English Lit - AIC - Character Profiles

• Arthur Birling?

  •Hubristic (excessive pride)

  •Laissez-faire attitude

  •Arrogant

  •Self-centred

  •Egoistic understanding of the world

  •Power lust

  •Selfish

  •Exploitative tendencies - Mr Birling constantly reiterates that his profit should be prioritised over others well-being’s. He practically dehumanises the poor and reduces the working class to nothing but cheap labour. Eva smith is a prime example of this. He gave her and others low wages for his own selfish gains

  •Nouveau riche (new money)

  •Microcosm for exploitive factory owner
• Sheila Birling

  Priestly portrays Sheila as a result of Mr and Mrs Birlings manipulation
• Sheila Birling


  • Priestley allows the audience to feel sympathy towards Sheila & her dislikable behaviour as Priestley makes it clear that her immaturity and materialism is a product of her parent's influence
  • Crucial for Sheila to reject the traditional and outdated mindset of the older generation
  • Conscience of the Birling family/moral compass
  • Symbolic of change of attitude towards women's progression within society (suffragette movement)
  • Priestley uses Sheila as a device to show how a woman in 1912 may never have had the exposure to reality she needs in order to enforce her opinions
  • Naïve, immature, giddy and spoilt
  • Undergoes metamorphosis (transformation) from an infantilised capitalist into a passionate socialist. She undergoes most dramatic character development
  • Experiences anagnorisis while her parents don't
• Sybil Birling?

  • from old money
  • Allegorical message
  • Ignorant capitalist views
  • Represents a physical hindrance to key changes
  • Represents older conservative non-progressive views
  • Callous
  • Condescending
  • Tendency to ignore the view that her family is dysfunctional and distant