An Inspector Calls

Mr Birling shows no emotion and didn't care what happened to Eva. Then Eric starts to blame his father for the alleged suicide of Eva. Mr Birling believes what he done was right and does not feel guilty about Eva Smith.

" Yes. The girl had been causing trouble in the works"

Sheila

Sheila the daughter of Mr Birling is a woman who may take some of the blame, in this play. Sheila is rather distressed after hearing what had happened to the girl. Sheila wants to know about Eva Smith. Such as how old was she, was pretty. Sheila thinks there are no-connection between her & Eva. As she said from the start she doesn't know an Eva Smith.

"Never heard that before"

Sheila starts to argue with her Dad about Eva Smith and how it may connect with her father's business. When the Inspector showed the picture of Eva Smith to Sheila, she immediately started to cry, as she knew that she had something to do with Eva. The Inspector stated to give questions, which led to guilty answers, from Sheila. Sheila starts to tell her side of the story explaining how she was involved with Eva Smith. Inspector Goole tells Sheila that she used her power & influence from her annoyance and passed it on to Eva and got her fired. Sheila admits what she had done wrong.

"In fact, in a kind of way you might said to have been jealous of her"

The Inspector is putting words into Sheila's mouth. This is a good technique used by the Inspector, because Sheila thinks about what she had done. Sheila admits guilt readily unlike the others.

"So I'm really responsible"

Gerald

Gerald was not part of the family, but was engaged to Sheila. Gerald, like Mr Birling was a bit snobbish, he was also rich because his family "Croft's LTD" & was in rivalry with "Birling & Co". For Mr Birling this was a start of a new future together.

Gerald seemed to know little about Eva Smith, when Gerald to see the photograph of Eva & the Inspector reply was: -

"All in good time"

The Inspector said this because he was building tension on the others as well as Gerald. The Inspector told the family a little bit about Eva and when she had changed her name to Daisy Renton, Gerald gave a dead give away by saying this: -

"What!"

Gerald sounded a bit startled when he said this because he knew Daisy Renton. The Inspector starts to questions Gerald. He didn't want Sheila to hear about the story & tries to excuse her out of their conversation.

"...So why on Earth don't you leave us to it"

Gerald is scared that Sheila will learn the truth about him and Daisy. Mr Croft tries to make them (the family) feel sorry explaining how wonderful she looked.

"She was pretty"

Gerald Croft was a good man helping Eva Smith temporally for 2 months.

Mrs Birling

Mrs Birling like her husband, she believed in her rights. Mrs Birling was defending herself because the Inspector tried to use different types of techniques to make her feel guilty.

"She appealed to your organization for help?"

Mrs Birling knew about Eva and her troubles with a certain young man. The reason why Mrs Birling stood up for his wife as they both believed in their rights, which is Capitalists. While the Inspector questioned Mrs Birling, Sheila figured out that the Inspector knew what answers was coming out of each person. Sheila tried to worn her mother, but she wouldn't listen. The Inspector traps Mrs Birling by cornering her into admitting everything she had done to Eva. Mrs Birling didn't accept the blame, but she said that the person who put Eva smith pregnant was to blame.

"I blame the young man who was the father of the child"

Eric

Eric the son of Mr & Mrs Birling was a good boy maybe a parents dream boy. His parents thought he wasn't trouble in anyway. Eric was the last member to be questioned by the Inspector. His parents tried to protect him. Eric had left the house early on in the play. Everyone in the room was shocked to hear that he was the one to make pregnant. He starts to tell his side of the story. He met Eva in the Palace Bar.

After the story the Inspector takes an immediate effect on Eric. He tries to make Eric feel guilty and he does.

"So she let you in?"

Eric doesn't talk as if he has any real affection for Eva.

"Yes. I wasn't in love with her"

Eric starts telling the story where he started to nick money from his Dad's work. Mr Birling was furious when he heard what Eric had done he then explains why Eva didn't accept any more money because she found it was stolen.

"The girl discovered that the money was stolen"

Eric knew what he had done wrong, like Sheila did. He was a bit like Sheila, because he owned up for what has happened

Inspector

The Inspector comes into the play when the Birlings are celebrating their engagement with Gerald and Sheila. The Inspector uses a various techniques to get information or answers. He starts off by say a young girl had died at the infirmary after drinking disinfectant. The Inspectors starts to interview Mr Birling. The Inspector was firm at the beginning of the play. There is a hint at the start of the play where he shows he is not a real Inspector.

"Yes, sir. Only recently transferred"

When the Inspector starts to question Sheila, he is kind at first, but when Sheila starts feeling guilty, the Inspector puts his word harshly to Sheila.

"Yes, but you can't. It's too late. She's dead"

The goes on to Gerald who was quite kind to Eva. As the Inspector asks Mrs Birling he has a bit of an attitude with her. Mrs Birling stays firm as the Inspector asks questions. As the Inspector was running out of time in the play he tries to rush Mrs Birling.

Inspector Goole goes on and asked questions to Eric. At the end of the play the Inspector gave a speech to everyone in the room about caring for the community.

Conclusion

J.B Priestley was conveying a message about 'Social Responsibility'. J.B put the Inspector as a Socialist and Mr & Mrs Birling as the Capitalists. Sheila and Eric was in between because they had realized what they had done wrong. This play was basically to tell the audience that we should be caring for others and help them if they are in trouble.

By Abel Patel