Find a summary of each of the characters below, along with some more detail underneath:

Inspector Goole: Priestley’s mouthpiece. Embodies Socialism. Diametrically opposed to Mr Birling - he is everything Birling isn’t. The only quality they share is a certain aggressive manner. He is a catalyst for the change in plot direction. he ’creates an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness’. Priestley uses the semantic field of power. Goole juxtaposes the lives of the Birlings with the conditions of the working classes. They drink Port, while Eva ‘drank disinfectant’. Goole delivers the powerful final speech which has an unequivocal message ‘We are members of one body’. He uses anaphora (We), emotive language and metaphor (‘Fire, blood and anguish’) He is deliberately ambiguous leaving the audience to question whether as his name suggested, he was a ‘ghoul’, a supernatural being. Priestley’s argument is that, as Sheila recognised, it doesn’t matter. His power would have been diminished if the ending was different.

Mr Birling: Embodies capitalism. Birling is the opposite of Goole. He represents the sin of greed and is driven by a desire for more for himself and his family. The working classes are a commodity, dehumanised for the purpose that they can fulfill. As a male head of a household in a patriarchal society, he also sees his daughter in a similar way - as a commodity, useful for the betterment of his family. Arthur aspires to be further up the social class ladder than he is. He is ‘portentous’ (self-important) and ‘provincial’ (narrow minded, without etiquette, from the country). He is mocked by Priestley in the opening speeches. These are full of dramatic irony as he praises the titanic, ignores the threat of war and underplays the worker’s strikes. Priestley undermines Birling and exposes him for his outdated and immoral values. The inspector interrupts his speech that ‘a man has to mind his own business’.

Sheila: Represents the archetypal Edwardian woman, submissive and subservient to men. She commits the sin of wrath, envy and vanity. Priestley uses Sheila to work with Goole and represent the social change that is needed. She embodies social change -her acceptance of her role, her repentance and her determination to improve lives. Out of all the characters, it is Sheila who understands the damage a Capitalist society can do to individuals. In one way , she is diametrically opposed to Eva. She is privileged and protected. However, both women must submit to the power of men. Priestley uses her character to explore gender issues that exist, even with the benefit of class. The quality that both women share is the willingness to speak up. She begins ‘pleased with life’ and ends up needing ’to think’ about what to do next.

Mrs Birling: Represents the rich aristocracy. She believes her social standing not only makes her ‘socially superior’, as stated in the stage directions, but also morally superior to those below her. She colludes with Edwardian society to keep women in an inferior position to men, teaching Sheila to behave in a similar way. She becomes undone when the true nature of own family is publicly exposed. She moves from speaking ‘triumphantly’ to the Inspector to ‘nervous and frightened’ as the truth is revealed. Mrs B feels no sense of responsibility by the end, despite her actions and role in the charity. She thinks the children will be ‘amused’ by the events in the morning.

Gerald: Represents privilege, men and capitalism. Gerald seems to change in the play, by showing remorse for what happened to Daisy, but ultimately uses his class and position to protect himself and his reputation. He epitomises the hard reality of what will happen if there is no social change - delight in ‘getting away with it’. His absence from much of Act 3 to protect his feelings is symbolic of his behaviour overall. He attempts to use his intellect to absolve himself of responsibility, similar to the way Priestley felt politicians would attempts to absolve themselves of taking responsibility for the working classes.

Eric: Represents men and the upper classes, but also the conflict of youth when the status quo is challenged. He is in transition between the old world and the new, youth and adulthood. This transition is shown by his being ‘not quite at ease, half-shy, half-assertive’. Eric argues frequently with his parents. Eric is critical of his parents but still benefits from the privilege of his upbringing. This and his playful language at the beginning shows Priestley saw him as a sympathetic character. He is guilty of theft but acts immorally for a moral reason. He represents the sin of gluttony - consuming alcohol and women. He is truly repentant by the end - even the news that the inspector was not real, does not lessen his sense of burden.

Eva Smith: Represents poverty, the working classes and women. Smith has traditionally been the most common surname in Britain. Her multiple identities , not just to herself, but in different roles to the family, show that she can be anyone, anywhere struggling to survive the consequences of capitalism. Eva embodies social responsibility. Even with the risk she was taking, Eva ‘started the trouble’ by asking for higher wages for the girls. She is voiceless to show that she has no power. She is female, poor and without family. Eva is used to Priestley to explore Class and Gender.

Keywords:

Serious, Moral, Aggressive, Mysterious, Purposeful, Controlling, Persistent

Main points:

· He arrives at a critical time – to interrupt Mr Birling and his selfish views: ‘a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own – and – We hear the sharp ring of a front doorbell.’ The Inspector’s role is to show that this is not the case.

· He is described in the stage directions as giving ‘an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness’. He takes charge immediately and remains in control throughout. He remains solid as each of them breaks down and nothing distracts him from his purpose.

· He is clearly there to challenge and investigate. He has a habit of ‘looking hard’ at the person he is interrogating before starting to speak. This unnerves the characters.

· He directs the investigation carefully, dealing with ‘one line of enquiry at a time’. Therefore, he is controlling the structure of the play.

· He is a teacher – to teach each character (and the audience) of the importance of social responsibility.

· He uses aggressive, shocking language to make the characters feel guilty for the part they played in Eva Smith’s death: ‘she died in misery and agony’

Relationships with other characters:

· With Mr Birling – he challenges him and takes charge. Eventually, he gets impatient with Mr Birling as he is clearly unwilling to learn his lesson. ‘Don’t stammer and yammer at me again, man. I’m losing all patience with you people.’

· With Mrs Birling – he angers her as she doesn’t like the fact that ‘his manner was so severe’.

· With Sheila – he warms to her as her character changes. She supports his views.

· With Eric – Eric learns from him. The Inspector has hope in the younger generation as they are ‘more impressionable’.

· With Gerald – he acknowledges that Gerald ‘at least had some affection for her and made her happy for a time.’ Whilst the Inspector is there, we do get the impression that Gerald is going to change for the better; however, he goes out of his way to prove that he is a fake.

· With Eva Smith – although the Inspector never knew her, he fights her case after her death. He stands up for the working class, like Priestley.

What is the significance of this character to the play as a whole? (Why is he important to play?)

· He is Priestley’s voice – he represents his strong moral views. His job is to make the characters change their attitudes, face up to what they have done and start taking responsibility for each other – see final message (p. 56).

· He heightens drama – his entrances and exits are well timed in order to create maximum tension (e.g. at the end of Act 1 when he walks in on Gerald and Sheila’s conversation).

· He controls the structure of the play – each revelation moves the play one step forward.

Keywords:

Arrogant, Selfish, Self-important, Rich, Controlling, Confident, Hypocritical

Main points:

· He is head of the Birling family – he is used to everybody obeying and respecting him. He is not used to people challenging him (Inspector/Eva Smith and later Sheila/Eric). He likes people to listen to him and be aware that he has power. ‘We hardheaded practical business men must say something sometime. And we don’t guess – we’ve had experience – and we know.’

· He is a rich, successful businessman – he is a self-made man/nouveau riche. (He is not aristocratic/upper class, but has acquired his wealth through his success as a ‘hard-headed practical man of business’ – he is upper-middle class, but always looking for opportunities to climb the social ladder - Sheila’s marriage to Gerald/marrying Mrs Birling/getting a knighthood etc. ‘your engagement to Sheila means a tremendous lot to me’)

· He does not consider those who are less fortunate than him (lower class citizens): ‘community and all that nonsense’. This kind of attitude angered Priestley, a committed SOCIALIST, who felt the Mr Birlings of the world needed to change. Birling is very traditional in his views: ‘a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own – and –‘The Inspector arrives here to interrupt Mr Birling, suggesting that his views need to be challenged.

· He rejects socialist views: ‘But the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive’

· He is very shallow, obsessed with how things appear to people. He makes sure that people are aware that he has been active in local politics, and has been Lord Mayor. He name-drops to the Inspector in an attempt to intimidate him. ‘How do you get on with our Chief Constable, Colonel Roberts?…Perhaps I ought to warn you that he’s an old friend of mine’. He wants to avoid scandal at any cost in order to protect his reputation. ‘I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can.’ ‘I’d give thousands’

· He always thinks he is right and is very sure of himself: ‘unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable’, ‘there isn’t a chance of war’ – the use of DRAMATIC IRONY here encourages the audience perceive Mr Birling as foolish. His views cannot be trusted.

· He is a hypocrite – he says that ‘a man has to look after…his own’, but he is not a good father to Eric. Mr Birling is not supportive – Eric can’t turn to him when he is in trouble. ‘You’re not the sort of father a chap could go to’

· He is constant throughout the play. He refuses to take responsibility for any part in Eva Smith’s death at the start of the play: ‘I can’t accept any responsibility’, ‘obviously it has nothing to do with the wretched girl’s suicide’ At the end, he is just the same; he wants things to return to the way they were. He cannot understand Sheila’s and Eric’s insistence that there is something to be learnt. He is just relieved, thinking he has escaped a ‘public scandal’.

· He doesn’t believe his actions have consequences.

· He represents the older generation.

Relationships with other characters:

• With Mrs Birling – not close – probably married her as she was his ‘social superior’.

• With Sheila – treats her like a child, feels she needs protecting from the truth.

• With Eric – not close. Eric can’t turn to him when it matters.

• With Gerald – tries to impress him (as Gerald is from an upper-class family). Happy about his marriage to Sheila as it is good for business. Not personal/genuine.

• With the Inspector – tries to intimidate him.

• With Eva Smith – abused his power over her. Threatened by the fact that she had ‘a lot to say – far too much – ‘, so he used his power to get rid of her. Heartless/uncaring.

What is the significance of this character to the play as a whole?

He holds the traditional, selfish attitudes (held by the wealthier classes, particularly the older generation) that Priestley challenged (through the character of the Inspector). Priestley was concerned about the consequences of social inequality in Britain, and the disparity caused by wealth and class divide. He believed that what resulted from this were the very characteristics shown in Mr Birling (selfishness, exploitative tendencies, power lust etc.) Priestley wanted to encourage his audience to dislike Mr Birling and to see him as a fool – by rejecting the attitudes held by Mr Birling, Priestley’s audience could lead a better life.

Mr Birling has not changed by the end of the play – he refuses to learn/take on board the Inspector’s lesson. As a result, the play ends with another phone call and the announcement of a second visit – perhaps from a ‘real’ Inspector? Priestley may be warning his audience of the dangers of not learning the lesson (of social responsibility) themselves.

By the end of the play, he has lost practically everything – his son is disloyal, his daughter is no longer obedient and has broken off her engagement (preventing the possibility of his business merging with Crofts Limited), and it looks like there might be a public scandal after all (if this second Inspector is real). Priestley seems to be warning us of how dangerous it is if you don’t take responsibility for others.

DEFINITIONS:

Nouveau riche ( Fr. "newly rich") is a term, usually derogatory, to describe persons who acquire wealth within their generation, and spend it conspicuously. The implication is that, being of lower- or middle-class origin, these individuals lack the taste to properly use wealth. Hence, this class of people is sometimes ill-regarded by old money as culturally inferior, comparatively lacking in pedigree and subtlety.

Keywords start:

Young, Pretty, Lively, Spoilt, Selfish, Curious, Naïve

Keywords later:

Sympathetic, Repentant, Caring, Moral, Emotional, Honest, Changed

Main points:

· She seems to be quite excitable at the start, with no worries or concerns. All she has to think about is her engagement to Gerald.

· She half teases Gerald over his absence ‘all last summer’ - ‘(half serious, half playful)’. It seems as though there is tension between these two from the start.

· She is moved by the news of Eva Smith’s death: ‘Oh – how horrible!’ She is very sensitive.

· She responds to Eva Smith as a person, and criticises her father: ‘But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people.’

· She is prepared to criticise her father and his actions: ‘(to Birling) I think it was a mean thing to do.’

· She is genuinely sorry for her part in the death of Eva Smith: ‘I’ll never, never do it again to anybody.’

· She is genuinely impressed by Gerald’s honesty when he confesses to the affair, despite the fact that it obviously upsets her: ‘At least it’s honest.’

· She has the potential to change – by the end of the play, she has matured considerably and has taken on the Inspector’s (Priestley’s) message. She grows stronger and more sympathetic. She accepts responsibility and learns from what has happened and tries to encourage others to do the same: ‘it frightens me the way you talk’. She tries to make them stop their ‘silly pretences’ as she is now aware of the dangers of such attitudes.

· She has a conscience. She shows genuine remorse.

· She is able to admit she is wrong, unlike her parents. She is aware that they all played their part.

Relationships with other characters:

· With Mr Birling – he patronises her from the start, trying to protect her from the reality of the situation. He sees her as a ‘child’. ‘I do protest against the way in which my daughter, a young unmarried girl, is being dragged into this.’ As the play progresses, she challenges his attitudes and criticises his actions. It was unusual for a daughter to do this to her father at this time – they were supposed to be respectful.

· With Mrs Birling – she thought her mother’s actions (turning Eva Smith away) were ‘cruel and vile’.

· With Eric – she holds very similar views to him at the end of the play – they seem to stand together (as the ‘younger generation’) to challenge the views of Mr/Mrs Birling and Gerald.

· With Gerald – she is excited about their engagement in the opening scene; however, there is tension there as she questions him on his whereabouts ‘last summer’. Once she hears about his affair, she is disgusted and hurt (‘But you’re forgetting I’m supposed to be engaged to the hero of it.’ – sarcastic), but she does respect his honesty. She is not ready to take back the ring. She says, ‘It’s too soon. I must think.’ She know a lot has to change before she can take him back.

· With the Inspector – she is curious from the start and is aware that there is something not quite right about him. However, she listens to his message and learns from it, showing respect.

· With Eva Smith – at the time of their meeting, she acted selfishly and jealously towards her, using her power (and family name) to get her sacked. ‘And so you used the power you had, as a daughter of a good customer…to punish the girl just because she made you feel like that?’ However, after she realises the consequences of her actions, she genuinely regrets what she did.

What is the significance of this character to the play as a whole? (Why is she important to play?)

· She learns her lesson. She takes responsibility and changes; she also tries to encourage others to do the same.

· She represents (with Eric) the younger generation – Priestley saw them as ‘more impressionable’ – after all, they were the future.

· She gives the audience hope that their society can improve.

Keywords:

Aloof, Haughty, Self-important, Stubborn, Prejudiced, Unsympathetic, Cold

Main points:

· The first time we meet her, she is described as ‘a rather cold woman’. We get the impression that there is no warmth to her character and therefore it is difficult to like her.

· She is very aware of the rules of etiquette (social behaviour) – for example, she corrects her husband when he compliments the cook: ‘(reproachfully)Arthur, you’re not supposed to say such things – ’ This reminds us that she is ‘her husband’s social superior’.

· She sees herself as above others – when talking about Eva Smith, she says, ‘Girls of that class – ’. The word ‘that’ suggests that she prefers to detach herself from anyone who belongs to a class lower than her own.

· She refuses to accept any responsibility for the death of Eva Smith. ‘I accept no blame for it at all.’/’I was perfectly justified’ (refusing her help)

· She refuses to let the Inspector shake her: ‘You have no power to make me change my mind.’ – she sees herself as the most powerful because of her status. She is rude to him when she says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong – and you know it.’

· She accepts her place as a woman in society: ‘you’ll realise that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend all their time and energy on their business’ – perhaps this highlights cracks in her relationship with her husband?

· She does not show any sympathy for Eva Smith: ‘You’re quite wrong to suppose I shall regret what I did.’ – haughty tone? ‘I did nothing I’m ashamed of’ – shows no remorse.

· She prefers to pass the blame/responsibility on to others – perhaps Priestley is criticising her for this when he makes her look like a fool at the end of Act 2 (she doesn’t realise that Eric is the father). Is she being punished in some way?

· She thinks her social status protects her from the harsh realities of the world.

· She thinks she is always right: ‘(triumphantly) Didn’t I tell you? Didn’t I say?’ (when Gerald proves that the Inspector was a fake).

· She is a bad mother – she doesn’t notice Eric’s alcoholism or any other problems.

· She remains consistent throughout – she has not changed by the end of the play.

Relationships with other characters:

· With Mr Birling – not close – gets frustrated with his social blunders and keeps reprimanding him: (see quote above). However, she is loyal to him.

· With Sheila – feels like she can teach her how to behave when she is married: ‘Now Sheila, don’t tease him…You’ll have to get used to that, just as I had.’ (p.3) She scolds Sheila when she steps out of line (‘What an expression, Sheila!’) and treats her like a child. She patronises her, particularly at the end: ‘They’re over-tired. In the morning they’ll be just as amused as we are.’

· With Eric – does not understand/know him. Not close. Completely unaware of his drinking/lifestyle. Failure as a mother?

· With Gerald – she respects him because he is from the same class as her. She sees him as a good match for Sheila. She is particularly grateful when, at the end, she thinks that their reputation is safe: ‘(smiling) And I must say, Gerald, you’ve argued this very cleverly, and I’m most grateful.’

· With Inspector – remains completely untouched by his questioning. Feels she is above him and refuses to be intimidated. ‘You have no power to make me change my mind.’ She refuses to cooperate with him.

· With Eva Smith – refuses to help her at a time when she needed help the most. Irritated by her manner – could not get over the fact that Eva Smith called herself ‘Mrs Birling’. She saw it as a ‘piece of gross impertinence’ (very rude).

What is the significance of this character to the play as a whole? (Why is she important to play?)

· She represents the wealthier, privileged classes and their selfish attitudes.

· She sees the lower class as morally inferior – Priestley hated this kind of attitude and believed that people with these attitudes had to change if society was going to work.

· She does not change at the end of the play – perhaps this is why ‘An Inspector Calls’ again, to try and make her change.

· She makes us see just how awful life was for the lower classes at this time (1912) – the class divide was huge.

· She played her part in the death of Eva Smith – she turned her away (from her charity) when she needed help. The girl was penniless and pregnant – but Mrs Birling thought she was lying, as no girl ‘of that sort’ would refuse money.

In Greek mythology, the Sybils were people who could see the future. The way that Mrs Birling is caught out by the inspector, and remains unaware that it is her son she is incriminating, shows that Priestley was using this ironically.

Keywords:

Self-assured, Well-mannered, Polite, Tactful, Traditional, Dishonest

Main points:

· Mr and Mrs Birling treat Gerald as more of an equal. He is the son of Mr Birling’s business rival Sir George Croft.

· At the start of the play, he cannot see how he could be involved in Eva Smith’s (Daisy Renton’s) suicide. ‘I don’t come into this suicide business.’

· He tries to hide the truth from the Inspector (that he had been involved with Eva/Daisy) from the start, (‘we can keep it from him’) but Sheila criticises this. She noticed how he reacted when he heard the name ‘Daisy Renton’.

· Gerald met Daisy Renton in the Palace Bar. He rescued her from Aldermand Meggarty and felt sorry for her. He kept her as his mistress for a few months but it eventually came to an end. He was aware that Daisy Renton’s feelings towards him were stronger than his were towards her.

· When he starts to talk about her death, he appears genuinely upset and goes out for a walk: ‘I’m rather more – upset – by this business than I probably appear to be – ‘. The audience assume that he has learned his lesson and that perhaps he will change for the better. After all, he had initially acted out of kindness, which suggests that he is not a completely bad character; however, he gave in to lust and cheated on Sheila, dropping Daisy Renton when it suited him so he is far from faultless.

· The Inspector isn’t as harsh on him as he is on Mr and Mrs Birling – he notes that at least Gerald ‘had some affection for her and made her happy for a time.’

· When he returns, he has news: the Inspector was an impostor. He returns to the way he was before; the fact that he still did what he did does not make him change like Sheila and Eric. When offering Sheila the ring back, she can’t take it. ‘Everything’s all right now Sheila. (Holds up the ring.) What about this ring?’ She replies, ‘It’s too soon. I must think.’ She needs him to change his attitude and take responsibility for his actions. He forgets how poorly he treated Sheila and Daisy/Eva.

Relationships with other characters:

· With Mr Birling – these men are very similar. Gerald shares Mr Birling’s views on the way a business should be run. He agrees that ‘You couldn’t have done anything else’ (in sacking Eva Smith). Mr Birling tries hard to impress him, as he is keen for Sheila to marry a man of Gerald’s social status (good for his business). Mr Birling is aware that Gerald’s mother ‘feels [he] might have done better for [himself] socially.’ He therefore drops hints about his possible knighthood as a way of impressing the family.

· With Mrs Birling – she approves of Gerald, as she too is obsessed with social status.

· With Sheila – he hasn’t been honest with her from the start. It is clear that she has always been suspicious of him: ‘I knew there was something fishy about that time.’ However, she respects him for being honest (‘I rather respect you more than I’ve ever done before.’) but knows that they have to ‘start all over again, getting to know each other – ’ There is no trust in their relationship and Sheila realises this before it is too late.

· With Eric – he knows about Eric’s behaviour: ‘I’ve gathered he does drink pretty hard.’ However, they do not seem particularly close, probably because Eric is much younger than him.

· With Eva Smith/Daisy Renton – he played the ‘Fairy Prince’ for a short time, then left her. Daisy cared for him a lot more than he ever did for her, and had to go away to remember the time they spent together, ‘just to make it last longer’.

· With the Inspector – he criticises the Inspector for being ‘a bit heavy-handed’. The Inspector is quick to put Gerald in his place, pointing out that ‘there isn’t as much difference as you think’ (between ‘respectable citizens’ like the Birlings and Gerald, and ‘criminals’.) Later, Gerald is really keen to prove that he is a fake. He does not learn from the Inspector.

What is the significance of this character to the play as a whole? (Why is he important to play?)

· He represents the selfish attitudes of the upper class.

· He played a key part in the ‘chain of events’, contributing to the death of Eva Smith.

· He lets the audience down; we had hope that he would change his attitudes, but he doesn’t. It shows how ingrained these attitudes were in the upper class, and how difficult it was to change them.

Keywords:

Awkward, Immature, Alcoholic, Thief, Unstable, Irresponsible, Unsupported

Main points:

· We realise that there is something not quite right with Eric when he is first introduced in the opening stage directions: ‘not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive’. He is clearly uncomfortable in some way.

· He could be drunk at the beginning when he ‘suddenly guffaws’ for no reason. He drinks ‘pretty hard’.

· Another clue that makes the audience suspicious of him is when Gerald jokes to Mr Birling that the arrival of the Inspector could be something to do with Eric: ‘Unless Eric’s been up to something.’ Eric answers, ‘(still uneasy) Well I don’t think it’s very funny.’

· He played a significant part in Eva Smith’s death – he met her at the Palace Bar, forced his way into her home and got her pregnant. ‘I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty.’ He then stole money from his father’s business in order to support her. If this became public, the family’s reputation would have been ruined.

· He had a privileged education, unlike his father.

Relationships with other characters:

· With Mr Birling – he doesn’t seem to have his father’s affection or approval. ‘Because you’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble.’ His parents care more about avoiding a public scandal than they do about Eric.

· With Mrs Birling – she is clearly a poor mother. She has no idea about the fact that Eric likes to drink. When she finds out about his involvement with Eva Smith/the stolen money etc. she says, ‘I’m absolutely ashamed of you.’ He is angry with her for turning Eva Smith away from her charity, and effectively killing her grandchild. He yells, ‘Damn you, damn you’ and gets quite aggressive with her: ‘(almost threatening her) You don’t understand anything. You never did. You never even tried’.

· With Sheila – they do not seem particularly close at the start. However, they share the same view at the end of the play as they have both learned their lesson. He agrees that ‘Sheila’s right’ (that is doesn’t matter whether the Inspector was real or not).

· With Gerald – he may be jealous of the fact that Mr Birling seems to be much more interested in Gerald than his own son.

· With the Inspector – he respects him as he is willing to take on board the Inspector’s views.

· With Eva Smith – he abused his power over her by forcing his way in to her lodgings (threatening to ‘make a row’) – however, he regretted what he did when he realised the consequences. He saw Eva Smith as ‘a good sport’; clearly the relationship was just casual fun for him.

What is the significance of this character to the play as a whole? (Why is he important to play?)

· He was part of the ‘chain of events’, having a fling with Eva Smith and getting her pregnant. He treated her ‘as if she were an animal, a thing, not a person.’ At the start of the play, he was just like the others – abusing his power over a working class girl.

· However, he accepts responsibility, and like Sheila, feels very guilty about what he did. He is ashamed of his behaviour and shows that he is capable of changing for the better. ‘The fact remains that I did what I did.’ Therefore, the audience is more likely to forgive him.

He represents (with Sheila) the younger generation – Priestley saw them as ‘more impressionable’ – after all, they were the future.

Keywords:

Pretty, Victim, Exploited, Working class, Moral, Hard-working, Honest

Main points:

· We never meet Eva Smith/Daisy Renton but we hear a lot about her. All of the characters (apart from the Inspector) were partly responsible for her death; she is therefore central to the structure of the play. One by one, their stories are revealed.

· She is a victim: an ordinary working class girl. All of the characters abused their power and social status over her, thus exposing Priestley’s anger at the class divide at this time. In the end, the only option she had was suicide.

· Her situation was desperate: ‘with…few friends, lonely, half-starved, she was feeling desperate’/ ‘alone, friendless, almost penniless’.

· She is described as being very attractive: ‘young and fresh and charming’/’a pretty, lively sort of girl who never did anybody any harm’. The audience is encouraged to feel sorry for her – she was a victim and didn’t deserve to be treated the way she was.

· She held strong morals and was an honest girl – she refused to accept stolen money from Eric and she refused to marry him, as she knew he didn’t love her. The Birling family do not display such qualities; this makes the whole situation even more unfair.

· She stood up to Mr Birling and asked for higher wages; however, she had no hope against a man of Mr Birling’s status – he could easily replace her. She was willing to stand up against injustice and be a voice of the working class. ‘She’d had a lot to say – far too much – so she had to go.’

· She is used to represent any person we meet in our lives. The focus in the play is not on her, but on the way each character behaves/has behaved towards others.

· Even if Eva Smith and Daisy Renton were not the same person, and even if the Inspector had shown each character a different photograph, it is not important: the important thing is that they all still did what they did.

Relationships with other characters:

· With Mr Birling – he sacked her because he felt threatened by someone standing up to him. She was just a worker/’cheap labour’.

· With Mrs Birling – she found her attitude ‘impertinent’ and used her power to have her request for help refused.

· With Sheila – Sheila was jealous of her and used her power as a valued customer at Milwards to have her fired.

· With Eric – Eric took advantage of her and got her pregnant. She didn’t want to marry him as he didn’t love her. ‘In a way, she treated me – as if I were a kid.’

· With Gerald – she cared for him deeply and was distraught when he ended their relationship. He rescued her from prostitution and was her ‘Fairy Prince’; then he left her. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

What is the significance of this character to the play as a whole? (Why is he important to play?)

· She represents the lower/working class. At the time the play was set (1912), the class divide was massive and the lower classes were exploited and poorly treated. Working women were at the bottom of the pile – underpaid and underfed.

· Priestley uses her tragedy to jolt us into thinking about our responsibility towards others. The language used to describe Eva Smith’s fate is brutal and shocking: ‘she lies with a burnt out inside on a slab’/’she died in misery and agony – hating life’. This shocks the characters, and the audience, into realising the dangers of living selfishly.