An Inspector Calls: Character Profiles & Quotation Bank
The ultimate GCSE revision notes for every character. Master AO1, AO2, and AO3 with Priestley’s key themes and high-scoring analysis.
Mr. Arthur Birling
Mr. Birling is the embodiment of 1912 Capitalist greed. As a self-made businessman and former Lord Mayor, his primary motive is social climbing and profit protection. Priestley uses him to represent the “hard-headed” older generation who refuse to accept social responsibility.
Exam Analysis: His dismissal of Eva Smith for demanding a living wage is the “first link” in the chain of events. His obsession with his “knighthood” and the “unsinkable” Titanic highlights his dangerous complacency and moral blindness.
Mrs. Sybil Birling
The “cold” matriarch of the family. Mrs. Birling represents the social snobbery of the upper classes. Despite leading a “charity,” she lacks any true Christian compassion, judging Eva Smith based on her social standing rather than her need.
Exam Analysis: Priestley uses Dramatic Irony when she blames the “young man” (Eric) for Eva’s pregnancy before realizing it is her own son. She remains the most unrepentant character, showing the rigidity of the class system.
Sheila Birling
Sheila undergoes the most significant moral transformation. Starting as a “pretty girl” obsessed with dresses, she becomes the “proxy” for the Inspector, challenging her parents’ lack of remorse and embracing Socialist values.
Exam Analysis: Sheila represents the hope of the younger generation. Her refusal to take back Gerald’s ring at the end signifies her rejection of the old, corrupt social order.
Gerald Croft
Gerald is the “bridge” between the Birlings and the true Aristocracy. While he shows genuine distress over Eva’s death, he is ultimately a hypocrite who prioritizes his reputation and status over moral growth.
Exam Analysis: Gerald is the most dangerous character because he is likeable. His attempt to prove the Inspector is a “hoax” shows that the upper classes will always try to find a loophole to avoid responsibility.
Eric Birling
Eric is “half shy, half assertive.” His relationship with Eva was exploitative and fueled by alcohol, yet he is the only male character to show genuine remorse and challenge his father’s Capitalist ideology.
Exam Analysis: Eric’s theft of money to help Eva shows his lack of maturity, but his final confrontation with his mother proves he has learned the Inspector’s lesson of collective responsibility.
Inspector Goole
The Inspector is a catalyst for truth. He is not a real police officer, but a moral force (perhaps a ghost or “Ghoul”) sent to warn the Birlings of the “fire and blood and anguish” that awaits a selfish society.
Exam Analysis: He represents Socialism. His final speech is a direct address to the 1945 audience, warning that if society does not change, it will be destroyed by war (WWI and WWII).