Eva Smith

• "Daisy Renton"

  • White flower - purity, flowers are picked when fresh then disgarded
  • Renton - rent, euphemism for prostitution, renting herself to survive
• • She has no voice, her voice is given through other's impressions of her
  • Inspector gives her voice - lower class have no voice
• "She had a lot to say - far too much so she had to go." - Mr Birling

  • Imperative language ('had') - no option to fire her
  • 'a lot to say - far too much' - assertive, shows where she had voice
• "She only had herself to blame" - Mrs Birling

  • Ironic - whole play shows how others are to blame
  • Ironic as she learns after her son is to blame
• "chain of events" - Inspector

  • At any point, chain could be broken and becomes ineffective
  • No matter what they did, everyone is equal in responsibility
• "After all, it is better to ask for the earth than take it." - Inspector

  • 'Ask' is passive verb, polite, 'take' is stealing
  • Priestley thinks all capitalists steal
• "Girls of that class." - Mrs Birling

  • 'Girls' - infantilising Eva, choice of being disrespectful, thinks she is superior
  • 'that' - determinent, generalising her due to prejudice
• "I refused, of course." - Mr Birling

  • Dismissive tone
  • Thinks he was well within his rights to fire her
  • Keep wealth - capitalist mindset
• "She looked young and fresh and charming and happy." - Gerald

  • Happy is last, least valued
  • Appearance is most valuable asset, being young made her more beautiful
  • 'fresh' - untouched, new - Gerald is shallow, sees her as something new to play with
• "A nice little promising life there, I thought, and a nasty mess somebody's made of it." - Inspector

  • Talks about working class - have value
  • Inspector blames Mr Birling, before this Mr B refuses blame
• "She was pretty and a good sport." - Eric

  • 'pretty' - repeated through novel to emphasise how her worth is in appearance
  • 'good sport' - able to use her for his needs
• "She swallowed a lot of disenfectant. Burnt her inside and out of course." - Inspector

  • Meant to be shockint person to encourage Birling to feel sympathy for all lower class
  • Eva symbolises all working class
• "chance of happiness all intertwined with our lives." - Inspector

  • Emotive language
  • Chance is from upper class valuing lower class and changing society