(Coolly) "We often do on the young ones. They"re more impressionable".
As you can tell, he is acting rather coldly towards Mrs Birling because he is implying that older people can't be changed she and her husband remain unchanged as we see many times throughout the play.
The Inspector is successful in making Sheila see the consequences of her actions. He makes her feel guilty because at the beginning of the play she is a very happy, lively, young, pleased with life girl ; then by the time the Inspector is finished with her she feels nothing but guilt, unhappiness and embarrassment,. Sheila recognises that all the Inspector wants to do is, teach the whole family the difference between right and wrong. However, Mrs Birling, unlike her daughter doesn't realise this, and for that she digs a hole for her own son when she is talking to the Inspector:.
" .I blame the young man who was the father of the child she was going to have He should be made an example of. If the girl's death is due to anybody, then it's due to him.".
"So he's the chief culprit anyhow.".
"Certainly. He ought to be dealt with very severely -".
"(With sudden alarm) "Mother - stop - stop!".
There is intense drama here as the audience realises with Sheila that Eric is to blame. Here, the stage directions say much as they show that Sheila is astonished by the way her mother is demanding this boy be treated, so she interrupts by telling her mother to stop.
The Inspector also has quite a big effect on Eric. Eric is seen as a rebellious young man who is half - shy, half - assertive and he seems to drink quite a lot. The reason I say this is because in this part of the play, as soon as he hears some bad news he asks if he can have a drink.
(Miserably) "Could I have a drink first?".
(Explosively) "No.".
(Firmly) "Yes".
Here, it show that Eric can't handle the fact that he's done something wrong so the only thing he feels he can turn to is alcohol.
