Themes and character links

• Capitalism


  A failed promise, just like the ones given to Eva by the Birling family
• Capitalism


  Doesn't serve the lower classes, as the harder Eva works, the more she is pushed to suicide
• Socialism


  An ideology that favours the victims
• Eva is a vessel for Priestley's didactic message
• Social responsibility


  • Mrs Birling
  • Mr Birling
• Morality vs Legality


  For the poor, legality isn't much of an issue, they have to worry about - they don't have the privilege to be worried about legality, they're at the bottom rung of class, and have no lower to go. Whereas for the upper class, they needn't worry with morality, only legality
• Mr Birling


  Morally he shouldn't have fired Eva, but that doesn't matter to him. He was within his legal rights to do so.
• Mrs Birling


  Morally she should have given Eva shelter but she had no legal obligation to do so
• Eric


  • Always stands in the grey half shy, half assertive. He's never a black or white character, he's between Sheila and Mr Birling - on one hand, he's a man, on the other hand, he's young, on one hand, he's privileged, on the other, he leans to the political left.
• Class


  • Sheila + Gerald: Clear class differences. Though they both have limited experience with being poor / lower class, Sheila actively chooses to take responsibility for her actions, she is a beacon of hope, breaking the cycle of abuse in the Birling household. Gerald simply follows in his father's, and father before him's footsteps.
• Mrs Birling


  Believes that those of a lower class must 'deserve' to have wealth before they can be recognised as people