J.B. Priestley's "An Inspector Calls" presents a stark contrast between the two principal female characters, Mrs Sybil Birling and her daughter, Sheila. While both women are initially depicted as products of their privileged, Edwardian society, their reactions to the Inspector's revelations and the tragic death of Eva Smith highlight fundamental differences in their moral compasses and capacity for genuine self-reflection. Mrs Birling embodies the entrenched, unyielding conservatism of her class, clinging to societal norms and personal self-importance even in the face of devastating evidence. Sheila, conversely, undergoes a dramatic and painful transformation, moving from a superficial, self-absorbed young woman to one capable of profound empathy and burgeoning social conscience. This divergence in their development is central to Priestley's critique of a society resistant to change and blind to its own injustices.
Mrs Birling's character is largely defined by her rigid adherence to social hierarchy and her unshakeable belief in her own moral rectitude. As the wife of a prominent local businessman, she views herself as a pillar of respectability, concerned primarily with appearances and maintaining the family's social standing. Her initial reaction to the Inspector's interrogation is one of disdain and dismissal. She patronisingly instructs Sheila to "be quiet, please," and treats the Inspector with an air of superiority, asserting that her social position should exempt her from his scrutiny. When confronted with her role in Eva Smith's dismissal from her charity committee, Mrs Birling exhibits a remarkable lack of remorse. She defends her actions by framing Eva as an "impertinent little liar" who was "quite at fault." Her refusal to acknowledge any personal responsibility is further cemented by her insistence that the family is dealing with a "common young man" and that Eva's death is "perfect nonsense." This obstinacy persists even after the Inspector reveals the girl's suicide, as Mrs Birling blames the father of the child for driving Eva to despair, a clear deflection of her own culpability. Her final, chilling words, "I accept no blame for it at all," serve as a powerful encapsulation of her unyielding nature, a symbol of the older generation's inability or unwillingness to confront their complicity in social ills.
In sharp contrast, Sheila's journey throughout the play is one of significant moral and emotional awakening. Initially, she appears as a spoiled, somewhat childish young woman, focused on material possessions and superficial relationships. Her early dialogue, such as her excitement over an engagement ring, reveals a certain naivety. However, her encounter with the Inspector marks a turning point. The "confession" she is forced to make regarding her role in Eva Smith's dismissal from Milwards department store is delivered with genuine distress and a dawning horror. Unlike her mother, Sheila is visibly affected by the Inspector's words and the grim reality of Eva's life and death. She is the first to recognise the Inspector's power and to feel the weight of their collective actions. Her plea to her mother, "Don't you understand what that means? ... You've done it yourselves," demonstrates a profound shift in perspective. She moves from a position of privileged ignorance to one of painful awareness. Her willingness to accept responsibility, even for actions she initially dismissed as trivial, sets her apart from the rest of her family. By the end of the play, Sheila is no longer the shallow girl she was at the beginning. She expresses a deep sense of guilt and a foreboding about the future, stating that they will "all go on behaving just as we did before," a sentiment that reveals her nascent understanding of the societal problems the Inspector has exposed.
The contrast between Mrs Birling and Sheila serves Priestley's didactic purpose effectively. Mrs Birling represents the older generation's entrenched privilege and their resistance to social reform, a mindset Priestley critiques as ultimately destructive. Her inability to change, her unwavering self-justification, and her condemnation of the victim underscore the moral bankruptcy that can accompany unchecked social power. Sheila, on the other hand, embodies the potential for change and the emergence of a more compassionate, socially aware consciousness. Her willingness to be humbled and to learn from the Inspector's visit offers a glimmer of hope, suggesting that the younger generation might be more receptive to the ethical imperatives of a changing world. Priestley uses their differing responses to highlight the generational divide and to argue for a more equitable and responsible society.