Edna

• Edna is the only working class character that appears on stage
• Priestley uses the character of Edna to present the mistreatment of the working class
• Edna changes the lighting in the room , when the inspector arrives
• The fact that Edna brings Inspector Goole into the room , and changes the lighting when he arrives is important, as it could be Priestley trying to suggest that the working class will deliver the truth to the middle and upper classes
• When speaking to Edna, Birling says "Show him in here, Give us some more light". These 2 simple sentences are bluntly short monosyllabic which suggest he is not trying to be polite to Edna. The 2 sentences also start with imperative verbs, which show Birling expects his orders to be followed instantaneously
• Birling's comments to Edna highlight the pressure for working class women to immediately obey their middle / upper class employers even if working conditions were unfair
• The play was set in 1912, where it was more common for maids and servants to be used in the homes of middle and upper class families , than in 1945 when it was first performed - So to a 1945 audience, Edna's inclusion would have felt old fashioned and serve a reminder to the audience of the outdated practice of employing working class people on very little money to complete jobs that could of been done by the owners of the house
• Mrs Birling casually remarks "Edna'll go. I asked her to wait up" in Act 3 - This shows how the Birlings have now intruded into Edna's life because of the situation they found themselves in , which demonstrates how they see Edna as merely an employee and do not care about her wellbeing
• The Birling's successes are never shared with Edna : She isn't invited to join in the toast for the engagement - Priestley appears to be condemning this treatment , and an audience in 1945 would consider this to be out of date and overly formal , which would further alienate the Birlings from the audience
• Edna's silence / lack of lines could be interpreted as symbolic of the lack of agency that working class had - Edna would not have had the same freedom that the middle and upper classes had . Also , in 1912, employees did not have the same working rights as they did in 1945, so a 1945 audience would appreciate how difficult it would've been for Edna if she wanted to leave