Both these make the reader think that Birling is a man of many words, but that they make little sense.
Birling is talking to Eric and Gerald about responsibility, “a man has to make his own way – has to look after himself – and his family too, of course, when he has one – and so long as he does that he won’t come to much harm.” Birling is saying that it is important to think of yourself and this way you will stay safe. At this point birling gives the audience the impression that he is very selfish and self-centred.
“But take my word for it, you youngsters - and I’ve learnt in the good hard school of experience - that a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own.” With this Priestley is beginning to get his message across to the readers about Birling’s character and how self involved he is.
When the Inspector enters he uses a lot of different graphic words to shock the characters and the audience. “Burnt her inside out” is the first thing the Inspector says to describe what the disinfectant that Eva swallowed did to kill her. “She was in great agony” the Inspector wants to let everyone know the details of Eva’s death, and I think this is because he suspects they have something to do with it. Priestly uses this tactic as a way of shocking the characters and the audience and to also create suspicion.
The Inspector questions Birling about his involvement with Eva and we find out that Eva was his employee and that he had fired her even though she was a good worker, “ a good worker too. In fact, the foreman there told me he was ready to promote her into what we call a leading operator – head of a small group of girls.” But it was because she requested a pay rise that he let her go, “well it’s my duty to keep labour costs down, and if I’d agreed to this demand for a new rate we’d have added about twelve percent to our labour about costs.”
When Sheila arrives the Inspector once again describes the death of Eva, “This afternoon a young woman drank some disinfectant, and died, after several hours of agony,” this is an attempt to gain sympathy from the audience and make them realise how much Eva suffered.
The Inspector tells Sheila that “a customer complained about her - and she had to go,” it is then that we learn that the customer was in fact Sheila. Sheila was a very important costumer to the department store, (Milwards) and used this to her advantage to get Eva fired, she had complained that Eva had laughed at her, when she tried on a dress, but perhaps the real reason was that Sheila was jealous that Eva looked so much better than her in the dress and it was because of this, that she, "Couldn't feel sorry for her". Priestly has Sheila showing a lot of different emotions at this point, she cries at first, then becomes miserable, then distressed and then stormily. Priestley is saying that Sheila behaves very differently in a short space of time, and that with her tempers she shows she is self centred “when I was looking at myself in the mirror I caught sight of her smiling at the assistant, and I was furious with her. I’d been in a bad temper anyhow.” The audience is less critical of Sheila than Birling as she shows more regret and guilt over the fact she could have played a part in Eva’s death. Birling shows no compassion at all.
The Inspector suspected that Gerald knew Eva, as when she was mentioned using the name Daisy Renton, Gerald gave it away with his expression, so the Inspector just comes out and asks Gerald “when did you first get to know her?” With this Gerald was forced to tell the truth. He had met her in a Palace music hall in Brumley, “I met her first, sometime in March last year, in the stalls bar at the Palace. I mean the Palace music hall here in Brumley.” Gerald responses to the questions the Inspector asks him and it turns out that Eva was Gerald’s mistress. He was her saviour and gave her shelter and money and looked after her for a number of weeks; however he did not love her as much as she loved him “I didn't feel about her as she felt about me.” Gerald was honest during his questioning, but it is difficult to know whether he meant what he said or was just saying it to look good.
Mrs Birling also played a part in Eva’s life and the Inspector draws this from her. Mrs Birling refused to give Eva help when she applied through her organisation, the Brumley Women’s Charity, Eva pretended her name was Mrs B and this made Mrs Birling not trust her, “I didn’t like her manner. She’d impertinently used our name, though she pretended afterwards it just happened to be the first she thought of.” Mrs Birling is quick to put the blame on Eva herself and said “She only had herself to blame,” Mrs Birling shows more selfishness than Mr Birling at this point. We learn quite a lot about Mrs Birling during this part of the play, “I accept no blame for it all,” Mrs Birling is quick to defend herself in front of the Inspector. She is the chairwoman of a charity organisation, but insists that it was up to Eva to sort out her own problems, “I wasn’t satisfied with the girls claim – she seemed to me to be not a good case – and so I used my influence to have it refused.” It is a clear message of the play when Mrs Birling’s denial is revealed. Priestley shows Mrs Birlings hardness through her attitude, he is rude to the Inspector and repeats that she will not take any responsibility for Eva’s death, and believes that turning her down in her organisation was the right thing to do. With her attitude showing like this, it is not surprising that the audience take a disliking to her. Mrs Birling’s attitude matches with the message of the play, and especially to think before you speak. On discussing the fact that Eva was pregnant by a drunk who stole money, Mrs Birling has a lot to say about this matter, “He should be made an example of. If the girl’s death is due to anybody, then it’s due to him.” This is Mrs Birling’s attitude before she realises that it is her own son Eric, who was responsible for getting Eva pregnant.
Priestly brought Eric’s involvement out very dramatically. Mrs Birling was going on and on about how the man responsible should be brought out in public and made to confess, before finding out it was her own son, and then she didn’t know what to say. Eric met Eva in the palace bar and then met up with her on another occasion; he admitted that he was the father of her baby. Eva did not want to marry him as she said he didn’t love her, Eric gave her money for support, around fifty pounds. When the Inspector asked where the fifty pounds had come from he relied, “I got it from the office,” he admitted stealing the money but was adamant that he was going to pay it back. When Eric learns of his mothers involvement he is quick to put the blame on to her, “and you killed her – and the child she’d have had too – my child – your own grandchild – you killed them both – damn you.” Sheila and Eric both react similarly and show instant remorse for their actions and promise to never do such a thing again.
Before the Inspector leaves he speaks to all the family members and expresses that Eva’s case was not unique. “One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us.” The Inspectors message is clear, people’s hopes and fears are all intertwined with everyone’s lives, and we are all responsible for each other. “And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.” He wants the family to realise that if they think more in future then they can have a better impact of other people’s lives and help to prevent this sort of thing happening again, it’s all about responsibility.
Priestly continues to leave the message responsibility with the audience even after the Inspector leaves. The family are left discussing the night’s events and are still continuing to blame one another, except for Sheila who asks, “Have you not learnt anything tonight.” Sheila is the only one who really shows remorse for what happened and believes that she was partly responsible for Eva’s suicide.
The message of the play “we are all responsible for each other” is clear throughout. Priestley’s writing of the involvement of each of the characters was cleverly done. Each character shared the same amount of responsibility in the involvement of Eva’s death and Priestly makes us aware of how bad treatment towards someone can lead to something more. In all of Eva’s relationships she is the one without power, the only control she gains is by killing herself and the unborn child she was carrying.
