Sheila first became acquainted with Ms. Smith when Eva managed to get a job at Milwards, a well-know department store. Sheila and her mother made purchases at this store frequently. Eva worked as an assistant at this store. She thought she had really settled. However, Sheila got Eva fired when she lost her temper because Eva smiled at her in a way she found offensive. Sheila could be compared to her father as she too helped to cause Eva’s death by getting her fired. However, unlike her father, Sheila felt upset and ashamed that her abuse f power has led to such drastic effects on someone else’s life. She can empathise with Eva Smith and she sincerely wishes she could turn back the clock,
“If I could help her now”, this shows that Sheila regrets of what she has done. This also shown through stage directions,
“Enter Sheila, who looks as if she been crying”, she is really sensitive. She is also considered highly very perceptive, she realises that Gerald knew Daisy Renton from his reaction; the moment the Inspector mentioned her name. Gerald Croft tries concealing himself from the Inspector. Sheila is the only one of the Birling family that realises that the Inspector is no ordinary policeman, and that he knows everything.
“Knows, of course he knows”.
This shows that Sheila clearly understands a great deal of things. Therefore, Gerald tells the Inspector how he met Daisy Renton. He met Daisy at a bar where he spots Daisy being cornered by a drunken Aldermann Meggarty. He then learns of her homelessness and offers a flat for her to live in for the moment. He gave Daisy everything which she craved for at that point in her life, a home, food, money and the thing which she craved most of all; companionship. She soon became his mistress but Gerald broke it off and did not see her again. Gerald’s story had a great impact on Sheila, she felt upset and heart-broken.
“You must have adored it, Gerald (With sharp sarcasm)”.
Stage directions reveal her feeling as being jealous and sarcastic. However, Sheila might show a lot of jealousy, but Sheila is essentially a good character who in a moment of uncharacteristic cruelty committed an act that she would regret for the rest of her life. Sheila still wishes to on all the blame for the death of Eva Smith. She shows through out the play,
“And probably between us we killed her”.
Her remorse is Priestley's way of showing that human beings do have a good side to their nature.
Mrs. Birling is described in stage directions as “a rather cold old woman – her husband’s social superior”. She regarded as an arrogant and dominating through out the play. She didn’t have any sensitivity to the situation,
“Quite of the key with the little scene that has just passed”.
. All the way through the act Mrs Birling has no remorse or guilt for what has happened to this girl. To her, the very matter of the death is beneath her and her family. In her mind, the death is a great shame, but nothing to do with her and nothing for her to worry about. She has the least respect for the Inspector of all the characters. Mrs. Birling also tried to intimidate him and force him to leave, then she was being mendacious towards the Inspector when she claims that she does not recognise the photograph that he shows her. However, Mrs Birling met Eva two weeks before her supposed death. Eva came to the Brumley Women's Charity Organization appealing for money and help to support her child. As Eva's child was conceived with Eric, she chose to take his surname. Mrs Birling took this offensively, thinking that the girl meant to be impertinent and lost her temper, which could be compared to Sheila's loss of temper, this led her to become prejudiced against her case from the start. She immediately puts Eva down “girls of that class”, Mrs. Birling is very aware of the differences between social classes. However, Mrs. Birling obviously did not know of Eric’s relationship. Therefore, when Eva took her surname she used her power as an important person in the committee to get her case rejected. She tells Eva to go and look for the father of the child. Priestley uses dramatic irony in Mrs. Birling’s act because it shows how not intelligent Mrs. Birling is.
“Go and look for the father of the child”, she doesn’t realise that the father of the child is Eric. Even when she finds out about that Eric is the father of the child, Mrs. Birling does not feel rueful for the girl’s death and her view fails to change at all during the duration of the play. She remains cold and stone-faced, even when every other member of the family has been accused and accepted the blame. She tells the Inspector that she was merely doing her duty; this could be compared to Mr. Birling.
“I consider I did my duty”.
This shows that Mrs. Birling doesn’t care about no one except her own family.
Eric Birling, the son of Mr. Birling and Mrs. Birling, is seen as immature and surrounded by his parents, protecting him from the real world, much like his sister. He is described by Priestly as, " much less at ease than his sister... half shy, half assertive."
Eric met Eva at the Palace Bar, a place renowned for young ladies who wanted to find young men. He began talking to her and he then offered to take her home whereupon he forced his way into her house and made love to her. His excuse for his behaviour was primarily that he was drunk. He continued to see her for some time before she told him that she thought that she was pregnant. Eric, although immoral and irresponsible in his actions, did offer to support her and was even prepared to go and steal from his own father's business in order to do so. When Mr. Birling questioned Eric about this Eric explained that he would pay the money back,
“I intended to pay it back”.
This shows that Eric is quite naïve because he acted very inappropriately towards. Eva refused to take the money. Furthermore, Eva also refused what was at that time considered to be the decent thing and marry Eric because she knew that he did not love her. Eva acted in this way because Eric was less mature than her.
“In a way she treated me, as if I were a kid”, Eric realises that Eva doesn’t want to marry him.
After that, the Inspector informs Eric that Eva had decided to get help from the local organization for Brumley's Women, the committee where his mother worked, and that she refused to help Eva (as she had used the name Mrs. Birling). Eric became outrageous and at the same time guilty of what he had done to Eva Smith. It is shown through stage directions that Eric feels responsible.
“(Nearly at breaking point) You killed her – and the child – your own grand child – you killed them both – damn you”.
Eric finds that Mrs. Birling has caused Eva’s death because it was Eva’s last chance of improving her life.
At the end of the play, there is division between generations at the Birling family. As Sheila and Eric regret what they have done even when Gerald Croft finds out that the Inspector was not a real Inspector. On the other hand, Mr. Birling and Mrs. Birling feel that they escape a public scandal, they only care about themselves. As Mrs Birling says,
“I was the only one who didn’t give in”.
The audience’s feelings of distaste towards the Birlings and their sympathy for Eva Smith is increased by Mr. Birling and Mrs. Birling uncooperative responses to the Inspector’s questioning. Mr. Birling initial response to Eva’s death is an impatient “yes, yes, Horrid business”, and even that is said more out of social convention than any real dismay. He sees the Inspector’s questioning as a rude intrusion on his personal time. In addition to that, Mr. Birling and Mrs. Birling both try to intimidate the Inspector with their power and the close friendship Mr. Birling shares with the chief. Mr. And Mrs. Birling attitude towards the investigation only increases sympathy for Eva Smith. However, Eric and Sheila felt guilty and regretful. As Eric says,
“Whoever that chap was, the fact remains that I did what I did”, Eric is convinced that what the Inspector’s story is true. Sheila also feels in the same as Eric does about Eva’s death.
“Between us we drove that girl to commit suicide”.
Conversely, Mr. And Mrs. Birling are actually amused about the little scene that happened. This is shown in the last scene when Mr. Birling imitates the Inspector,
“(Imitating Inspector in his final speech) You all helped to kill her”.
This last scene shows that Mr. Birling has no social conscience, he is just glad that he escaped a public scandal. We see this attitude with Mrs. Birling as well. As she tells Mr. Birling,
“They’re over-tired, In the Morning they’ll be as amused as we are”.
This attitude shown by Mr. and Mrs. Birling encourages the audience to side with Eva Smith, and with the working classes in general. Mr and Mrs. Birling’s refusal to accept responsibility also gives the audience a glimpse of the abuse that Eva suffered at the hands of those in positions of power.
