Sybil Birling

• Sybil Birling, a cold and unsympathetic woman, is the mother of Sheila and Eric Birling. She is married to Lord Mayor Arthur Birling and is described as her husband's social superior. She is naïve and unwilling to accept the societal norms of her class. She blames the father of a child, Eric, for the death of Eva Smith's child. Only when she realizes her actions resulted in her own grandchild's death does she show remorse. Her coldness and lack of conscience reflect her coldness and reluctance to take responsibility.
• Priestley's Message

  Mrs. Birling represents the privileged and selfish attitudes of the wealthy, highlighting the class divide in 1912. She played a role in the death of Eva Smith, turning away a pregnant girl from charity. Mrs. Birling is naive, believing all problems exist outside her family and blaming her son Eric for the child's death. Her coldness and lack of conscience reflect her coldness and lack of remorse after the inspector leaves.
• Mrs Birling's Character Development

  • She does not change at the end of the play – perhaps this is why ‘An Inspector Calls’ again, to try and make her change.  In fact, she was pleased to hear that the Inspector did not exist.​ 
  • Sybil Birling is the most resistant to change, and represents her demographic of society with this behaviour.
  • ​Chased money and status throughout the play.
• Mrs Birling's Key Quotes Bank

  'Arthur you’re not supposed to say such things'
• ‘I don’t suppose for a moment that we can understand why the girl committed suicide. Girls of that class-’ 
•  ‘But I think she had only herself to blame’
• ‘As if a girl of that sort would refuse money.’ 
•  'I blame the young man who was the father of the child she was going to have. If, as she said, he didn't belong to her class, and was some drunken young idler, then that's all the more reason why he shouldn't escape. He should be made an example of. If the girl's death is due to anybody, then it's due to him.'