How do the characters in 'An Inspector Calls' abuse their power?
THESIS STATEMENT: all the characters abuse their power but it is Sheila & Eric who admit that it was
wrong
Arthur Birling let his arrogance shine through by refusing to listen to
the worker's appeal to a pay rise & instead fired them: "I went down
myself & told them to clear out"
He does not think he is to blame for Eva's unfortunate
outcome: "The girl had been causing trouble in the works. I was
quite justified"
Sheila let her insecurities take over her morals & "went to the
manager at Milwards and I told him that if he didn't get rid of that
girl, I'd never go near the place again"
She admits that she was wrong & feels guilty about it: "I felt rotten about
it at the time and now I feel a lot worse"
Gerald used her to feed his sexual desires & paid for her
food & accomodation to ensure that he could return to her
whenever he liked : "I discovered... that in fact she hadn't a
penny... so I insisted on Daisy moving into these rooms"
He does seem passionate about Eva & does show some affection for
her: "I've suddenly realized - taken it in properly - that she's dead"
Mrs Birling denied Eva's request for help from her charity after
she used the family's name: "I didn't like her manner... so I used
my influence to have it refused"
She doesn't think she was wrong in what she did at all: "I'm sorry she should have
come to such a horrible end. But I accept no blame for it at all"
Eric threatened to cause an argument with her if she didn't abide to his
request to make love, made her pregnant& stole money from his father but only funded for her needs
for a short period of time: "I was in that state when a chap easily turns
nasty - and I threatened to make a row"
He feels genuinely sorry for
what he did: " My God - I'm not
likely to forget"