Although Mr Birling may have started the disastrous affair, leading to a death and shocked, distraught family, I do not believe he was the worst out of all the characters that played a part in the suicide. He has a tendency not to listen, ignore other's words - maybe he didn’t properly assess Eva's case thoroughly before discharging her. He is also dismissive, "(impatiently) Yes, Yes," almost bypassing the inspector's words, "But I don’t understand why you should come here inspector-" - naturally believing he and his family are perfect, but as we are soon to discover - no one is perfect.
Sheila is Mr and Mrs Birling's only daughter. Young and unmarried, she still lives with her parents. Overjoyed to be engaged to Gerald, at the start of the play, she receives her ring on the day and everything is going smoothly. Until the inspector calls and upsets the mood. She is shown a picture of the aforementioned Eva Smith, and rushes out the room upset. She is involved with Eva's death because of a childish decision to try on a dress - that clearly was not right for her - in a respected Brumley shop, Milwards, where Eva was lucky enough to get taken on as an assistant. "I caught sight of the girl, smiling" began Sheila, "as if to say - doesn't she look silly" she reveals. Sheila was angry and upset so she complained to the staff and they sacked her. This was Sheila's involvement with the girl, and although she acts very mature towards the end of the play, it is clear that she takes after her father by acting before thinking and paying for the rash decision later. She is less shameful than her father though - she is genuinely sorry and regrets her decision - all her father cares about is his image and a knighthood!
Shelia's actions were foolish, she acted rashly and did not think of the consequences before acting. She pays for this in the last two acts of the play, one by losing Gerald and the other through knowing she caused a death. This summarises this character well, it shows she is still very young. Another aspect of her is independence. She showed that although her mother and the assistant though it wrong - she would still try on the dress that would cause so much misery. This is actually a bad point in these circumstances. I also believed she used her power - the daughter of the self-made-businessman to get her own way - in this instance, the sacking of Eva. This appears to be Sheila's first very regrettable move though, as she is very shocked and cries a lot. Overall I think it was a childish thing to do and Sheila will be much more vigilant and always think before acting so immaturely again.
Gerald is the son of the owner of Croft’s Limited, Mr Birling’s rival company. It is a friendly rivalry and even in the celebration Mr Birling has to mention business, hinting towards a deal to join the two companies. Mr Birling seems to think Gerald's mother is not very pleased with the selection of wife he has chosen or: "could have done better for yourself socially" as he puts it. Gerald appears to be embarrassed though at this point, and it looks as if he loves Sheila for who she is not her background, or family. That is until the inspector mentions Eva's second name - Daisy Renton. He is startled and exclaims "What?" as her name is first mentioned. It is apparent from here on that Gerald is not the dedicated husband-to-be. He had an affair with this Daisy Renton and is forced to admit it under the pressure of the Birling's and his fiancée. He hardly saw his wife-to-be whilst Daisy was on the scene. This is was a very dishonest act and Gerald does not escape punishment. Sheila gives him the ring back, saying she'll have to start for the start again - get to know each other and so forth. One consolation is when she says "I rather respect you more than I've done before" after his long explanation of Eva being lonely, homeless in a dead end job and he merely helping her out. Falling in love was a side effect of his generosity.
Gerald's honesty makes him one of the most decent characters in the play. He does not put himself above everybody, like Mr Birling does, nor does he deny anything to do with her. Mr Birling often backs him up and he often backs up Mr Birling himself, for example - the sacking of Eva, where Mr Birling says, "she had to go" and Gerald replies with "You couldn't have done anything else". Gerald has been dishonest but is sorry - an easy character to relate to.
Mrs Birling is the coldest character in the play. Quite snobbish and very sharp, she is lead-on by the inspector to almost convict her own son and embarrass herself. She is the head of the Brumley women's charity organization and takes it upon herself to reject Eva's pleas for help. She has a prominent position on the board and manages to "prejudice others against her case". She freely admits this and has no shame or regret. She was the icing on the cake for Eva. No work, money or family - Eva turned to this charity that helps women who are poor and ill, and alas was rejected. "I didn't like her manner" she says, "first, she called herself Mrs Birling" she exclaims, which causes Mr Birling to erupt with anger. She then goes on to note all the lies and stories she tells and gets down to a final conclusion of - 'the father of the baby she is carrying is responsible and he should sort it all out' - little does she know, but this soon turns out to be Eric, her own son. Priestly uses dramatic irony up to the discovery of this and a tense finale. Mrs Birling has a smaller part in the book than most of the other characters. She only speaks briefly in the first act and up until the end of the second it's still mainly a few words every now and again. She is the woman who has been made by her husband. She hasn't worked but has a small chair on the not so frequent women’s charity organization meetings, but her husband is there to provide her and she is his bit on the side. The bit that makes him a proper man, a businessman.
This character is quite an evil, malicious and dismissive character. Evil because of her tone, and register. Malicious because of the way she lays into her own son, but more importantly - family, because when the inspector questions her she shockingly comes out with "unlike the other three, I did nothing I am ashamed of" - accusing her own family. She is also dismissive because of the way she handled Eva. This has to be the cruellest character in the play, she is not ashamed and does not show any regret for what she's done. Or at least until she finds out Eric is the father of the girl's child; then she's sorry.
Eric is the youngest of the Birling’s offspring, often referred to as “only a boy” by his mother. He is a strange character, especially in the BBC production, but more so in the play. Being young he’s immature, and has a serious problem; drinking. This drink problem gets him involved with Eva. He met her one night in November at the palace bar - he had been out drinking. He insisted to go back to wherever she was staying at the time and when she wouldn’t let him in he “threatened to make a row”, he explains to his ashamed and stunned family. He then commits another shameful act, despite it being in Eva’s favour. He steals fifty pounds – which was a lot in 1920 - from his father’s office. Although this was in Eva’s aid, it was still a very selfish and irresponsible. Eva suspected the money was coming from an illegitimate source and refused any more. In the end Eric agrees with Sheila on it not all being about a public scandal. All his parents’ care about is image but he sees beyond that – a life has been lost.
Eric is not his father’s best friend. Mr Birling constantly criticises him and tells him to shut up, or to “keep out of it”. But Eric has his own way of fighting back. He describes about Mr Birling as “not being the kind of father a chap can go to when he’s in trouble”, and from the image Priestley gives us, it appears as if he is right. Eric becomes very distressed when told his mother turned his former lover away, and didn’t help her. He becomes quite angry, “you killed her!” he keeps repeating; much to his mother’s anguish. He then becomes almost violent towards his mother, and is sharply told to “get back – or I’ll-” by Mr Birling. Eric didn’t really keep Eva as Gerald did. He exploited her.
To some up the way Priestly expresses responsibility through the characters I believe he uses lack of the aforementioned quality. The ideal rich, well known family has been reduced to a fighting, squabbling and ashamed household. I believe the main message of the play lies deep down. The only innocent characters are the Inspector and the servant – Edna. This gives us the impression that above all money is not the key to happiness; and power can lead to shame.