An Inspector Calls by J.B.Priestly Who killed Eva Smith? There are many different factors involved with the death of Eva Smith that should be considered while asking the question whom ultimately killed Eva Smith. Each one of the Birling family (including Gerald Croft) pushed Eva Smith that extra bit closer to killing herself, but no one person was individually responsible for her death. Whether one person was more to blame than any other it is hard to say. Although these people contributed to her unfortunate end to life, her position in life and society are also greatly to blame. It is Mr. Arthur Birling who starts off the train of events, as he is the first to come in to contact with Eva Smith. Mr. Birling sacked Eva Smith from his factory after she and a few others went on strike, demanding higher wages. As Mr. Birling said to the inspector, 'She'd had a lot to say - far too much - so she had to go'. I don't see that he did anything wrong, anyone in his position would have done the same. And as he says, it's his duty 'to keep labour costs down'. He's a 'hardheaded businessman', as he calls himself, he'd do anything to make as much profit as possible. He wasn't to know what would happen to Eva Smith two years down the line, after he sacked her. As he said 'If you don't come down sharply on some of theses people, they'd soon be asking for the earth'. Although Mr. Birling didn't do anything wrong in my eyes, he wasn't portrayed too well throughout the play. He shows himself to be arrogant, complacent and self-absorbed. One major flaw in Mr. Birling's behaviour is that he seems to show no remorse at all for Eva, and after all he did help drive her to commit suicide. He shows no regret for dismissing E... ... middle of paper ... ...ike ending her life, and she wouldn't be lying on a slab with her insides burnt out. After all, she was the person who decided to kill herself, she could have tried for another job, she could have accepted the money from Eric and she could have made him responsible for the baby, when it came. In conclusion, it would be unfair to put the blame onto one person, when each and every one of them helped contribute to Evas' miserable end to life. It may be more accurate to blame society, her class, and the time in which she lived. No real crime has been committed in this play, but I believe that the Birling family should share the moral responsibility for this young woman's pitiful suicide. Then maybe next time they are about to do something selfish they'll think of the devestation they might bring to others, and not just the benefit they bring to themselves.
When I discovered that my English class had to do a Research Paper, I became horrified. I thought students only did this when they were finishing graduate school not when they were starting their first year in college. All I knew about research papers was that there is an overwhelming amount of research to do. In my efforts to complete this obstacle and not bore myself to sleep with researching, I wanted to do an interesting topic, but I had no idea where to begin. I spent hours going through a great number of subjects and people, but once I found topic remotely interesting, I could not find much information on the Library of Congress website. Therefore, I decided to choose one word that would hopefully lead me to an interesting topic. I set my search limits to manuscripts and searched the word murder. There, the first name at the top of the page was Sirica, John .
On April 28, 2004, after closing on his dream house, William McGuire was brutally murdered. His body was severed into three pieces, placed into three matching Kenneth Cole suitcases and then dumped in the Chesapeake Bay. The investigation of his murder would span three years, involve two different investigative teams and end in the conviction of his wife, Melanie McGuire, based on circumstantial evidence (Glatt, 2008).
How Priestly Uses the Inspector to Create Tension and Suspense in An Inspector Calls J.B Priestly wrote 'An Inspector Calls' in 1945 just when the welfare state began. J.B Priestly set his play in Edwardian Britain 1912; however Edwardian Britain society was still very Victorian in its attitude and structure. For example the rich, who were privileged, were meant to help out the poor through charities, as there was no welfare state. As well as the fact that social benefits did not exist at that time, but they chose not to. It was classed as the Victorian ways.
An Inspector Calls was written in 1945 but set in 1912. The play shows the stark difference between 1912 and 1945. J. B. Priestley reveals the errors of society and the faults of capitalism as well as the bias of the upper class and social status. As a firm believer in the concepts of socialism, he uses this play to expose society’s poor attitudes to the working class of the period. The way they treat Eva Smith reflects on how many of the working class may have been treated by their social superiors. Eva was a victim in society as she was very low in the financial hierarchy as well as in reality where she was at the bottom of the classes. Women at that time were seen as being delicate, obedient to their husbands. The inspector is used to correct the
... premarital and immoral sexual services that would be inappropriate for respectable courtships of the time. Under false names such as “Frank Rivers and Bill Easy” the young clerks experienced courtship “unburdened by… bourgeois courtship and free of the renunciations and monotony of lifelong marriage” (Cohen, 131) .The women also catered to the clerk’s feminine and domestic needs like repairing and sewing clothing “as a wife would do for a husband” (Cohen, 149).
was on his way and that a girl was on her way to the hospital after
Drama in J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls J.B. Priestley is the author of 'An Inspector Calls', he wrote and published the play in 1945. The play he created was set in an industrial town called 'Brumley'. In 'An Inspector Calls' there are six main characters, one being an inspector who goes by the name of Goole. Inspector Goole questions the five other characters about a young working-class woman's, named Eva, death. During questioning, each of the Birling family, Sheila, Eric, Sybil and Arthur, all reveal that they have a secret connection with Eva, along with Gerald Croft, who is engaged to Sheila Birling.
Do you agree that Eva Smith is presented as a victim in the play ‘An
After Bailey’s departure, Maya felt that “it was going to be impossible to stay where she was, but leaving held no attraction for her either.'; (Chap 34, pg 264, line 2)
makes each of them aware of the part they had played that lead to her
in jeopardy than how he may have driven a young girl down a spiral to
J.B. Priestley's Motives Behind An Inspector Calls J.B. Priestley was born in Bradford, Yorkshire in 1894. His mother
On June 7th 2008, Sarah May Ward was arrested for the murder of Eli Westlake after she ran him over in a motor vehicle in St. Leonards. Prior to the incident the offender had been driving the wrong way down Christine Lane which was a one way street. Whilst this was occurring she was intoxicated, under the influence of marijuana, valium, and ecstasy and was unlicensed to drive. The victim and his brother who were also intoxicated, where walking down the lane and where nearly hit by the offender. This prompted the victim to throw cheese balls at the car and make a few sarcastic remarks regarding her driving ability. After a brief confrontation between the two parties the victim and his brother turned away and proceeded to walk down Lithgow Street. The offender followed the victim into the street and drove into him while he was crossing a driveway.
At the start of the play she was described as a girl who is very
had a lot to say – far too much – so she had to go.’ Again he abuses