Who is to blame for the death of Eva Smith?
In the play "An Inspector Calls" in Act Three, the Inspector tells the Birling family, "The girl killed herself V and died a horrible death. But each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it." I will now examine each character in turn to assess each person's responsibility for the death of Eva Smith. I have used source material from a copy of the play and a video cassette of edited highlights based on the production. The story begins when the mysterious Inspector Goole calls unexpectedly on the prosperous Birling family, his startling revelations not only shatter the very foundations of their lives but challenge us all to examine our consciences. Firstly, it must be remembered that the Birling Family are guilty of no actual crime, although all have contributed to the downfall of a particular person due to their particular attitudes and beliefs. Therefore it could be said that Eva Smith was simply a victim of her class and time. The idea of the play, and particularly the role of the inspector is to try to bring the Birling family to understand that they have a moral responsibility for the death of Eva Smith, if not a legal one. This point is very significant and is the basis of the entire play, to grasp it
In conclusion, it would be unfair to blame a single person, as each character contributed to the death of Eva Smith. Even if Gerald had not been responsible for the death of Eva Smith, his actions certainly have a consequence as he is engaged to Sheila, who now knows that Gerald was actively having another relationship while they were together. " This later becomes even more apparent as the plot evolves. A question that must be asked however, is just how genuine is he? Gerald makes out as if he was merely trying to help Eva Smith and only later started a relationship with her, whether or not this is true is not known. She came to you to protect me V my child V your grandchild V you killed them both V damn you, damn you. This puts their relationship into doubt, something that Mr Birling would no doubt be displeased about. After the explanation, he makes an excuse and leaves. He is clearly upset by what has happened by what has happened to her, "she knew it couldn't last. Eric Birling returns to the play in Act Three and under questioning from the inspector reveals the extent of his drinking, his relationship with Eva Smith and the Fact that he was embezzling money from his father's business in order to support her because she was pregnant. " Sheila does infact, say that "I know I'm to blame V and I'm desperately sorry. "It is true that Eric has played, like the others, a part in the death of Eva Smith, although this can be put down to his naivety and youth, whereas the others should have known better. What is relevant however, is how little concerned he appears to be, infact denying that his actions had any consequence. " Arthur Birling actually has a fair point here and it could be argued that he was just acting as a businessman, as many others would do. Sheila goes on to explain how she was entirely responsible for Eva Smith loosing her job at Milward's, "I went to the manager at Milward's and I told him that if they didn't get rid of that girl I'd never go near the place again and I'd persuade mother to close our account with them.
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Acceptance Essays
