Gender

Symbolic meaning

Behaviour of male and female characters used to comment on the damage patriarchal society can cause

Context/ message

• Depicts women as vulnerable in patriarchal society

• Wealthy women are sheltered and uninformed which leads to them unknowingly harming others

Mr Birling

• ‘Clothes… not only something to make them look prettier… token of self respect’

  • Stereotypical view of women, believes attractiveness is crucial for self respect

  • Speaks for all women suggesting he believes they are all the same

Sheila

• ‘She was the right type for it, just as I was the wrong type’

  • Sheila is superficial and concerned with her appearance

  • result of Edwardian expectation of women to be pretty

  • insecurity causes her to question self-worth and cause damage to Eva

Gerald

• ‘A notorious womaniser’

  • Gerald about the man who sexually assaulted Eva in the bar

  • Shows how upper class men exploit working class women for sex

Mr Birling

• ‘My daughter, a young, unmarried girl, is being dragged into this

  • Believes Sheila should be kept innocent of knowledge of working class life

  • Suggests young women were sheltered and treated as children

  • Ignorance contributes to Sheila’s harmful behaviour towards Eva