I interpreted Gerald to feel quite responsible and also upset about Eva Smith's death. after all, he was fond of her for a while and knew her reasonably well.
"She didn't blame me at all. I wish to God she had now. Perhaps I'd feel better about it."
Next, I feel should be Mr Birling. He terminated Eva Smith's employment at his factory for starting a strike. There is speculation as to whether he was justified in doing so but I feel it wasn't the end of the world. Eva Smith was a good worker and it should have been easy for her to find a job elsewhere, with better pay or not.
" - She'd been working in one of our machine shops for over a year. A good worker too."
She did in fact find a better job at Milwards: a respectable store with much higher pay. This emphasises my point that there were other jobs available and that being fired from one job should have been the end of the line for Eva Smith. Although this may have started the downward fall for Eva Smith she was able to get herself up on her feet again. Her being fired from Milwards was no business of Mr Birling's. However it did put Eva's moral down which proved much more difficult to build up.
Mr Birling didn't, however, have any remorse about what he did. He felt he was completely justified although he did feel slight sorrow for her suicide. He didn't feel at all responsible.
"Still, I can't accept any responsibility. If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we'd had anything to do with, it would be very awkward, wouldn't it?
I feel Sheila was slightly more responsible for Eva's death than her father. Although the same principles are involved, the issues are slightly different. Sheila abused her position in society to get her own way. Not only did she do this but also her reasons were petty and childish. However, my thoughts are still the same in that there were other jobs available; she had proven that with getting this job at Milwards. Though this time, with moral even lower, she would find it difficult to find a job as good as the previous.
" I went to the manager at Milwards and I told him that if they didn't get rid of that girl. I'd never go near the place again and I'd persuade mother to close our account with them."
However, Eva Smith didn't get a job straight away. I was then that she got involved with Gerald. At this point she could have got herself on her feet again. It wasn't so much of a disaster at that stage.
Unlike the other members of her family, Sheila feels much remorse, guilt and responsibility; probably the most amongst them all. This slightly counteracts her actions although nothing can excuse what she did.
"Don't you understand? And if I could help her now, I would - "
Eric felt much guilt also. It is this fact that makes me feel that he isn't the most responsible for Eva smith's suicide. However, his actions were a vital role in her death. He made Eva Smith pregnant at the worst time possible through rape. This alone could have driven her to suicide knowing that she would be raising a child on her own with little money, no home or security. I doubt she would have been able to pick herself off her feet at this stage. Her moral was lower than previous stages. This meant that she wouldn't have had a desire or made any effort to pick herself of her feet.
However, there were options to assist her. For example, the Brumley Woman's Organisation charity would have been an option, or other charities. There were ways around this situation.
Eric did accept his responsibility to a certain extent though. He attempted to get money to support the mother and baby. Eva soon found out it was stolen and would not accept it. He may not have acted mature in his ways of getting money but he panicked and had no other way of getting it fast. This shows his immaturity and the lack of communication between himself and his family. There is much evidence in the text that Eric felt remorse for his actions. However it seems to me that part of his display of emotions was to manoeuvre himself out of trouble with his parents.
"
