This is meant to represent war which as Priestley knew when he was writing the play, with it being set in 1912, was soon to follow. The Doctor in ‘Everyman’ and the Inspector have a resemblance in what they say. At the end of ‘Everyman’ the Doctor quotes:
“That we may live body and soul together.”
This is extremely similar to what the Inspector informs the Birlings’ of in his final speech. He also mentions:
“We are members of one body.”
These two quotes are almost identical, in saying that we should live as a community and look after each other. Finally ‘An Inspector Calls’ resembles ‘Everyman’ because four of the seven deadly sins are mentioned in ‘Everyman’ and in ‘An Inspector Calls’ at least one of the seven deadly sins is committed by each of the characters.
Mr. Birling a heavy-looking business man was guilty of a number of the seven deadly sins. The seven deadly sins are pride, sloth, gluttony, covetise, wrath, lechery, and envy, and of those Mr. Birling represents pride and gluttony. Mr. Birling states:
“…there’s a fair chance that I might find my way into the next Honours List. Just a knighthood of course.”
This clearly suggests that he is conscious of his image in society and is also very boastful about it. Birling proclaims:
“…I’m talking as a hard-headed, practical man of business.”
This again indicates he is proud and boastful of his image in society and does not want this spoilt, but this may be changed by the events that follow. Mr. Birling shows gluttony in his speech about how delighted he was about Sheila’s engagement to Gerald by saying:
“…the time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together for lower costs and higher prices.”
This clearly shows Birling’s greed for money. But, it also shows that when on a night he is enjoying himself, drinking port, and smoking a cigar, celebrating his daughter’s engagement, business and money still has to come into the conversation.
At the beginning of the play Birling is quite a portentous man, and seems as though all he cares about is himself, his family, and money. Birling states:
“…that a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own…”
This quote which is taken immediately before the Inspector’s arrival proves that Arthur Birling is mainly bothered about himself and his business. When the Inspector tells Mr. Birling his revelations about the suicide of a young working class girl, Eva Smith, he cannot even remember her. Eventually as the Inspector explains and shows Birling a photograph of the girl he can only ‘vaguely’ remember her. This shows that he possibly has no respect for his employees and did not care who worked for him because at one time Eva Smith was employed by Birling and Company but was later discharged. Birling impatiently states:
“Look-there’s nothing mysterious-or scandalous-about this business- … obviously it has nothing whatever to do with the wretched girl’s suicide…”
This quote shows just how Birling feels about such people as Eva Smith and how he feels he is far more important than the working class, and they are inferior to him.
After accepting absolutely no responsibility for Eva Smith’s death, throughout the play Birling is very much unaffected by the words of the Inspector at the end. In addition to that, Birling just seems to continue the evening normally once the characters find out that the girl’s death and the Inspector was all a hoax. Birling in fact says:
“But the whole thing’s different now. Come, come, you can see that, can’t you?”
Sheila is guilty of the sins wrath and envy in the play. Sheila represents wrath and envy because as she reveals in the play one day she had gone to a shop named Milwards to try an item on. Eva Smith had brought a dress for Sheila to try on, and she held the dress up as if she was wearing it and it suited her perfectly. This made Sheila feel jealous and angry. She was angered even more when she thought she caught sight of Eva Smith smiling at the assistant as if to say, ‘Doesn’t she look awful’, while Sheila was trying on the dress. Sheila admits that she was jealous and angered by Eva Smith when she answers the Inspector after he says:
“In fact, in a kind of way, you might be said to have been jealous of her.”
To this Sheila replies:
“Yes I suppose so.”
Sheila was therefore guilty of wrath and envy. She was obviously jealous of Eva Smith’s good looks and was furious with the fact that she thought she saw Eva Smith being impertinent, when she could have being genuinely friendly. After this, she went to the manager at Milwards and again showed her anger and envy by telling him that:
“…if they didn’t get rid of that girl I’d never go near the place again...”
At the beginning of the play Sheila is pleased about her engagement to Gerald and is happily enjoying the evening. Sheila though is heavily affected by the Inspector’s teachings, and when Sheila hears about her father’s actions she questions him and informs him that:
“… these girls aren’t cheap labour- they’re people.”
This clearly shows she cares about the working class and feels they should be treated with respect like everyone else.
As the play continues Sheila feels guiltier and is ashamed about what she did, but after being informed about her wrong doing she repents of her actions and feels partly responsible for Eva Smith’s death. At the end of the play after the Inspectors speech Sheila is repentant and caring. It is significant that Sheila one of the younger members of the family is deeply affected by the words of the Inspector and regrets what she did.
Gerald Croft, a wealthy business man, represents the sin lechery another word for lustfulness. Gerald shows that he committed this sin by affirming:
“She was young and pretty and warm hearted and intensely grateful. I became at once the most important person in her life…”
Here Gerald is talking about Eva Smith, and at the time Gerald was spending time with her, he in fact had a girlfriend, Sheila. Gerald knew Eva Smith as Daisy Renton, and the previous quote clearly shows a lust for her.
At the beginning of the play Gerald had a very similar attitude to Birling. Gerald was happily enjoying the evening with his new fiancé and was drinking port. Gerald shows his almost identical attitude to Mr. Birling in his reaction to the Inspector’s revelations. Gerald like Birling accepts no responsibility for Eva Smith’s death, or as he knew her Daisy Renton. Gerald shows he has similar opinions to Birling by stating:
“I don’t come into this suicide business.”
Gerald also seems to back up what Birling says. This is shown when he says:
“Yes, I think you were. I know we’d have done the same thing.”
This quote is taken after Birling had been explaining why he had discharged Eva Smith. Gerald backs up Birling’s statement and supports him, and as I have already said, like Birling he accepts no responsibility. At the end of the play, very much like Birling, Gerald continues the evening normally as if nothing has happened. Gerald even affirms:
“Everything’s all right now, Sheila. What about this ring?”
This again shows his similarity to Birling and their matching attitudes towards Eva Smith’s or Daisy Renton’s death.
Mrs. Birling was guilty of the sins wrath and pride in the play. Mrs. Birling worked for a charity named the Brumley Women’s Charity Organisation in the play, which helps women in distress. Mrs. Birling was accused of turning Eva Smith away, at a time when she most needed help, and was in fact pregnant. When Eva Smith came to the charity she used the name Mrs. Birling, and the real Mrs. Birling was angered by this and eventually she states:
“… I wasn’t satisfied with the girl’s claim-she seemed to me not to be a good case-and so I used my influence to have it refused…”
This shows that Mrs. Birling, who is meant to help women, in fact made it worse for Eva Smith by being angered at just a single thing she did.
Mrs. Birling committed pride, because she was bothered about her family’s reputation. Mrs. Birling informs the Inspector that:
“Well, really, I don’t know. I think we’ve just about come to an end of this wretched business.”
This clearly indicates Mrs. Birling does not want the suicide business to continue as this may affect their good family reputation. Mrs. Birling, like her husband, Mr. Birling and Gerald accepts no responsibility for Eva Smith’s death when the Inspector informs her of what has happened she states:
“I’m very sorry. But I think she had only herself to blame!”
This indicates that she didn’t care about Eva Smith and this is again shown when she affirms that:
“As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!”
This shows that she dislikes Eva Smith and Mrs. Birling therefore accepted no responsibility for her death.
The words of the Inspector at the end of the play bring no change in Mrs. Birling’s attitude towards Eva Smith’s death. She in fact says:
“…In the morning they’ll be as amused as we are.”
This shows that Mrs. Birling attitude has been unchanged, and she can actually laugh at what happened.
Eric the final character, apart from the Inspector, committed the sins covetise and lechery. Eric was guilty of lechery, by one evening meeting Eva Smith in the Palace Bar. The two of them got talking and that night he went to her lodgings. Eric then states:
“And that’s when it happened.”
This shows his lust for Eva Smith and was therefore guilty of lechery. Eric was also guilty of covetise; he did this by stealing money from his father. This occurred while he was with Eva Smith and because she did not have a job and had no money he insisted on giving her money until she refused any to take more. Before the Inspector arrived Eric was enjoying the evening, drinking port, but was a little rude to Sheila in a number of things he said. When the Inspector explains the events to Eric, he seems to feel sorry for Eva Smith. He informs the Inspector that:
“He could have kept her on instead of throwing her out. I call it tough luck.”
This quote which is referring to his father’s actions when he discharged Eva Smith shows he thought she was unfortunate to lose her job.
At the end of the play Eric heavily is affected by the words of the Inspector. Eric tells the whole family that:
“… I say the girl’s dead and we all helped to kill her-and that’s what matters.”
This clearly indicates that like Sheila he feels guilty and ashamed of what he did. Eric is transformed by the words of the Inspector, and again like Sheila he is one of the youngest members of the family. Finally he tries to convey that what everyone did was wrong by saying:
“And I agree with Sheila. It frightens me too.”
This quote refers to the way in which the others talk, and the younger members of the family have seen the errors of their ways, and are unable to accept the others indifferent attitudes to Eva Smith’s death.
Ultimately Mr. Birling’s, Mrs. Birling’s, and Gerald’s attitudes have been unchanged by the words of the Inspector and accept no responsibility for Eva Smith’s death. Eric and Sheila, the younger family members, have been heavily affected by the Inspector’s words and feel guilty, ashamed and repent of what they did.
Throughout the play the Inspector seems all-knowing. Every time he speaks to one of the other characters he gives the impression that he knows exactly what has happened. The way in which he asks his questions and gives information about Eva’s life influences the characters to reveal their participation with her death. This is shown when Sheila says:
“…some how he makes you.”
I personally have been profoundly affected by the play. It has made me more aware of my responsibility, and has taught me to treat all people with respect. The final speech has taught me to work with other people as a community or we will live in a world of war between races.
The Inspector’s message is a highly important one in today’s society, because of the many different social issues that occur. Unfortunately the message Priestley is trying to convey about responsibility and the treatment of others around us is very much idealistic in today’s modern society.
