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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
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”
Page 64 he mirrors the inspectors speech “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
Importance of Mrs B
Represents social injustice and how better charity organisations - gives people charity based on whether or not they are deserving.
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
Note 
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