Mrs Birling is also presented to be an irresponsible figure even though she is a parent and ironically the chair person of a charitable committee. However she is not a charitable woman. This is shown when she states ‘she was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position’. This exemplifies that Mrs Birling has hatred for Eva Smith for having high ambitions because she was part of the lower class. This also shows that Mrs Birling is very spiteful and has a rude manner when she refers to Eva’s position, this direct comment about social class and the strict views Edwardian society had about social mobility. This is why she is partly responsible for the death of Eva Smith. She never realise that what she did was wrong when she says ‘I consider I did my duty’. Mrs Birling never takes any responsibility or feels any remorse towards Eva’s death. She tries to justify herself that she did try to help Eva Smith. Therefore Priestley makes the point that it is not just the rich men who don’t try to help but also other members of the Birling family. They use the position of their authority to disadvantage Eva further which eventually leads to her death.
Gerald Croft is another key character who has a major role of having an affair with Eva Smith. He is described as "an attractive chap about thirty, rather too manly to be a dandy but very much the easy well-bred man-about-town." He is an aristocrat. We realise that they are not over-impressed by Gerald's engagement to Sheila because they declined the to the dinner. He 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. 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 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."
Despite this, in Act 3 he tries to come up with as much evidence as possible to prove that the Inspector is a fake - because that would get him off the hook. It is Gerald who confirms that the local force has no officer by the name of Goole; he who realises it may not have been the same girl and he who finds out from the infirmary that there has not been a suicide case in months. He seems to throw his energies into protecting himself rather than “changing" himself. At the end of the play, he has not changed. He has not gained a new sense of social responsibility, which is why Sheila is unsure whether to take back the engagement ring.
Sheila Birling is the character who changes most in the play. She begins as an apparently naïve, self-centred and privileged young woman but soon develops into a perceptive and increasingly mature and wise character, who embodies the attitudes of responsibility that form J. B. Priestley’s message in the play. Set in 1910, the author attempts to show how Capitalism without a conscience led to the world wars, revolutions and economic catastrophes that had occurred by 1945 when the play was written. Our first impressions of the character of Sheila Birling are presented in the stage directions at the beginning of the play; very pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited. She is the daughter of a prosperous industrialist and her life has been one of ease and pleasure with little concern for the world outside her immediate social circle. In addition she is engaged to be married to Gerald Croft which means a step up the social ladder as he is the son of Lord and Lady Croft.
Nevertheless, we learn quickly that she is not naïve as she may at first appear. When Gerald reminds her he has been trying to get her to marry him for some time she reveals that she suspects this is not quite true; ‘last summer, when you never came near me, and I wondered what happened to you.’His excuse is that he was busy at the works but her tone is described as ‘half-serious’ when she replies ‘that’s what you say’. It suggests she suspects that he may have been having an affair and is therefore worldlier than her sheltered background might suggest. Our early impressions of Sheila, however, begin to change as we realise she is capable of compassion. When she first hears of Eva Smith’s suicide her reaction is ‘Oh - how horrible!’ This is an immediate and genuine response to the suffering of another human being and from this we see she can be sympathetic towards those less fortunate than herself. Moreover, although she has probably never in her life before considered the conditions of the workers, she shows she has an ability to understand the needs of others immediately she hears of her father's sacking of Eva Smith for asking for pay rise: Sheila already displays the sense of the responsibility that people of her class should have towards those who work for them and it is through the character of Sheila that Priestley develops most clearly his theme of the responsibility that all society has for each person in it. Priestley shows how people can change through her character as well. Sheila understands that avoiding the truth is useless in the face of his questioning. She knows they cannot avoid being confronted by the awful truth of their responsibility for the death of Eva because he knows what it is they have done already.
Sheila matures as the play unfolds. When Gerald’s affair with Daisy is fully revealed she is remarkably calm and sensible. She returns her engagement ring. She does not end it but suggests a new beginning where honesty and trust are built up. She can now judge her parents and Gerald from a new perspective, but the greatest change has been in her her social conscience has been awakened and she is aware of her responsibilities. Sheila truly appreciates what the Inspector said about people’s lives being intertwined and that we are responsible for each other and the dreadful consequences that will follow if his warnings are ignored.
The inspector is a representation of morality in the play. The manner of ‘The inspector’ is one the Birling's find rather disconcerting. This of his character grows throughout the play, mirroring Sheila's and the audience's growing suspicion of him.” we didn't tell him anything he didn't already know" This all knowing quality of the character of the inspector gives a sense of being super natural, a quality confirmed by Priestley during the Inspector's outburst at the end in which he foretells the prophecy of 'fire, blood and anguish' giving the audience an underlying sense of unease at the reference to war, therefore showing them the consequences of a lack of responsibility and highlighting that the inspector is the voice of morality. This ironic hindsight into the war also gives the audience a sense of the inspector's wisdom. He is portrayed as the conscience because all through the play the Inspector is seen as guiding the Birling's away from sin, trying to teach them selflessness and responsibility for others, in this sense the style of the play is one of morality. He attempts to make Sheila accept her share of the blame 'you're partly to blame'. The Inspector's speech on page 56 of the play clarifies for the audience and characters the strength of his morals when it comes to responsibility in society. The Inspector is a mouthpiece for Priestley's views.
The Inspector’s God like qualities inspire the audience’s trust and having gained this Priestly uses the Inspector to 'correct' the capitalists and makes a strong statement in favour of socialism in his final rhetorical speech. He states that for “Eva Smiths and John Smiths"; the stereotypical members of the lower class, there is a "chance of happiness" in socialism. He also makes the audience realise that they are "We don’t live alone. We are members of one body" and that it is their responsibility to help people like Eva Smith. Otherwise, as the Inspector implies, "they will be taught in fire and blood and anguish". This almost acts as a threat to the audience and helps them to recognize their interdependency with the lower classes. The language chosen by Priestly intimidates the audience; the reference to war is used specifically by Priestly to warn the audience, who were still recovering from a war.
Priestley’s use of dramatic irony is insightful because when Mr Birling states that the Titanic is ‘absolutely unsinkable’ and that ‘there isn’t a chance of a war’ suggests that Birling is a foolish capitalist with misguided ideas and therefore cannot be trusted to take responsibility. The inspector states ‘Public men, Mr Birling have responsibilities as well as privileges’. This statement illustrates that the inspector is encouraging Birling to take responsibility. He is also highlighting that there should be a balance between responsibility and privileges. These figures of authority are only entitled if they take responsibility which Birling clearly does not.
The Birlings symbolise the seven deadly sins; Mr Birling being greed for sacking Eva Smith, just to save a few shillings, or pride for boasting about his wealth and high status. Mrs Birling could represent wrath for being angry with Eva Smith over calling herself 'Mrs Birling'. Sheila could be envy for being jealous of Eva in Milwards, and Gerald could be lust for having an affair with Eva. The fact that they can be identified as sins shows how Priestley emphasises the immorality of capitalism and the Birlings initial attitudes to responsibilities.
The aim of this play was to make us question our own characters and beliefs. Priestley structured his social criticism very well. This was put across to the audience in an extraordinary way. Priestley wanted the audience to learn from the mistakes of the Birlings. It would have changed people’s views on society. Priestley uses the class divide between the Birlings and Eva Smith, to show that the rigidity of the class system is incompatible with his views on community and responsibility. The fact that a meaningful message is represented would indicate that ‘An Inspector Calls’, not only a murder mystery but a play about morality shows the audience how not to live their lives, using characters to demonstrate this. The play is very effective because it has a strong meaning as it is still relevant in today’s society. As wealth and power have become increasingly more important, socialists feeling of responsibility for one another have been progressively weakened. However I feel that we as a society might be able to learn from some of Priestley’s teachings and work together to form a more equal society for our future generation.
