Gender

• Gender


  Pivotal to understanding how and why the characters interact in the way they do. Priestley shows how the ideas and constructs behind gender and gender roles within society influence the ways characters interact with each other and view themselves.
• Priestley's main message is that traditional gender stereotypes are damaging and actively stop society progressing
• Different female characters


  • Used to show the different roles women have within society and how these women are expected to act within a patriarchal society
• The Inspector


  • Introduced to the family to slowly break down the gender stereotypes. Unlike Mr Birling or Gerald, he is not a hypermasculine character but presents a more powerful alternative where masculinity doesn't need to depend on violence, aggression, or intimidation
• When Priestley was writing in the 1940s, society's understanding of gender had progressed massively compared to when the play is set. The two World Wars challenged conservative notions of gender.
• Although society in 1945 was much more progressive than in 1912, there were still some that disagreed with these changes and idealised the pre-War years, wanting to uphold tradition
• Female characters


  • Represent different versions of women within society - Mrs Birling upholds traditional values of the subordinate female, Sheila develops into the 'New Woman' with strong opinions, and Eva is a lower class woman who is taken advantage of by men
• Mrs Birling


  Symbolic of the traditional 1912 woman, when in the presence of men she acts as their subordinates. She is judgmental and strict, a representative of those in the 1940s who wanted to return to the old ways. Her conservative views uphold patriarchal rule and her misogyny is particularly targeted at lower class women.
• Mrs Birling's attitude towards other women


  Mocking and reductive, mirroring her husband's sexist condescension. She uses terms like 'over-excited', 'hysterical child', and 'childish' to invalidate Sheila's concerns, presenting her as irrational and immature.
• Eva Smith


  • The direct opposite of Mrs Birling - assertive, outspoken, determined, and righteous. This makes her an atypical presentation of femininity, subverting the stereotypes and gender roles surrounding women. Priestley suggests these qualities were part of the reason she was treated so poorly by the Birlings as she defied their expectations of working class women being respectful and passive.
• Sheila


  Acts as a bridge between the conservative Mrs Birling and the assertive Eva Smith. During the play we see Sheila's transformation from a stereotypical upper class girl into a woman who is assertive, self-assured, and independent. The Inspector enables Sheila to construct and voice her own opinions, empowering her and showing how respecting women and their intelligence gives them autonomy and a confident sense of self.
• The marriage between classes meant many women were trapped without help
• Sheila's character


  Acts as a bridge between the conservative Mrs Birling and the assertive Eva Smith
• Sheila's transformation


  • From a stereotypical upper class girl into a woman who is assertive, self-assured, and independent
• The Inspector


  Enables Sheila to construct and voice her own opinions, empowering her and giving her a confident sense of self
• Priestley suggests the ways in which society treats and portrays women makes them appear weak and two-dimensional because they haven't been allowed to explore their own identities
• Sheila's character arc


  Imitates the progression of Women's Suffrage from 1912 to 1945
• Sheila at the beginning of the play

  • Naive, materialistic, and spiteful - traits typical of female characters in literature
• Sheila's fascination with clothes and jewellery


  Suggests she is greedy and shallow
• Priestley suggests women were so restricted in their lives that they had to rely on material possessions for pleasure and self-expression
• Women's worth


  Only if they were deemed beautiful
• Men made beauty something women had to compete for, pitting them against each other in order to get a husband and be financially secure
• Sheila's jealousy towards Eva is a result of being taught that she needed to be the most beautiful in any room
• Sheila admits she viewed Eva as a threat because of her beauty
• Sheila's interactions with Gerald

  • Initially she has to repress her own feelings to appear respectable and conform to societal norms
• After her interrogation with the Inspector


  Sheila is no longer restrained and voices her frustration with Gerald
• Priestley describes how the power in Sheila and Gerald's relationship has shifted, and Sheila is liberated and empowered
• Sheila starts to challenge the systems she had previously obeyed
• Sheila rejects Gerald's lies and control over her by handing him the engagement ring
• Sheila and Eric break away from their parents' beliefs, showing how traditions can be reforged
• Mr Birling


  A symbol of traditional patriarchy and sexist values
• Mr Birling treats women in a condescending, disrespectful manner, even with his own daughter
• Mr Birling prioritises the interests of his fellow men over the interests of the female characters because he only sees men as his equals
• Mr Birling sides with Gerald after learning of his affair, perpetuating the idea that women should tolerate their husband's mistreatment of them
• Mr Birling treats women in a condescending manner which reflects the misogynistic culture of the 1910s
• Mr Birling sexualises Eva Smith, suggesting her appearance was more important to her identity than how good a worker she was
• Mr Birling attempts to exclude Sheila from discussions of Eva's death and Gerald's affair in order to protect her, reflecting how the treatment of women varied based on their class
• Priestley suggests upper class women were only respected if they were still 'pure' - typically, whether they were virgins or faithful in marriage. Lower class women were viewed as prostitutes, so were abandoned
• Eric


  A symbol of how the younger generations of men were taught the misogyny of their fathers
• The tension between Eric and Mr Birling is caused by the pressures of masculinity, as they are competing for power