Eva Smith

• A1 - 'Two hours ago, a young woman died in the infirmary. (...) She'd swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant. Burnt her inside out, of course. (...) She died. Suicide, of course.
• A1 - 'They wanted the rates to be changed so they could average 25 shillings a week.' '(...) A lively, good-looking girl (...) good worker too (...)' 'They went on strike (...) Shed had a lot to say - far too much- so she had to go. You couldn't have done anything else.
• A1 - 'I told him that if they didn't get rid of that girl I'd persuade mother to close out account.
• A2 - 'I at once became the most important person in her life.' 'She told me shed been happier than shed ever been before- but she knew it couldn't last- hadn't expected it to last. She didn't blame me at all. I wish to God she had now. Perhaps Id feel better about it.
• A3 - 'And that's when it happened. And I didn't even remember - that's the hellish thing. Oh- my God!- how stupid it all is!' 'I wasn't in love with her or anything- but I liked her- she was pretty and a good sport-
• A3 - 'She didn't want me to marry her. Said I ddint love her- and all that. In a way she treated me- as if I were a kid. Though I was nearly as old as she was.' 'The girl discovered this money you were giving her was stolen, didn't she? Eric: (miserably) Yes. That was the worst of all. She wouldn't take any more, and she didn't want to see me again.
• A3 - 'One Eva Smith has gone - but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smith still left with us.