All the characters you need to know

1.  Arthur Birling 1• He is wealthy and middle-class with
aims of becoming part of the upper class.• Hopes to be
knighted “there’s a fair chance that I might find my way
into the next Honours List”. P.8• Former Lord-Mayor of
Brumley and as such he is full of his own self-
importance “I was an alderman for years – and Lord
Mayor two years ago.” p.11
Arthur Birling 2• As a local magistrate he
sees himself as being above the law. He
thinks he can get away with things.• In Act
One he says he know the Chief Constable
– “we play golf together sometimes” p.16•
Look at his reaction when he thinks they’ve
rumbled the Inspector…• At the end of the
play he is glad to have avoided a public
scandal.
Arthur Birling 3• He is totally unaware of
the effects of his actions on other people.•
He doesn’t care that there are low wages
for workers. He celebrates ripping off his
workers and cutomers “lower costs and
higher prices” p.4
Arthur Birling 4• He is totally unrealistic
about the future.• His speech about the
Titanic calls it “unsinkable, absolutely
unsinkable”. P.7• He wrongly doesn’t think
there will be a war – “There’ll be peace and
prosperity and rapid progress everywhere.”
p.7

2. MRS SYBIL
BIRLING
 Sybil Birling• She is a horrible
snob and looks down on
people with less money.• She
refuses Eva Smith money for
just having the cheek to use
the same name as her, calling
it “a piece of gross
impertinence” p.43• She is
also a hypocrite and judges
lower classes more harshly
than her own family.• She calls
(in a moment of dramatic
irony) her own son a ‘drunken
young idler’.

3. SHEILA
 Sheila is the character who works out the
tragedy of Eva Smith most quickly.• When
she admits that she was at fault for having
Eva fired from Milwards. She asks the
Inspector if “I’m really responsible?” p.23•
She also works out that Gerald has been up
to no good. “I expect you’ve done things
you’re ashamed of too.” p.23
Sheila is sometimes called ‘the
conscience’ of the play, as she is one
most troubled by Eva’s story.• She
appeals for the others to help the
inspector. P.30• At the end of the play
she doesn’t seem ready to take Gerald
back. “No. Not yet. It’s too soon. I must
think.” p.72

4. ERIC
 Eric is a party-boy, hard drinking
(perhaps because he is miserable)
and is portrayed as being the
black sheep of the family.• He is
also a rebel, and tries to take on
Mr Birling’s selfish views. For
example p.6 “What about the
war?”
Eric is one of the few characters who
has managed to change because of
the terrible experience of Eva Smith.•
He says it was “tough luck” that she
was sacked, and shows sympathy for
her tragic life.• Later on he realises
that the Inspector was showing them
their own faults: “He was our police
inspector all right” p.59

5. GERALD CROFT
 Gerald is a real member of the upper
classes, the son of Sir George Croft
and Lady Croft.• He is also quite
weak and willing to do the easy thing.
Look at how he sucks up to Birling –
“I believe you’re right Sir’ p.6, but
also on page 15 and 17.• He is also a
liar, he tells Sheila that he has been
very busy at work when he has been
having an affair.
• In the end he is very much concerned
with his reputation above everything
else.• Look at his relief when he finds
out the hospital has not got the body
of a suicide victim.• He believes that
the most important thing is if the
Inspector is a fake as “that makes all
the difference.” p.63

6. INSPECTOR GOOLE
 He is a character who doesn’t, like
others try to gloss over the truth.
Sometimes he is described as blunt
or direct.• He outwits the family by
isolating them, “one line of inquiry at
a time” p.11• He refuses to be
intimidated by Birling. See the earlier
golf scene, and also in Act Two when
he refuses to apologise to Birling.
“Apologize for what – doing my
duty?”
• Inspector Goole always tells it
like it is and advances the
political philosophy of the
play.• Look at dialogue in Act
Two when he puts forward
the idea that the rich should
care for the poor. “Public
men, Mr Birling, have
responsibilities as well as
privileges.” p.41
• The mystery of the
Inspector is heightened
by his name – ‘Goole’. •
When he disappears we
are left with the question
of who he was. • Is he a
vision from the past or
future? • In he
representative of all of
our consciences?

7. EVA SMITH /
DAISY RENTON
 The Inspector, Sheila Gerald and Eric all say that
she was "pretty." Gerald describes her as "very
pretty - soft brown hair and big dark eyes."
 Her parents were dead.
 She came from outside Brumley: Mr Birling speaks
of her being "country-bred."
 She was working class.
 The Inspector says that she had kept a sort of
diary, which helped him piece together the last two
years of her life:
 However, in Act 3 we begin to wonder whether Eva
ever really existed. Gerald says, "We've no proof it
was the same photograph and therefore no proof it
was the same girl." Birling adds, "There wasn't the
slightest proof that this Daisy Renton really was
Eva Smith." Yet the final phone call, announcing
that a police inspector is shortly to arrive at the
Birlings' house to investigate the suicide of a young
girl, makes us realise that maybe Eva Smith did
exist after all. What do you think?
 Think about Eva's name. Eva is similar to Eve, the
first woman created by God in the Bible. Smith is
the most common English surname. So, Eva Smith
could represent every woman of her class.