Character Analysis — Supporting Characters

While the Inspector and Sheila carry much of Priestley's message, the other characters are equally important for your GCSE essays. Mr Birling, Mrs Birling, Eric, Gerald, and Eva Smith each represent different aspects of Edwardian society and different responses to the question of social responsibility. This lesson analyses each one in depth.

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Mr Birling (Arthur Birling)

Overview

Mr Birling is a wealthy industrialist and former Lord Mayor. He is a self-made man — socially inferior to his wife (who comes from a higher-class family) — and he is obsessed with status, money, and reputation.

Priestley uses Birling as the embodiment of everything that is wrong with selfish capitalism.

Birling's Character Traits