Inspector Calls Character Summary - Arthur Birling Etc. Including Inspector Himself. + Opening Scenes Description of Each Character and What Is to Be Told in the Opening Description of the Play.

Arthur Birling

Mr. Birling is the head of the family. We have a description of him before any word is spoken at the beginning of the play. He is Heavy-looking, portentous, in his mid-fifties
and rather provincial in his speech and his wife is his social superior. We can see from the fourth point in that description that he is a social climber. We can see more evidence of this in that fact that he is so worried about social status in this first act, and in his distain for Eric's schooling. He mentions to Gerald how he can see that Lady Croft thinks he can do better, and is anxious to impress with the mention of a knighthood. He also seems to be trying to show himself as upper class in the fact that he even buys the same port as Sir George Croft.

Eric Birling

Eric seems embarrassed and awkward right from the start. The first mention of him in the script is “"Eric suddenly guffaws,"” and then he is unable to explain his laughter, as if he is nervous about something. (It is not until the final act that we realize this must be because of his having stolen some money.) There is another awkward moment when Gerald, Birling and Eric are chatting about women's love of clothes before the Inspector arrives. Do you feel that there is tension in Eric's relationship with his father?

It soon becomes clear to us (although it takes his parents longer) that he is a hardened drinker. Gerald admits, “"I have gathered that he does drink pretty hard."”

He had some innate sense of responsibility, though, because although he got a woman pregnant, he was concerned enough to give her money.

Sheila Birling

Even though she seems very playful at the opening, we know that she has had suspicions about Gerald when she mentions “"last summer, when you never came near me."” Does this suggest that she is not as naive and shallow as she first appears?

Although she has probably never in her life before considered the conditions of the workers, she shows her compassion immediately she...