Taking the play from a socialist perspective inevitably it focuses on issues of social class. Class is a large factor, indirectly, in the events of the play and Eva Smith’s death. Mrs. Birling, Priestley notes, is her husband’s social superior, just as Gerald will be Sheila’s social superior if they do get married. Priestley also subtly notes that Gerald’s mother, Lady Croft, disapproves of Gerald’s marrying Sheila for precisely this reason. Finally, everyone’s treatment of Eva might be put down (either in part or altogether) to the fact that she is a girl, as Mrs Birling puts it, “of that class.” Priestley himself clearly was interested in the class system and how it determines the decisions that people make.
This is further exemplified by the positioning of the family at the table in the main hall the stage directions say “the four Birling’s and Gerald are sat at the table, with Arthur Birling at one end , his wife at the other , Eric downstage ,and Sheila and Gerald upstage.” One of the many points this expresses is the distance between Mr Birling and his own wife. This could be because he is constantly thinking about both his business growth and Sheila marrying Gerald. A reason for Eric being positioned ‘downstage’ is so that Priestley can show how neglected Eric actually is within the family , as he is either near his father nor Mother. Also it is too show how minimum influence he has in the family even though he is at the start of Adulthood this is more proof of how the Birling Parents seem alarmed at the revelation of all Eric’s activities because they live with little emotion and most concerns are with business. Gerald is seated next to Sheila as Priestley wishes to show how Birling is doing as much as possible to merge the family’s and mostly because of business reasons alone.
Further in terms of class , Edna is rarely heard or spoken too , unless for