Term

Sheila

Definition

"pretty and in her 20's, rather pleased with life" - Immediate introduction to her ingenue and role as part of the younger generation, ignorant of the world around her and the lower classes. "Look mummy, isnt it a beauty!" - Infantalised, vocative of "mummy" shows her protected background. Materialistic, cares about the ring. "Oh I wish you hadn't told me" - Wishes to remain ignorant of the lower classes problems at first, reflective of the Birling's inability to change. "Pretty? - Cares about Eva's looks, reflective of her own materialistic self. Acting like this because of the patriarchal bubble. "These girls aren't cheap labour they're people" - Beginning to change, already acting as a socialist mouthpiece. "No, not really it was my own fault." - Accepting of guilt and social responsibility. "I'll never, never do it again" - Showing remorse and change, very different to the older generation. "Did you love her?" - Still partly an ingenue, cares about relationships, however this time its something more personal. "I dont dislike you the way I did half an hour ago" - Displaying maturity, huge change from the infantalised ingenue she used to be. "The point is, you don’t seem to have learnt anything." - Mouthpiece for the inspector now that he's gone. "Between us we drove that girl to suicide" - Acceptance of social responsibility and the inspector's message.

Term

Gerald

Definition

"An attractive chap about thirty" - Highlights looks, as well as age, as he is inbetween the younger generation and the older. "It's what happened to her after she left Mr Birling's work that's important." - Offloading responsibility, ironically to himself. "I don't come into this suicide business" - Starts of dismissing and unaware of the consequences to his own actions. Foreshadowing from Priestley. "I've suddenly realized- taken it in properly- that she's dead" - Only just come accepted responsibility, and the value of life, now that he's realised it's somebody he knew and "loved". "Hard eyed dough faced" - Objectifying of women, highlights the patriarchal society. "I made her go to Morgan Terrace" - Saviour complex, believe he was doing the right thing" “I didn’t install her there so that I could make love to her.” - Talks about her like an object, highlighted by 'install'. "I didn't feel about her as she felt about me" - No romantic attraction, shows that his actions were purely out of sexual interest. "Everything's all right now Sheila" - Grouped with the ignorant older generation now, tries to hide his actions and hide from social responsibility. "So we can treat it as if it didn’t happen at all." - Wants to cover up his actions and remain as it was, ignorant to change.

Term

Eric

Definition

"Half shy half assertive" - Socially awkward and conflicted. "Squiffy" - Foreshadowing of his drinking problem, however downplayed by the ignorant at first Sheila. "Well. Don’t do any. We’ll drink their health and have done with it." - Tries to skip on his father's speeches, already showing dislike to the older and wealthy upper class. "She’s got a nasty temper sometimes" - Referring to Sheila, dramatic irony as her 'nasty temper' builds up to the death of Eva. "What about war" - Already more socially present than his father, aware of the tensions building. Directly contrasted afterwards by the "Nobody wants war!", dramatic irony. "I left’em talking about clothes again" - Womaniser, foreshadowing his attitudes towards women and how to treat them. "My god!" - Initial reaction to Eva's death, even if he is unaware of the value she holds to him as of now. "Is that why she committed suicide? When was this, father?" - Blame on his father, already going against the upper class. "Well, I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty" - Uses euphemisms to downplay his flaws and drinking problem. "Because you’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble" - Now directly disobeying his father, extreme dislike to the upper class and older generation.