EoY English

About Eric

Has a drinking problem

Raped Eva and was the father of her child

Steals money from Birling company

Doesn’t have a good relationship with father (Mr B)

Hates his mother because she indirectly killed his child.

Takes on Inspectors socialist message

Sides with Sheila

Accepts responsibility for evas death

Importance of Eric

Moves plot forward- being secretive towards the start of the play

Contributes to Eva’s death and proves Inspectors point about socialism being better than capitalism.

Him not trusting Mr B with the fact that he stole money proves the selfishness of Mr B who represents capitalism

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Eric Quotes

Because you’re not the type of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble.

And i say the girls dead and we all helped to kill her

I did She did

And it doesn’t alter the fact that we all helped to kill her

shes right though

we all helped to kill her

About Sheila

Accepts responsibility over the play

Got Eva fired from her job

Abuses her power of being of a higher class

Engaged to Gerald

Defies gender norms of the time and gives her ring back to Gerald

Importance of Sheila

Shows the selfishness and entitlement of the upper class

Generational divide

Agrees with inspectors message

(More in english Book)

Takes on inspectors role of holding people accountable for their actions.

Shelia Quotes

this girl had been very impertinent

No it doesn’t - learnt morale lessons from inspector

i suppose we’re all nice people now

And no suicide

About Mr Birling

Eric and Sheilas dad

Owns a factory

Fired Eva for striking

Importance of Mr Birling

Represents capitalism - something J.B. Preistley wants the audience to hate.

Is under-minded constantly by inspector,

Dramatic irony is used against him to portray him as stupid

Mr B Quotes

Community and all that nonsense

a young unmarried girl - Both Eva and Sheila are unmarried but Mr B views sheila as superior

I’ve got to cover this up

no scandal

unsinkable

wild talk about labour trouble to that i say fiddlesticks

by jingo a fake

it makes all the difference

About Mrs B

Mr B’s husband

Runs a charity

Denied Eva Smith money

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Importance of Mrs B

Represents social injustice and how better charity organisations - gives people charity based on whether or not they are deserving.

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Mrs B quotes

“I accept no blame”

“As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money”

“Girls of that class”

Alderman Meggaratty !

disgusting affair

there over tired

About Gerald

Enganged to Sheila, Dated daisy renton (eva), gave money + place to live

Importance of Gerald

Link between younger and older generation, Doesn’t accept inspectors message, represents younger generation if they dont change

Quotes for gerald

i insisted on daisy moving, i made her, inevitable, wasn’t any inspector goole, but how do you know its the same girl

About inspector

want sot teach birlings , socialist, JB Priestley mouth peice

Inspectos importance

drives plot, delivers message of the play, warns / teaches the birlings

Inspector quotes

Public men … have responsabilities

We are members of one body

I don’t play golf

your daughter doesn’t live on the moon shes here in brumley too

no … im on duty

massivly taking charge

alone, freindless and penniless

millions of eva smiths and john smiths

taught in fire blood and anguish

Play written in

1945

Set in

1914

1945 election

labour won in landslide

JB Priestley

Father was headmaster, mother was mill girl, father had socialist views, fought in ww1, got injured in shell attack, came back with socialist views

After both world wars this leads to

dramatic irony that makes Mr birling look stupid

during 1945/1914 the class system

was rigid and thought that classes shouldnt mix