Act 2
Analysis
Sheila and Gerald
 The
Inspector’s entrance allows him to
question Gerald
 At first Gerald wants Sheila to leave
 ‘unpleasant and disturbing’ – Sheila insists
on staying.
 Tension between Sheila and Gerald
Mrs Birling
 Mrs
Birling’s entrance facilitates a number
of developments:
 We gain an insight into her pompous
character
 We are shown her attitude towards class
and social standing.
 She reminds the Inspector of her husbands
position within society
Mrs Birling
 ‘girls
of that class’ – talks dismissively
about this to influence others – distant
herself from events.
 We are shown the difference between
her and Sheila’s attitudes towards the
Inspector and responsibility.
 Eric’s drinking is revealed at this time
(remember by Priestley)
Mr Birling
 He
re-enters saying he has being trying to
persuade Eric to go to bed.
 Eric refuses
 Priestley’s play is shown as organised
when the Inspector states Eric will have to
‘ wait his turn’ to be questioned.
 Sheila re-enters – excitable behaviour –
unlike the others she can see the
omniscience of the Inspector.
Gerald



The Inspector questions him – Gerald reveals
his story –
Inspector asks Gerald if he was in love with
Daisy and Mr Birling protests – he is quickly put
in his place by the Inspector ‘Why should you
do any protesting? It was you who turned the
girl out in the first place.’
Priestley uses Inspector as a choric device,
reminding the audience of Mr Birling’s part in
Eva’s life.
Gerald Croft’s character
 Is
confident
 Is well mannered
 Is a businessman
 Is immoral (sinful)
 Is calm
 Is conservative
Gerald
 Gerald’s
outlook on life is similar to Birling
 They both have experience as business
men
 His vision of the future seems to be similar
to Birling (conservative ideas)
 As with Mr Birling – Gerald’s first response
to knowing the girl is to conceal it.
 He helped her – then had the affair – not
premeditated
Gerald
 Traditionalist
– traditional ideas
 Like Mr Birling he tries to prevent Sheila
hearing about the affair
 Could be seen as honourable – not
wanting to hurt Sheila / helping Daisy
 Even Sheila says ‘wonderful fairy Prince’ !
Euphemism
 Is
used when characters refer to taboo
subjects  Mr Birling talks of Eva becoming a
prostitute – Gerald says ‘women of the
town’
 Later Eric refers to them as ‘fat old tarts’
Mr Birling
 Mr
Birling explains he ‘doesn’t want Sheila
to be dragged into this.’
 Priestley highlights changing attitudes to
women through the Inspector.
 Inspector points out to Mr Birling his
daughter is ‘not living on the moon’, and
Sheila insists on staying to hear what
Gerald has to say.
Gerald
 Explains
he broke things off with Daisy last
summer.
 Priestley uses the device of a diary to fill in
events.
 Daisy says in her diary she wanted to go
away ‘just to make it last longer’.
 Gerald is upset – askes to leave – Sheila
returns her engagement ring.
Sheila
 She
is angry with Gerald for his
involvement
 She also states she has respect for him
once he has told the truth
 However she stands by her decision –
even though Mr Birling remonstrates –
telling him not to interfere
Mrs Birling
 She
believes the issue is resolved – is
shown a photograph
 She states she doesn’t recognise her – the
Inspector states she is lying!
 Mrs Birling shocked at the Inspector’s
rudeness – he refuses to apologise for
doing his duty
 Mr Birling – gain attempts to highlight he is
a public man
Priestley’s View
 His
view is shown through the Inspector
when he states that public men have
responsibilities as well as privileges
 Mr Birling tries to intimidate the Inspector
and control the situation.
Priestley’s ideals
 Mr
Birling tries to intimidate the Inspector –
control the situation.
 Sheila
– feels no-one should hinder the
Inspector’s enquiries (different views)
 Birling exits
 Just having the women allows Priestley’s
character –the inspector – to question Mrs
Birling – without any men – especially Eric!
Mrs Birling




Forced to admit she had an involvement with
the girl
Eva lied and called herself Mrs Birling
Mrs Birling listened to her story but felt she did
nothing wrong
Priestley builds tension – tricks Mrs Birling into
saying the father of the unborn child is ‘
entirely responsible’ and ought ‘to be
compelled to confess in public his rsponsibility’
Dramatic Irony
 Audience
and Sheila aware that the
finger points at Eric
 When the Inspector says he is waiting to
do his duty, as Mrs B advised him, Mrs B
realises that her son is implicated
 Crucial moment – Priestley gets a door to
slam – front door – heightens suspense –
characters and audience wait with
anticipation for Eric.
Inspector




Linked to the supernatural power of the Inspector
“Goole,” becomes “ghoul”: a haunting spirit
closely associated with corpses and the dead.
Is the Inspector some kind of ghostly incarnation of
Eva Smith, determined to return to her killers to
make them realize the error of their ways?
At this point in the play, the Inspector’s role is
hugely ambiguous, yet his power over the family is
growing.
He manages to break the composure of Mrs Birling
by allowing her to trap her own son.
Inspector
 Some
critics have argued that “Goole” is
in fact a reference to a fishing village not
far from Priestley’s native Bradford and
that the Inspector is simply to be read as
“fishing” for information and hooking in
the Birlings. Whether a ghoul or simply
Goole, the Inspector, by the end of the
second act, has become a compellingly
authoritative figure.
Reflection
 Priestley’s
socialist message—that
everyone must look out for each other—is
extended further in the Inspector’s
damning comment that the public
people “have responsibilities as well as
privileges.” Though the three younger
characters, Gerald, Eric and Sheila, all are
partly to blame in Eva’s death, it is with
the two elder Birlings that the main point
of blame rests.
Ending of Act
 Same
as the first – ends on a cliff hanger
 Priestley creates suspense