One spring evening in 1912 Inspector Goole arrived at the Birlings’ home. He tells them that a young woman has died having swallowed a strong disinfectant. Whilst he questions each at the Birlings’ house we then find out their involvements with Eva Smith. The inspector first turns his attention to Mr. Birling, showing him a photograph of Eva Smith. Mr. Birling admitted that he had employed the girl and that he had also fired her because “she had a lot to say…far too much” and also she had been “causing trouble in the works”. She also wanted a pay rise from 22 and 6 shillings to 25 shillings a week.
Mr. Birling wanted the wages to stay the same because he wants to “keep labour cost’s down” and if he gave them a rise, labour cost’s would go up 12%. I don’t think that what Mr. Birling did to Eva Smith would have leaded her to commit suicide because people get laid off everyday. AT the beginning of December, 1910, Eva was lucky enough to be accepted for a job at a very good, high-class shop, Milwards. Sheila Birling, daughter of Mr. Birling, was in Milwards picking out a dress. Eva was told to get the dress and Sheila tried it on and knew straight away it didn’t look right. However when Eva measured it up against herself Sheila thought Eva looked great in the dress. So as Sheila was in a terrible mood that day, she threatened the owner of Milwards that if Eva was not laid off, she and her mother would never shop there again.
Although Sheila thought it wasn’t “anything terrible at the time”, Sheila then believed she was to blame “I’m to blame” and was very depressed when she found out Eva Smith had committed suicide. Gerald Croft met Eva Smith at the Palace Music Hall in the stalls bar. She was calling herself Daisy Renton now. Gerald met her when he saved Daisy from Joe Megarty, who had her up in a corner touching her up. Gerald treated her well and even set her up in some apartments that were owned by his friend who was out of town. I think Gerald could have been responsible for Eva/Daisy’s death because he left her thinking she was okay, but on the inside she was upset, she just never showed it.
Eric Birling met Eva one night in November, 1911. They got on well and made love; Eric thought she was good that they insisted to see more of each other. As Eric was “squiffy” he didn’t take any precautions and ended up getting Eva pregnant. Eric had a large part to do with Eva’s death because she thought he was too good, giving her money and a place to stay, so she may have felt overwhelmed and thought that her child would also have a poor life, which may have caused her to commit suicide.
When the inspector started to question Mrs. Birling, she did admit to seeing Eva Smith at a Brumley’s Women Charity Organisation. Mrs. Birling rejected her from this thought because Eva was going under the name as Mrs. Birling. I think Mrs. Birling is more to blame than anyone because she could have prevented her from committing suicide when she went for help.
Although all characters are responsible, I think Mrs. Birling is guiltier than the others because she could have prevented Eva Smith from committing suicide, by giving her the help that she needed. I mostly think this because Eva did go for help which could have been about the stress she has suffered the last two years. I think that all characters will go about their normal lives after these events, just trying to forget what had happened.
