His daughter, Sheila Birling, is the next person to be interviewed. She got Eva Smith fired at Milwards, which served as a second job for the girl. She was jealous of Eva’s prettiness and when she pulled up a dress; it looked better on her, ”you might be said to have been jealous of her.” (Pg.24). Then, as Sheila turned around, she saw Eva laughing and she mistook it, thinking she was laughing at her. She complained to the manager, using her social importance to get the girl fired “And so you used to power you had… to punish the girl just because she made you feel like that” (Pg.24). Sheila is very selfish and stuck up; she probably got it from her parents. When she was accused, she took full responsibility, showing us she has the potential to change.
Gerald Croft, Who was going to marry Sheila, was next to be question. He didn’t know the girl as Eva Smith but as Daisy Renton. He had met her in the bar at the Palace Variety Theatre, a place full of prostitutes, “It’s a favourite haunt for women of the town-“ (Pg.34). Gerald went in for a drink to calm him from a day’s work. Being so Pretty, Daisy obviously stood out from the rest of the prostitutes “But then I noticed a girl who looked quite different.” (Pg.34) Alderman Megarty was maltreating her. She gave Gerald a look, which was unmistakably a look for help. Gerald went over and saved her from him. She told him briefly about her life, he felt sorry for her and found her a place to stay. Soon he had an affair with her; “…She became your mistress?” (Pg.37) He kept seeing her for some time then broke up with her as he was getting bored, “So I broke it off definitely…” He gave her some money to last her for a while. Daisy is obviously upset since that period was the best time of her life. She went away for a while to reminisce, “She felt there’d never be as good again for her-“ (Pg.39). You could say Gerald ‘played’ Daisy, he used her then dumped her because he was bored. He wasn’t really bothered at first, but soon regrets it.
The next person to be inquired is Mrs Birling. We find out that she works at the Brumley Women’s Charity Organisation. Daisy went there for help as she was broke and was pregnant. Daisy called herself ‘Mrs Birling’ at first, not knowing she was talking to the real Mrs Birling, and was turned down as the committee thought she was fooling around, ”I think it was simply a piece of gross impertinence.” (Pg.43) Mrs Birling is now obviously furious and she used her social statues to make sure others will also turn down Daisy. Mrs Birling told the inspector she said to the girl to go find the father of the baby. She is setting a trap for herself and for Eric, who is the father of the baby but no one knows yet.
Finally, Eric comes back and is questioned. When he walked through the door, he knew everyone knows about his relationship with Daisy. So he just confessed and told everyone all the details of his affair. He said he met her at the same place Gerald first met her, but she looked like a real prostitute this time. He started having a conversation with her and soon they got drunk. They walked back to Daisy’s place, Eric was trying to sleep with her. Daisy was reluctant and tried to stop him but Eric forced his way in; daisy gave up and had sex with him. Soon after that night Daisy told Eric she was pregnant. Eric, feeling he has to, asked her to marry him; Daisy refused. Eric still feels he has a responsibility for the child, gave her some money by stealing it from his dad’s office. His confessions tell us that he is a thief and very selfish. His actions are immature due to his frequent drinking. He owns up to his actions and shows us he has the potential to change for the better.
So who is to blame for Daisy Renton’s death? Personally I think all of them is to be blamed. Daisy was already in a deep hole, struggling to get out. All of the characters help to cover the hole and ‘seal her fate’. As the inspector said, “we are all part one body”, they had to do their work properly for the body to function smoothly.