Furthermore, Eva's image is worsened due to her being a woman - no women at that time were considered as good as men.
Nevertheless, one of the main variables between the classes is that of attitude. The lower, working class people had no choice but to work to put food on the table and pay bills whilst trying to be socially mobile - they treated life as an ongoing challenge. Most of the higher-class families (The Birlings) were rich, unscrupulous, and would do anything for themselves. They had no morals and were opposed to believers such as the suffragette's movements, which were becoming strong at this point in the Edwardian era. The most decisive moral of the play is showing what becomes of your community when they are not treated equally and looked after.
Sheila and Mr Birling's attitudes however are very different. Birling has the idea that each man is for himself; this is very stereotypical of a businessman in 1912, reflects the attitude of a man in his position. Mr Birling is very opinionated and sure of himself. An example of this is when he states the Titanic is unsinkable:.
"Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable".
As we all know, and so did Priestley, the Titanic sank; proving that Birling is pompous and makes bad assumptions. Although Sheila and Mr Birling used their authority and social status to dislodge Eva from two jobs and drive her to suicide, their responses afterwards are unlike. Birling has a sour attitude to the working class, and has the idea that responsibility for other members of society does not lie with him. He is sidetracked with climbing the social ladder and enhancing his image:.
" we may look forward to the time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together - for lower costs and higher prices.".
His experience with Inspector Goole does not change him. He is very defiant and will not admit he could have done wrong. Birling is easily aggravated and even his attitude to the Inspector shows no mercy; he tries to intimidate the Inspector with his authority:.
