An Inspector Calls: Character profiles

ARTHUR BIRLING
1. 'HARD-HEADED BUSINESSMAN'
  1. OWNER OF BILRING AND CO WHICH HIS SON, ERIC, IS SOON TO TAKE OVER.
    1. 'THIS IS ONE OF THE HAPPIEST NIGHTS OF MY LIFE'
      1. This is not only because Sheila will be happy, but because a merger with Crofts Limited will be good for his business.
2. OF A HIGH CLASS
  1. AND SOCIAL STATUS
  2. OVERLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WAR
    1. AS WE KNOW THERE IS TWO WORLD WARS.
      1. AUDIENCE STARTS TO QUESTION MR BIRLING'S JUDGEMENT
      2. WHAT ELSE WILL HE BE WRONG ABOUT
3. "heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties but rather provincial in his speech."
4. WORKED HIS MAY UP IN THE WORLD
  1. PROUD OF HIS ACHIEVEMENTS
    1. WITH THIS HE TRIES TO IMPRESS THE INSPECTOR (AND FAILS...) WITH HIS LOCAL STANDING AND INFLUENCIAL FRIENDS
      1. HE LACKS MORAL RESPONSIBILITY
        iS ONLY INTERESTED ABOUT LOOKING AFTER HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY
5. ISN'T AS SUPERIOR AS GERALD CROFT AND SO CONSISTENTLY TRIES TO IMPRESS HIM
INSPECTOR GOOLE
1. MASSIVELY TAKES CHARGE OF THE SITUATION
  1. ARRIVES UNEXPECTEDLY
    1. IS AN OUTSIDER
      1. DOES NOT HAVE MUCH IN COMMON WITH THE BIRLINGS
      2. "THE RUDE WAY HE SPOKE TO MR BIRLING AND ME - IT WAS QUITE EXTRAORDINARY"
2. DESCRIBED AS 'AUTHORITATIVE' AND 'IMPOSING'
  1. HIS PRESENCE FILLS THE ROOM
  2. WORKS SYSTEMATICALLY
    1. Is he the voice of Preistly?
3. MORAL: "WE DON'T LIVE ALONE.. WE ARE MEMBERS OF ONE BODY"
  1. AUTHORITATIVE: "ALL IN GOOD TIME"
    1. THE INSPECTOR KEEPS THE PLAY ROLLING BY ASKING THE FAMILY PUSHY QUESTIONS.
      1. 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?
      2. Is he the voice of all our consciences?
    2. Is he the voice of God?
  2. MYSTERIOUS: "WAS IT A HOAX?"
  3. SAYING WHAT OTHFORCES THE INFORMATION OUT OF PEOPLE BY BLUNTLYER CHARACTERS TRY TO SKIRT AROUND.
    1. "he's giving us the rope - so that we'll hang ourselves."
MRS BIRLING
1. "about fifty, a rather cold woman and her husband's social superior."
  1. SPEAKS PATRONISINGLY TOWARDS SHEILA AND ERIC AS THE STILL SEES THEM AS CHILDREN
    1. EXPLOITS HER POWER
      1. BLIND TOWARDS HER OWN CHILDREN'S FLAWS AND WORRIES
        SHES SELF CENTERED
        EVEN WHEN HER LANGUAGE IS POLITE HER TONE IS SEVERE AND SUPERIOR
    2. NO MORAL RESPONSIBILITY
  2. IRONY: SHE WORKS FOR A CHARITY, BUT SHE ISN'T VERY CHARITABLE.
    1. MRS. BIRLING DOES NOT CHANGE ALL THROUGH OUT THE PLAY.
      1. CLAIMS SHE DID THE RIGHT THING: "I ACCEPT NO BLSME FOR IT ALL"
2. She is a snob, very aware of the differences between social classes.
  1. HAS THE LEAST RESPECT FOR THE INSPECTOR OUT OF ALL THE CHARACTERS
    1. TRIES AND FAILS TO INTIMIDATE HIM AND FORCE HIM TO LEAVE
      1. 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"
    2. TRADITIONAL VALUES
      1. TRADITIONAL: "WHEN YOU'RE MARRIED YOU'LL REALISE..."
  2. PREJUDICED: "AS OF A GIRL OF THAT SORT WOULD EVER REFUSE MONEY"
3. IRRITATED WHEN MR BIRLING PRAISES THE COOK FOR THE MEAL
  1. PROUD: "I WAS THE ONLY ONE OF YOU WHO DIDN'T GIVE IN TO HIM"
4. VERY DISMISSIVE OF EVA "GIRLS OF THAT CLASS"
SHEILA BIRLING
1. DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF HER FAMILY
  1. QUICK WITTED
    1. SHARP: "HE'S GIVING US THE ROPE - SO THAT WE'LL HANG OURSELVES."
    2. SHE ACKNOWLEDGES SHE ABUSED HER POWER TO PUNISH EVA
      1. HOWEVER REGRETS HER ACTIONS AND UNDERSTANDS THE CONSEQUENCES
  2. STRONG MINDED
  3. SEEN TO BE SENSITIVE AND MORAL. BY THE END SHEILA HAS CHANGED FOR GOOD.
    1. STRONG-MINDED: "I DON'T BELIEVE I WILL. SO YOU BE CAREFUL."
      1. 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.
    2. MORE MATURE THAN THE AUDIENCE FIRST THINK
2. HANDS BACK THE RING TO GERALD WHEN SHE DISCOVERS HIS DISHONESTY
3. WISE ENOUGH TO SUSPECT ERIC BEIBG THE MYSTERY FATHER DESPITE NO ONE BELIEVING HER
  1. HOWEVER WAS MORE SELFISH BY ABUSING HER POWER WHEN HAVING EVA FIRED AT MILWARDS BECAUSE SHE WAS JEALOUS.
    1. SHE'S MATERIALISTIC AS WHEN SHE GETS THE RING, ONLY THEN DOES THE ENGAGEMENT FEEL REAL.
  2. IN ACT ONE SHEILA'S LANGUAGE MAKES HER SEEM CHILDISH AND NAIEVE.
    1. 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.
    2. SHEILA BECOMES SLIGHTLY LIKE THE INSPECTOR.
      1. 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.
  3. HER USING EXPRESSIONS SUCH AS "SQUIFFY" WHICH REMIND THE AUDIENCE SHE BELONGS TO A YOUNGER GENERATION.
ERIC BIRLING
1. TROUBLESOME
2. FEELS ISOLATED FROM HIS FAMILY
3. APPARENTLY FORCED HIMSELF ONTO EVA WHEN HE WAS DRUNK. HE DOESN'T REMEMBER
4. DEEPLY REGRETS HIS ACTIONS
5. IRRESPONSIBLE::

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An Inspector Calls: Character profiles

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