The Inspector Calls: Dramatic Monologue of Eric Birling

I was out, onto practicing my usual stuff, that is, working my way through the shots of liquor, when a pretty looking lady showed up in the palace bar. She was nothing like those fat old tarts that roamed the streets of Brumley. It had been my squiffy nature that persuaded me to physically fulfill my urges, instead of having a friendly conversation. It was my dominant intentions that led me to make the mistake of going to the lodgings, whereas she had hesitated. Had I known about her living conditions, and how my crooked father had fired her, I would immediately put myself to a halt. However, I’m grateful that we were able to introduce ourselves to each other the next time we met and it was followed by further love making of course. My affection towards her started developing further. We made love as if it was a sport. It was as if I was her last hope in finally having a better life. The thoughts of whether it would be wise to take advantage of her had been conflicting.  My frustration was doubled when she told me about her pregnancy. In such a phase, a young chap like me would turn to his father for advice or assistance, whereas it had been the opposite for me. My father’s egocentric motives, his ignorance about the working class, and his lack of love for me, had left me with no choice except stealing money from his office, to aid my dear Eva since she had no job (showing bundle of money) this is the clear proof of my helplessness and my devotion towards Eva.  But Eva had been too honest to take stolen money from me. And finally, after she left me, and was left with no hope but to beg for help, my dear mother, stuck with her cruel, distorted nature, and denied her any assistance, killing her own grandchild. My actions have brought shame to my family and to myself, but I am not the singular reason, and it is the weight of all of our wrong doings that led to such a situation. Now I don’t care if the inspector was “original”, but he was a model of reflection. He was our source of realization, and had been much of a warning bell for all of us, as a result of all of our deeds. Inspector’s last words still swivel around my mind, “We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish”  “Fire, blood and anguish” Funny how he predicts the upcoming war isn’t it. Got my own preparation for it as well. I reckon a father like that man wouldn’t care if his son died a soldier either.. Let’s look at it in a different way. Isn’t there the slightest of chance that Eva Smith’s death could have been avoided, only if we, the members of the Birling family, would even show some hint of repentance in our behavior, instead of thinking about our social and individual benefit? I mean, what’s done is done, and we cannot change the fact that we are “all members of one body” and that we did wrong to Eva. But the inevitability of her death could have been avoided, if only my dad didn’t stress about losing the family’s social reputation, if only Gerald didn’t try hard to make believe that the whole incident was a hoax, and if only my mother admitted her mistake. We are responsible for nurturing all the John Smiths and Eva Smiths of the society. Employment, housing and hospitality should be equally provided regardless of class, and only if we understood that sooner, we wouldn’t have to learn it in fire, blood and anguish.