When comparing characters of Sheila and Mr Birling in "An Inspector Calls" it is found that there are few similarities. The only main links between the characters are wealth and social status. The Birling family are wealthy, mainly thanks to Mr Birlings business:.
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"You ought to like this port Gerald.".
At the time only wealthy, classier families would drink port. The Birling family are of the middle class, a class very well off within society at the time. Sheila and Mr Birling are both of this category and therefore generally have the same social expectations. One scene that proves this for Sheila's case is when she shops at Milwards:.
"I looked silly in the thing.".
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She is very jealous and upset to see a lower class girl looking better than her. This is because she, being middle class, looks down on the lower class, in this case Eva Smith. She expects respect and dignity to be shown from Eva, not to be humiliated in public. Mr Birling, like his daughter Sheila also looks down on the lower class in shame. This can be confirmed with his response to Eva Smith asking for a pay rise:.
"We were paying the usual rates and if they didn't like those rates, they could go and work somewhere else.".
Immediately Mr Birling thought she was out of her depth and far too confident of herself to dare asking for higher wages. This shows how little respect the Birling family have for the working class community.
J B Priestly wrote the play back in 1945, while he set the play in 1912, knowing what will happen. He used his knowledge of this to create the characters so they act according to the manner of the era. At the time a family's social position was very important, a huge difference between the classes determined the quality of life. Wealth was required to progress in life and so generally little money equalled little joy. .
The play clearly portrays Eva Smith differing in class to the likes of Birling and Sheila, Eva being lower class, poor and majorly unsuccessful.
