Summary

• Who is Mr Birling?

  • father
  • owner of a local business at a factory
• Who is Mrs Birling?

  • mother
  • runs a charity
• Who is Sheila?

  • daughter
  • newly engaged
• Who is Eric?

  • son
  • alcoholic tendencies
• Who is Gerald?

  • sheila's fiancee
  • aristocrat (higher class than the others)
• Who is The Inspector?

  • an Inspector
  • the mysterious man of the hour
• Who is Eva Smith/Daisy Renton?


  dehumanised & exploited by the Birlings & Gerald
• 1. How does Act 1 begin?

  • in the dining room of the Birling's house which was [heavily comfortable but not cosy & homelike]
  • celebrating the engagement of Sheila (Mr & Mrs Birling's daughter), and Gerald Croft (son of the upper-class Crofts)
  • Mr Birling is clearly very egotistical (self-centered) & is constantly talking about war & the titanic (dramatic irony)
• 2. In Act 1, what happens when the Inspector arrives?

  • interrupts Mr Birling's speech & their celebration of the engagement
  • The Inspector reveals that a girl named Eva Smith had committed suicide from drinking disinfectant
  • All are shocked, & all deny knowing Eva
  • After investigation, it comes to light that Mr Birling knew Eva & sacked her from his factory for demanding higher wages
  • Sheila is very distressed at her father's contributions to her suicide & his dismissive behaviour (her start to change towards socialism)
• 3. In Act 1, what happens when Sheila's role in Eva's suicide is revealed?

  • she got her sacked from a shop called Milwards, as she thought that Eva was smirking at her
  • Sheila is extremely upset at her contribution & shows intense remorse
  • Gerald sees how the Inspector is getting confessions from all the people in the household, so he decides to confess to Sheila that he had a relationship with Eva
  • He begs Sheila to not tell the Inspector - Sheila says that the Inspector would already know
• 1. In Act 2, what is revealed through Gerald & Eva?

  • (eric is absent for this whole scene)
  • Gerald admits to his affair with Eva (she introduced herself to him as Daisy Renton). He met her at the Palace bar (hinted to be a place of prostitution). Over the summer, him & Daisy had an affair, but Gerald ended it - he gave her money, so she had enough until the end of the year. Sheila returns the engagement ring
• 2. In Act 2, what is revealed through Mrs Birling?

  • Mrs Birling is now questioned, & then it was revealed that Mrs Birling, head of a charity, turned away a girl who was pregnant & desperate
  • This was Eva Smith
  • She tells Eva that the father of the child is responsible
  • During her investigation, she remains ignorant & has no remorse for Eva's suicide, continuing to support that it is the father of the child's responsibility
• 1. In Act 3, what is revealed through Eric?

  • revealed that Eric is the father of the child (irony) & Eric confesses to this
  • he met Eva (Daisy) at the Palace Bar, where during the night they were together, she ended up pregnant
  • As soon as Eric found out about this, he stole money from Mr Birling's businesses to support her & his unborn child
  • Eva refused to take his money as she was aware that it was stolen - she contrasts the depiction of the lower class being thieving & immoral
• 2. In Act 3, what does the Inspector mention?

  • the Inspector before he leaves delivers a final speech about responsibility, social inequality & compassion to the Birlings
  • this speech is a warning because he states if they don't change, there will be severe consequences to their actions
• 3. In Act 3, what does Gerald reveal?

  • Gerald then returns, after taking a stroll & reveals the information he had found upon his leave - there was no Inspector Goole at the police force he claimed to be from
  • Mr Birling, Mrs Birling & Gerald are [triumphantly] celebrating this fact, & celebrating that they will no longer have to hide this "public scandal"
  • Sheila & Eric are appalled at their attitude towards the suicide, as they believe that the 3 of them are allowing themselves to forget their immoral actions against Eva
• 4. In Act 3, what happens with the Inspector?

  • During their celebrations of not being found out, they receive a phone call
  • Mr Birling picks up, it is a call from the local police station to inform him that a young girl has died & is on her way to the infirmary
  • Another Inspector will be calling....
• How is Mr Birling involved with Eva/Daisy?

  • got her sacked from his factory for asking for higher wages
• How is Sheila involved with Eva/Daisy?

  • got her sacked from Milwards as she thought she was smirking at her
• How is Gerald involved with Eva/Daisy?

  • had an affair with her over the summer & gave her money
• How is Mrs Birling involved with Eva/Daisy?

  • refused to help her from her charity even though she was pregnant
• How is Eric involved with Eva/Daisy?

  • was the father of her child & stole money from Mr Birling's business to help her
• How is The Inspector involved with Eva/Daisy?

  • vocalises what happened to her - acting as a vehicle to vocalise her injustice