Eva perished before the inspector’s arrival, as a result of consuming excessive amounts of a powerful disinfectant that caused severe internal damage. Inspector Goole pays a visit to the Birling residence to individually confront and assign accountability to each family member. While the inspector refrains from explicitly stating so, it is evident that his primary purpose is not to identify the primary wrongdoer but rather to compel the Birlings to empathize with and acknowledge the perspective and obligation of individuals from the lower social strata.
Every single one of them – Mr. Birling, Sheila, Gerald, Mrs. Birling, and Eric – played a role in Eva’s death. The inspector’s intention is for them to realize this and accept accountability. Mr. Birling carries the most significant responsibility as he initiated the entire chain of events and was the first to reject Eva. Eva Smith was employed at “the Works,” which was owned by Mr. Birling. She had been working in one of the “machine shops” for over a year, proving herself as a diligent employee. She was on the verge of being promoted to a “leading operator,” overseeing a small group of girls.
Upon their return from the August holidays, Eva and her colleagues expressed their restlessness and requested a salary increase. However, Mr Birling firmly declined their proposition, stating that it couldn’t even be considered. In response, Eva and her fellow female workers initiated a strike, though it was short-lived. The entire dismal incident concluded within a week or two. While allowing everyone else to resume work, Mr Birling singled out the instigators—the ones responsible for causing all the trouble. Unfortunately, Eva was among these ring-leaders and, like the others, she was dismissed from her job. This marked the beginning of a domino effect of events that ultimately led Eva to take her own life, along with the life of her unborn child.
However, Mr Birling declined to take responsibility for his actions. Subsequently, Sheila rejected Eva due to her own bad temper. After being dismissed by Mr Birling, Eva managed to find employment at the dress shop Millwards, which happened to be one of Sheila’s preferred stores. Eva considered herself fortunate to secure a position there. Sheila visited Millwards to try on a dress; however, both the shop assistant and Mrs Birling disapproved of her choice. When Sheila tried on the dress, she realized they were correct as it did not suit her, leaving her in a sour mood.
Eva and Miss Francis, the assistant, brought the dress up from the work room. Miss Francis inquired about the dress and Eva showcased it by holding it up as if she was wearing it. Sheila thought the dress suited her. However, when Sheila tried the dress on and realized it didn’t flatter her, she noticed Eva smiling at Miss Francis. Sheila misinterpreted Eva’s smile and became enraged. She was very rude to both Eva and Miss Francis. Sheila hastily went to the manager and accused Eva of being impertinent.
She informed the manager that if he didn’t dismiss Eva, she would never visit Millwards again and would convince Mrs Birling to close the family account. This threat ultimately led to Eva’s suicide. However, Sheila accepted accountability for her actions and even mourned for Eva. After Sheila compelled Millwards to let go of Eva, she changed her name to Daisy Renton in an attempt to start fresh. It was at this point that Gerald entered her life and became a significant figure in her tumultuous journey. Gerald went to the Palace Hotel Bar in Brumley because he found the show in the Music Hall to be unimpressive.
Upon their first encounter, Daisy found herself cornered by Old Joe Meggarty, a well-known womanizer. Gerald noticed Daisy’s distress and interpreted her expression as a plea for help. Acting quickly, Gerald approached Mr. Meggarty, claiming that the manager had an urgent message for him. Through this ruse, Gerald managed to free Daisy from Mr. Meggarty’s leering gaze, which was both inebriated and lustful. Seizing the opportunity, Gerald promptly whisked Daisy away from the Palace Bar. They sought refuge at the County Hotel where they engaged in conversation. It was no coincidence that they met again two nights later. This time, Gerald arranged for Daisy to reside at his friend’s accommodations while he was away in Canada.
He provided her with money and visited her regularly, making her his mistress after becoming the most important person in her life. Unfortunately, he ended their relationship in the first week of September before leaving for a business trip. Daisy handled the situation with grace, aware that Gerald did not love her and would never marry her. Nonetheless, this had a significant impact on her as her hopes were once again raised and then dashed. Gerald acknowledged his responsibility and felt remorse for his actions towards Daisy.
Eris was the next person to meet and reject Eva. He encountered her at the Palace Hotel Bar, just like Herald did, one evening in November. Eris was accompanied by a few friends, and having been there for several hours, he was slightly intoxicated. He approached Eva and engaged in conversation with her. He bought her some drinks, and by the time they left, he was quite intoxicated. He insisted on going to her place of residence. However, Eva denied him entry, which angered Eris, similar to Sheila’s reaction. He began to threaten her, stating that he would cause a disturbance that would result in her eviction.
Reluctantly, Eva allowed him to enter her place. A couple of weeks later, they crossed paths once again, but this encounter was unplanned and Eric’s memory of their previous meetings was hazy. Eric accompanied her home once more, but this time they engaged in conversation for a brief period. They met twice more, during which Eva disclosed her pregnancy, leaving Eric in a state of distress alongside Eva. Although Eva had no intention of marrying Eric, he provided her with financial support to sustain herself temporarily. Eventually, Eva declined any further assistance as she realized the money was acquired unlawfully.
Eva found herself in a difficult situation as she had limited funds and now had the added responsibility of supporting a baby. Eric acknowledged his role and accepted responsibility but this only exacerbated Eva’s despair. Mrs Birling ultimately rejected Eva’s plea, which proved to be the last straw for her. In desperation, Eva sought assistance from the Brumley Woman’s Charity after exhausting all her financial resources. In a final act of desperation, she even adopted the name “Mrs Birling” after Eric.
Unfortunately, Eva had the unfortunate encounter with the real Mrs. Birling, who rejected her plea. After learning about Eva’s self-assumed identity, Mrs. Birling considered it an act of extreme rudeness and developed a biased attitude towards her. To improve her situation and increase her chances of success, Eva fabricated a story and sought empathy from Mrs. Birling by claiming that she was abandoned by her husband and left with no financial support. However, Mrs. Birling started interrogating her and eventually broke through Eva’s deception. Although Eva shared details about Eric with Mrs. Birling, she deliberately withheld his name.
Mr. Birling doubted her because Eva mentioned Mrs. Birling’s name, which made Mrs. Birling biased against her. Mrs. Birling utilized her influence to convince the committee to reject Eva’s claim. Eva was denied assistance and turned away, marking the final rejection. Mrs. Birling refused to take responsibility, believing she did nothing wrong and shifting the blame entirely onto Eva herself. In conclusion, I believe that all individuals are equally accountable for the death of Eva Smith. Although each person’s actions may not have individually caused significant harm to Eva, collectively they resulted in the death of both Eva and her unborn child.
It can be inferred that the Birling family were responsible for driving Eva to such a state of despair that she felt her child should not be born to endure a life like hers. However, while the Birling family may appear primarily culpable for Eva Smith’s demise, a closer examination of the novella’s context reveals that it is actually the Birling family’s social status or “class” that should be held accountable. This is due to the Middle Class’s societal disdain for the Lower Class during 1912, resulting in harsh treatment towards individuals like Eva. Furthermore, J B Priestly seeks to assign blame to this social divide, which is effectively exemplified through the actions of the Birling family.
