act 2 after Shelia has found out about the affair between Gerald and Eva smith during the summer and is upset it Shelia hands the engagement ring back to Gerald which creates a dramatic device and changes the mood within the room as Mr Birling wanted to get together with Gerald Crofts fathers company.
The inspector then moves onto Mrs Sybil Birling who is described at the start as "about fifty, a rather cold woman and her husband's social superior." She is a snob, very aware of the differences between social classes. She is irritated when Mr Birling makes the social gaffe of praising the cook in front of Gerald and later is very dismissive of Eva, saying "Girls of that class..." She admits she was "prejudiced" against the girl who applied to her committee for help and saw it as her "duty" to refuse to help her. Her narrow sense of morality dictates that the father of a child should be responsible for its welfare, regardless of circumstances. As she is a very stuck up women she denies any feeling for the girls death and takes no responsibility, as she says that it was the mans fault who got her pregnant and that he should support her. After Mrs Birling has explained how much she believes that the father is to blame “ go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.” As Shelia tries to stop her mother from saying anything, which she may regret before it’s too late, build up is already added to the climax. As she tries to make her mother listen “but don’t you see” and her mother replies “you’re behaving like an hysterical child tonight” which shows how much notice Mrs Birling gives her children. As Mrs Birling realises whats going on she slowly stuttered her words out “ but surely… I mean…it’s ridiculous” as she becomes frightened at what she has said.
As Eric walks into the room where the enquiry is taking place it says in the stage directions that he was looking extremely pale and distressed. Eric is described at the start as "in his early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive. Eric seems embarrassed and awkward right from the start. The fist mention of him in the stage directions is "Eric suddenly guffaws, and then he is unable to explain his laughter, as if he is nervous about something. (It is not until the final act that we realise this must be because of his having stolen some money.) There is another awkward moment when Gerald, Birling and Eric are chatting about women's love of clothes before the Inspector arrives. I feel that there is tension in Eric's relationship with his father? It soon becomes clear to us although it takes Mr & Mrs Birling longer, that he is a hardened drinker. Gerald admits, "I have gathered that he does drink pretty hard. He feels guilt and frustration with himself over his relationship with the girl. He cries, "Oh - my God! - How stupid it all is! As he tells his story. He is horrified that his thoughtless actions had such consequences. He had some innate sense of responsibility, though, because although he got a woman pregnant, he was concerned enough to give her money. He was obviously less worried about stealing from his father's office, than he was about the girl's future.
