Sheila Birling
We can see a lot of contrasts in Sheila Birling and Eva Smith, who are both described as beautiful young women in the play. While Sheila is spending time in expensive shops, Eva Smith is working hard to earn a living. Even so, she is fired out of no reason but Sheila’s jealousy.
Though, we can not blame Sheila’s action completely on her own, this young lady born in upper class has probably never in her life considered the conditions of the working class. she shows her compassion immediately she hears of her father's treatment of Eva Smith: “But these girls aren't cheap labour - they're people.”
Here we can see the problem: Upper class is too distant from lower class, they don't care nor havesense of social responsibility to help the lower class. Just like the old story:
Another interesting point is the relationship between Gerald and Sheila. Gerald’s mother Lady Croft disapproves of Gerald’s marrying Sheila due to her being his class inferior. as Gerald is an aristocrat, he is Sheila’s social superior, Sheila can be in a bad situation after the marriage. Also, in the very beginning of the play, Sheila clearly has some uncertainties toward Gerald, as she says “last summer, when you never came near me…”. However, all Mr. Birling seems to concern about is Gerald’s class, which can bring the Birings in to a higher social position after the marriage, that’s why he always speaks for Gerald even after the Daisy Renton affair gets out.
Though after all this, Sheila who is born and raised within the class system, has been through a mental awakening. She set her self free from the system as she gives the ring back to Gerald, against her father’s will. At the end of the play, Sheila is much wiser. She is seeing her parents and Gerald in a new, unfavourable light, but the greatest change has been in herself: her social conscience has been awakened.
Gerald Croft
In Gerald’s line we can see an important place—the stalls bar of the Palace Variety Theatre, where both Gerald and Eric met Eva Smith, also where a local dignitary Alderman Meggarty goes a lot. Alderman Meggarty is described as “a notorious womanizer as well as being a worst sots and rogues in Brumley”， and the Palace stalls bar is described to be a favorite haunt of prostitutes. From this we can see what is mentioned earlier by esme: the upper class are not necessarily the high quality people
In this play, Gerald is portrayed to be a high educated gentlemen, or “ the wonderful fairy prince”according to Sheila. He is raised to be courteous and he speaks in manner, though deep down there is a weak personality. He’s always being protective to himsrlf, trying to cover up things instead of telling truth, such as saying“for God sake-don’t say anything the inspector.”and pretends that he never knew the girl. He did have some genuine feeling for Daisy Renton, however
He tells Inspector Goole that he arranged for her to live in his friend's flat “"because I was sorry for her;"” she became his mistress because “"She was young and pretty and warm-hearted - and intensely grateful.”“I suppose it was inevitable.”Despite this, in Act 3, It is Gerald who confirms that the local force has no officer by the name of Goole, he who realises it may not have been the same girl and he who finds out from the infirmary that there has not been a suicide case in months. He tries to come up with as much evidence as possible to prove that the Inspector is a fake - because that would get him off the hook. We can see that he is a so called aristocrat, but he doesn’t have the ability to shoulder responsibility. Even Eva Smith, a lower class woman who try to get help to raise a baby that’s gotten by mistake, can takes much more than him.
Eric Birling
In the confront of Eric and Eva, we can sense the inequality in mental maturity. Eva is treating Eric as if he was a kid. and Eric is actually immature in the play. He is impulsive, he’s sometimes rude and tells jokes, he takes actions without thinking of consequences, and dealt Eva Smith with stolen money. In the case of Eva Smith, she is considerate，lenient with Eric, perspective enough to find out the origin of Eric's money and dealt her unexpected pregnancy with a mature solution which is go to a woman charity for help. From this we can see the contrast: Eric, who represent the upper class, has done less work and has less experience, therefore lacking the ability to live in the world on his own. Eva Smith, on the other hand has been through a lot, can view the world in a higher level. In the whole play Priestley is trying to show that, the exquisite lives the upper class lead rest upon the hard work of the working class, so there's really no reason to descrimnate the working class.
Eric stole money, an act Mrs. Birling would deem as being only done by the lower classes. Mrs. Birling wouldn’t think this possible; This again, emphasize the stereotyping among classes.
Eric has been through the awakening as well. He is appalled by his parents' inability to admit their own responsibility. He tells them forcefully, “"I'm ashamed of you."” When Birling tries to threaten him in Act III, Eric is aggressive in return: “"I don't give a damn now.”This is the first direct line he’s against Mr. Birling
At the end of the play, like Sheila, he is fully aware of his social responsibility and free from the class system.
This is almost like a metaphor, that new system which no longer judges from people’s class can be established one day out of awakening of morality sense.
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