An Inspector Calls

Of all the Birlings, Sheila undergoes the most emotional development over the course of the play. At the start of Act I, Sheila is in a celebratory mood. Her recent engagement to Gerald is not just a romantic coup but a social triumph. He is of higher social status than Sheila and the Birling family, and the marriage will elevate her to a similar standing. This mood of optimism is pierced by the arrival of Inspector Goole. Soon, the family’s flaws come to light, and Sheila is forced to confront her past wrongdoing: She used her wealth and status to have Eva Smith fired from a department store. Her actions were bitter and impulsive, and she never stopped to think about the consequences of her demands. Now, her happiness contrasts with the tragedy of Eva’s death by suicide. The elation portrayed at the beginning of the play is juxtaposed against the death by suicide of a young woman, a tragedy that Sheila quickly blames on herself. After being confronted with her role in Eva’s death, she accepts responsibility and chooses to reflect on her actions. For the remainder of the play, Sheila is forced to watch as her family members fail—or simply refuse—to achieve the same level of emotional growth.

Act II of An Inspector Calls portrays Sheila’s growth. Her statements of self-reflection are loud, but her actions speak louder. She learns about Gerald’s affair with Eva, which took place at a time when he told Sheila that he was too busy to see her. She criticizes Gerald’s actions and hands him back the wedding ring. Importantly, however, she praises him for taking responsibility for his actions. She ends their current relationship but tells him that they can try to build something new, now that they have been given the opportunity to reflect on their flaws. She hopes that her own development will extend to Gerald and that they can grow together. Unfortunately for Sheila, Gerald is less willing to change. Whereas he wants to remain the person he was before Goole arrived at the party, Sheila is no longer the same, and she cannot return to her state, no matter what Gerald or her father tells her. Sheila’s struggle to reform Gerald demonstrates that she has fully accepted her culpability in the death of Eva Smith. Her willingness to accept her role in the young woman’s death shows that she is capable of reflection and redemption, something that is denied to Arthur, Sybil, and Gerald. The tragedy of Sheila’s growth is that she will never be able to return to that initial happiness, as the most important people in her life refuse to learn the lessons that she has learned.

The aftermath of Goole’s exit from the play is eye-opening for Sheila. While she remains determined to reform her character, she watches as Arthur, Gerald, and Sybil convince themselves that they have been the victims of an elaborate practical joke. They are not just ignoring the opportunity to change; they are actively avoiding any such growth. This horrifies Sheila, and she is disgusted by the way in which her own family members value their reputations over everything else. Goole has shown Sheila the dark underbelly of a hypocritical, cynical society that is desperate to avoid the truth about inequality. When her family members laugh about the situation, Sheila knows that she has lost her battle to convince them to change. Their consciences have abandoned them. Though Sheila promises to change, she cannot persuade anyone to join her. They love their wealth and status too much.

Eric Birling is the spoiled son of a rich family. Of all the characters, he plays the largest role in Eva’s death. He met her in a bar and raped her, getting her pregnant. He stole money from his father to support her but then abandoned her. While the other characters indirectly caused Eva to suffer, Eric was directly responsible for her suffering. This imbalance contextualizes Eric’s regret. Like his sister, he feels guilty when he realizes his role in Eva Smith’s death. However, while Sheila is more than willing to shoulder the blame for Eva’s death, Eric insists on distributing the blame equally among them all. He blames his mother for turning Eva away, showing an anger toward her that he does not direct toward himself. An equal distribution of guilt and responsibility suits Eric, allowing him to forgive himself for his outsized role in Eva’s death. Though he may appear to be contrite and empathetic, this attitude is driven by a desire to diminish his responsibility for the death of the woman he raped, impregnated, and abandoned.

Eric’s problems are covered up by his family. At the beginning of the play, Sheila makes guarded comments about his alcohol addiction, but Sybil blames Sheila for her lack of manners and pretends Eric doesn’t have an addiction. Meanwhile, his father lectures him on the importance of looking out for himself. Sybil and Arthur’s behavior illuminates how Eric’s immorality was allowed to metastasize throughout his life. At the end of the play, Sybil continues to indulge him. She is willing to ignore her son’s immorality and criticize Sheila for trying to force the family to accept responsibility for their actions. The family is willing to forget Eric’s addiction as quickly as they are willing to forget Goole’s accusations. Eric’s immorality is the product of a cosseted, privileged society that places more value on etiquette than on doing right by others.