An Inspector Calls: Character profiles

An Inspector Calls: Character profiles

1. ARTHUR BIRLING

   • 'HARD-HEADED BUSINESSMAN'
     • OWNER OF BILRING AND CO WHICH HIS SON, ERIC, IS SOON TO TAKE OVER.
       • 'THIS IS ONE OF THE HAPPIEST NIGHTS OF MY LIFE'
         • This is not only because Sheila will be happy, but because a merger with Crofts Limited will be good for his business.
   • OF A HIGH CLASS
     • AND SOCIAL STATUS
     • OVERLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WAR
       • AS WE KNOW THERE IS TWO WORLD WARS.
         • AUDIENCE STARTS TO QUESTION MR BIRLING'S JUDGEMENT
         • WHAT ELSE WILL HE BE WRONG ABOUT
   • "heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties but rather provincial in his speech."
   • WORKED HIS MAY UP IN THE WORLD
     • PROUD OF HIS ACHIEVEMENTS
       • WITH THIS HE TRIES TO IMPRESS THE INSPECTOR (AND FAILS...) WITH HIS LOCAL STANDING AND INFLUENCIAL FRIENDS
         • HE LACKS MORAL RESPONSIBILITY
           • iS ONLY INTERESTED ABOUT LOOKING AFTER HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY
   • ISN'T AS SUPERIOR AS GERALD CROFT AND SO CONSISTENTLY TRIES TO IMPRESS HIM

2. INSPECTOR GOOLE

   • MASSIVELY TAKES CHARGE OF THE SITUATION
     • ARRIVES UNEXPECTEDLY
       • IS AN OUTSIDER
         • DOES NOT HAVE MUCH IN COMMON WITH THE BIRLINGS
         • "THE RUDE WAY HE SPOKE TO MR BIRLING AND ME - IT WAS QUITE EXTRAORDINARY"
   • DESCRIBED AS 'AUTHORITATIVE' AND 'IMPOSING'
     • HIS PRESENCE FILLS THE ROOM
     • WORKS SYSTEMATICALLY
       • Is he the voice of Preistly?
   • MORAL: "WE DON'T LIVE ALONE.. WE ARE MEMBERS OF ONE BODY"
     • AUTHORITATIVE: "ALL IN GOOD TIME"
       • THE INSPECTOR KEEPS THE PLAY ROLLING BY ASKING THE FAMILY PUSHY QUESTIONS.
         • MAN OF AUTHORITY
           • "an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness."
             • He seems to know and understand an extraordinary amount:
               • HE KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT EVA SMITHS DEATH AND THE BIRLINGS INVOLVEMENT IN IT
               • Is he a ghost? Goole reminds us of 'ghoul'.
           • He is obviously in a great hurry towards the end of the play: he stresses "I haven't much time." Does he know that the real inspector is shortly going to arrive?
         • Is he the voice of all our consciences?
       • Is he the voice of God?
     • MYSTERIOUS: "WAS IT A HOAX?"
     • SAYING WHAT OTHFORCES THE INFORMATION OUT OF PEOPLE BY BLUNTLYER CHARACTERS TRY TO SKIRT AROUND.
       • "he's giving us the rope - so that we'll hang ourselves."

3. MRS BIRLING

   • "about fifty, a rather cold woman and her husband's social superior."
     • SPEAKS PATRONISINGLY TOWARDS SHEILA AND ERIC AS THE STILL SEES THEM AS CHILDREN
       • EXPLOITS HER POWER
         • BLIND TOWARDS HER OWN CHILDREN'S FLAWS AND WORRIES
           • SHES SELF CENTERED
             • EVEN WHEN HER LANGUAGE IS POLITE HER TONE IS SEVERE AND SUPERIOR
       • NO MORAL RESPONSIBILITY
     • IRONY: SHE WORKS FOR A CHARITY, BUT SHE ISN'T VERY CHARITABLE.
       • MRS. BIRLING DOES NOT CHANGE ALL THROUGH OUT THE PLAY.
         • CLAIMS SHE DID THE RIGHT THING: "I ACCEPT NO BLSME FOR IT ALL"
   • She is a snob, very aware of the differences between social classes.
     • HAS THE LEAST RESPECT FOR THE INSPECTOR OUT OF ALL THE CHARACTERS
       • TRIES AND FAILS TO INTIMIDATE HIM AND FORCE HIM TO LEAVE
         • LIES TO THE INSPECTOR ABOUT KNOWING EVA WHEN SHE SEES THE PHOTOGRAPH.
           • ADMITS SHE WAS PREJUDICED TOWARDS EVA AND SAW IT AS HER DUTY TO DENY HER HELP.
             • SYBIL LIVES BY STRICT STANDARDS WHICH MAKER HER PREJUDICED AGAINST ANY ONE OF A LOWER CLASS OR SOCIAL STATUS
               • ALTHOUGH IT'S HER 'STANDARDS' THAT PUSH HER STRAIGHT INTO THE INSPECTORS TRAP.
             • WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT IT SHE CONDEMNS HER OWN SON TO PUBLIC HUMILIATION.
           • CRUEL: "I USED MY INFLUENCE WHO HAVE IT REFUSED"
       • TRADITIONAL VALUES
         • TRADITIONAL: "WHEN YOU'RE MARRIED YOU'LL REALISE..."
     • PREJUDICED: "AS OF A GIRL OF THAT SORT WOULD EVER REFUSE MONEY"
   • IRRITATED WHEN MR BIRLING PRAISES THE COOK FOR THE MEAL
     • PROUD: "I WAS THE ONLY ONE OF YOU WHO DIDN'T GIVE IN TO HIM"
   • VERY DISMISSIVE OF EVA "GIRLS OF THAT CLASS"

4. SHEILA BIRLING

   • DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF HER FAMILY
     • QUICK WITTED
       • SHARP: "HE'S GIVING US THE ROPE - SO THAT WE'LL HANG OURSELVES."
       • SHE ACKNOWLEDGES SHE ABUSED HER POWER TO PUNISH EVA
         • HOWEVER REGRETS HER ACTIONS AND UNDERSTANDS THE CONSEQUENCES
     • STRONG MINDED
     • SEEN TO BE SENSITIVE AND MORAL. BY THE END SHEILA HAS CHANGED FOR GOOD.
       • STRONG-MINDED: "I DON'T BELIEVE I WILL. SO YOU BE CAREFUL."
         • REALISES AS THE EVENING MOVES ON THAT SHE HAS TO BE HERSELF IN ORDER TO BREAK AWAY FROM HER PARENTS.
           • WISE INSTINCTS
             • POSSESSES MORAL STANDARDS
             • PRIESTLY USES HER AS THE "MORAL JUDGE" TOWARDS THE END. SHE SAYS "PROBABLY BETWEEN US WE KILLED HER" MANY OF THE OTHERS DON'T GET THAT FAR.
               • PRIESTLY USES SHEILA TO SHOW THERE'S HOPE FOR CHANGE IN THE NEW GENERATION
               • SHE HANDS BACK THE ENGAGEMENT RING CLAIMING THEY'RE CHANGED PEOPLE.
       • MORE MATURE THAN THE AUDIENCE FIRST THINK
   • HANDS BACK THE RING TO GERALD WHEN SHE DISCOVERS HIS DISHONESTY
   • WISE ENOUGH TO SUSPECT ERIC BEIBG THE MYSTERY FATHER DESPITE NO ONE BELIEVING HER
     • HOWEVER WAS MORE SELFISH BY ABUSING HER POWER WHEN HAVING EVA FIRED AT MILWARDS BECAUSE SHE WAS JEALOUS.
       • SHE'S MATERIALISTIC AS WHEN SHE GETS THE RING, ONLY THEN DOES THE ENGAGEMENT FEEL REAL.
     • IN ACT ONE SHEILA'S LANGUAGE MAKES HER SEEM CHILDISH AND NAIEVE.
       • ONCE THE INSPECTOR LEAVES, THEIR PARENTS WANT THINGS TO RETURN TO NORMAL, BUT ERIC AND SHEILA AND THOSE TWO ONLY REALISE SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE.
       • SHEILA BECOMES SLIGHTLY LIKE THE INSPECTOR.
         • 1. ASKS GERALD AS MANY QUESTIONS AS THE INSPECTOR
           • 2. REVEALS ERICS DRINKING PROBLEM TO MRS. BIRLING
             • 3. CONTRADICTS AND UNDERMINES HER PARENTS, LIKE THE INSPECTOR
               • 4. SHOCKS ERIC BY REVEALING THEIR MOTHER DENIED HELP TO EVA/DAISY.
     • HER USING EXPRESSIONS SUCH AS "SQUIFFY" WHICH REMIND THE AUDIENCE SHE BELONGS TO A YOUNGER GENERATION.

5. ERIC BIRLING

   • TROUBLESOME
   • FEELS ISOLATED FROM HIS FAMILY
   • APPARENTLY FORCED HIMSELF ONTO EVA WHEN HE WAS DRUNK. HE DOESN'T REMEMBER
   • DEEPLY REGRETS HIS ACTIONS
   • IRRESPONSIBLE::