An Inspector Calls Characters
Mr Arthur Birling 
Eric Birling
Inspector Goole
Gerald Croft
Sheila Birling
Mrs Sybil Birling
Edna
Eva Smith / Daisy Renton
Key Quotes
"as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense."
Mr Birling is the founder of his company Birling and Co. His main role in play is to uphold his capitalistic viewpoints on life and to disregard what anyone else will say about him. He does this by arguing with the person to prove his point. If he feels like he is in doubt of winning the argument, he will simply just threaten them, for example, when the Inspector is questioning Birling, he starts getting nervous and almost overwhelmed by the amount of questions he is being asked. So Birling replies with, "perhaps I ought to warm you, I play golf with Chief Constable Colonel Roberts... we play golf together sometimes..." Birling is trying to keep his patriarchal and capitalistic viewpoint at a notice so he can attempt to warn the Inspector off a bit because he is not wanting to accept his own responsibility and this is portrayed throughout the entirety of the play. However, this backfires on him when the Inspector catches him out and reveales something that he has done in the past which he didn't want bringing up. The sacking of Eva Smith.
"Now look at the pair of them – the famous younger generation who know it all. And they can't even take a joke-"
"If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody… it would be very awkward wouldn’t it?
"the Germans don't want war. Nobody wants war. Too much to lose and nothing to gain by it."
Stage Directions
Inspector Goole is a supposed police inspector who goes to the Birling house hold on the night of Sheila's engagement and his main objective is to receive information. He told them all that "Two hours ago a young woman died on the infirmary. She'd been taken there this afternoon because she'd swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant. Burnt her inside out, of course." He goes through one-by-one asking each person at a time questions about the death of the young woman. During each interrogation, he gets the answers he wanted by everyone and he reveals secrets that each person wanted to stay hidden. The Inspector is Priestley's mouthpiece in the play and his main role is to embrace and empower socialist views and to stop the capitalistic warfare that is taking place in society by bringing order onto those who have all the power and who are unwilling to change for others due to their complete ignorance and arrogance in the world.
Key Quotes
"I don't play golf."
“She’d been turned out and turned down too many times. This was the end.”
“One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths left with us.”
“If men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish. Good night.”
Main Quotes from Stage Directions
The lighting shall be pink and intimate, until the inspector arrives. Brighter and harder
(he produced a ring case)
we hear the sharp ring of a door bell. Birling stops to listen
The telephone rings sharply. There is a moment's complete silence. Birling goes to answer it
(Holds up the ring.)
(pointing to Eric and Sheila)
Although Edna does not speak much during the play she actually plays a really important role. Edna is part of the working class and her job is to be the maid in the Birling house hold. She is the one who is responsible for letting the Inspector into the house which implies that she is the one who let socialism enter the capitalistic house. Now, the Birling house is corrupted with socialistic views because Edna has let him in. However, when the Inspector leaves on his own without the help of Edna, socialism has left the room and are now filled with capitalistic views. As well as that, she opens the door to Gerald when he returns later in the play. This proves that capitalism and patriarchy is now the empowerment.
Key Quotes
"Please, sir, an inspector's called"
" A police inspector. He says his name's inspector Goole"
"Yes, sir. He says it's important."
"(opening door, and announcing) Inspector Goole"
"It's Mr Croft. "
Although Eva Smith doesn't actually appear or speak in the play, she arguably has the leading role in the play. Her death symbolises the urgent need for change in society and how capitalism and corruption needs to stop. Her death triggers a domino effect onto the Birling family as they all have a part to her death, but also their secrets about what they did with her were revealed by the Inspector. She is the match needed to start the fire as she has ignited that flame to put a stop to all of this.
Key Quotes
"And this girl. Eva Smith, was one of them, she'd had a lot to say – far too much – so she had to go."
"No, I mean about this girl – Eva Smith. Why shouldn't they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices"
"One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us,"
"gave me a glance that was nothing less than a cry for help"
"had wedged her into a corner with that obscene fat carcass of his--
Mrs Birling is initially described as "a rather cold woman and her husband's social superior." She is also a leading member of the Brumley Women's Charity Organisation, which seems good on paper. However, when being interrogated by the Inspector. He asks her about the charity which she is part of and she states that "We've done a great deal of useful work in helping deserving cases." Which also means, Eva Smiths plead for aid was not of any importance to her. Proving the initial description of a rather cold woman. Mrs Birling throughout the play refuses to accept any sort of responsibility and she will do this by simply not accepting what is going on, but also by throwing people under the bus by getting others involved in the conversation even though it is about her. She disregards the views of others as she is blinded by her ignorance and stubbornness as she only seems to care about one thing and one thing only, herself. Because she is unwilling to accept her own responsibility.
Eric Birling is the son of Arthur and Sybil Birling and he is initially described as "not quite at ease, half-shy, half assertive." He makes himself out to be some sort of drunken wreck who is wasting their mid-twenties by going out drinking all the time. He is seen doing this when he is constantly asking for a drink. Although he is born to the Birling family, you would have thought that he has a capitalistic mindset like his father. He has quite the opposite. When Mr Birling is questioned about the sacking of Eva Smith, Eric interrupts the conversation by saying,"Why shouldn't they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices. And I don't see why she should have been sacked just because she'd a bit more spirit than the others. You said yourself she was a good worker. I'd have let her stay." This shows that although he is surrounded by capitalists, deep down he has a socialist mindset because he is showing care towards those in the working class. If he was like his father, then he wouldn't have said anything. He is also one of the only people in the play to accept their responsibility and he has owned up to his actions on Eva Smith.
Sheila Birling is described as "a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited." The reason for this is because she is getting engaged to Gerald Croft. However, due to the sudden change of events when the Inspector arrives. Sheila turns from a spoilt and discourteous girl, to a malleable and state changing woman as she is willing to accept and own up to what she has done unlike her parents. She has also changed from a spoilt capitalist who had everything she could ever want to a socialist who has accepted their responsibilities in life because the Inspector has changed who she is as a person now. He has done this by breaking her down with the truth to the point where she has completely changed and is a different person now.
Gerald Croft is initially described as "an attractive chap about thirty, rather too manly to be a dandy but very much the easy well-bred young man-about-town." He has proposed to Sheila Birling and their celebration has been swiftly interrupted by the Inspector. Despite Gerald being of such a young age, you would have thought that he is somewhat of a socialist and he is willing to accept responsibility on what he has done. However, this questions and worries us as the audience as we are still trying to figure out whether Gerald actually cares about the death of Eva Smith. Because he could have just been playing on with the Inspector the entire time, fooling the audience and creating a sense of betrayal on the younger generation. After all, looks can sometimes be deceiving. So with his sort of money and his sort of looks, anything bad will be disregarded because you wouldn't expect a man like him to do such a thing.
Key Quotes
Key Quotes
Key Quotes
Key Quotes
”I’ll tell you what I told her. Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.”
“But I accept no blame for it at all.”
“If you think you can bring any pressure to bear upon me, Inspector, you’re quite mistaken. Unlike the other three, I did nothing I’m ashamed of or that won’t bear investigation.”
“I didn’t like her manner”
"Oh – it's wonderful! Look – mummy – isn't it a beauty? Oh – darling -"
"(with sharp sarcasm) of course not. You were the wonderful fairy prince. You must have adored it, Gerald."
"No, because I remember what he said, how he looked, and what he made me feel. Fire and blood and anguish. And it frightens me the way you talk, and I can't listen to any more of it."
”You mustn’t try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl. If you do, then the inspector will just break it down. And it’ll be all the worse when he does.”
"the girl saw me looking at her and then gave me a glance that was nothing less than a cry for help"
"(smiling) Well, perhaps this will help to stop it. (he produces a ring case.)"
"Everything's all right now, Sheila. (Holds up the ring.) What about this ring?"
"she looked young and fresh and charming and altogether out of place down here. And obviously she wasn't enjoying herself. Old Joe Meggarty, half-drunk and goggle-eyed, had wedged her into a corner with that obscene fat carcass of his--"
"She came to you to protect me – and you turned her away – yes, and you killed her – and the child she'd have had too – my child – your own grandchild – you killed them both – damn you, damn you-"
"and I hate these fat old tarts round the town – the ones I see some of your respectable friends with--"
"Because you're not the kind of father a chap could go to when he's in trouble – that's why."
"And I agree with Sheila. It frightens me too."
"As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!"
"My God – I'm not likely to forget. "
"she looked young and fresh and charming and altogether out of place down here."
"And I’ve told you – I was awfully busy at the works all that time."
"(distressed) sorry – I – well, I've suddenly realized – taken it in properly – that's she's dead--"