MR BIRLING:
o Birlings’ ‘ large surburban house’ – contrast with Eva’s ‘dingy little back bedroom’ (described by
the Inspector)
o Birling’s first line: ‘Giving us the port, Edna? That’s right.’ Structurally the play opens with Birling’s
focus on consumerism, his wealth and attempts to impress Gerald Croft
o Birling, celebrates the engagement of Sheila and Gerald: ‘It’s one of the happiest nights of my life’
(he’s happy that the Croft and Birling firms may work together in the future!)
o “nobody wants war”
o “unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable” (about the Titanic) o Describes himself repeatedly as ‘a hard-
headed practical man of business”
o “a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own-and -(door bell rings)” o
“It’s my duty to keep labour costs down”
o Describes Eva’s death as a ‘horrid business’ (uses the language of business rather than
understanding the true horror of Eva’s death)
o ‘I was quite justified’ in sacking Eva Smith o His main concern is to avoid a “public scandal”
o When worried his family is responsible for Eva’s death: ‘Look, Inspector - I’d give thousands – yes,
thousands –’ This reveals Birling’s hypocrisy – he has money to spare for a bribe, to avoid a scandal,
but he won’t pay his workers a penny more than they currently earn.
o After the Inspector leaves: ‘You allowed yourself to be bluffed. Yes – bluffed.’
o After the Inspector leaves: repeatedly described in the stage directions as speaking ‘triumphantly’
SHEILA:
o At the start of the play, when Gerald gives her the ring: ‘Oh – it’s wonderful! Look Mummy – isn’t it
a beauty?’
o “But these girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people”
o When she had Eva Smith fired, she uses the power she has as a good customer of the store: “I’d
persuade mother to close our account with them”
o ‘(Miserably) So I’m really responsible?’
o “I’ll never, never do it again to anybody.”
o When she hears about Gerald’s affair with Eva: ‘You were the wonderful Fairy Prince. You must
have adored it, Gerald.’
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller morganmillerx. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £5.79. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.