Secondly, Inspector Goole interrogates Sheila Birling. Sheila got Eva fired one day, as she was trying on a dress in a shop, and according to Sheila, she “caught sight of this girl smiling at Miss Francis – as if to say: “Doesn’t she look awful” – and I was absolutely furious.” Sheila then complained in jealously, vanity and assumption, and Eva was fired. Miss Birling, unlike Mr Birling, does feel remorse, and feels awful for what she has done. She takes responsibility for her actions. Also she is younger, which gives her a reason to be less guilty as she may be naïve. She understands the Inspector, and listens to him without arguing back and shifting the blame. Priestly’s use of language makes us have a good opinion of her, he makes the audience think that she is naïve as at the very beginning of the play the stage directions say “Sheila is a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited.” This makes the audience think she is easily excitable, and this makes you think as though she is young, and not as mature as the others. Gerald Croft (whom she was planning to wed) had had an affair with Eva, and this makes the audience feel sorry and empathise with Sheila, almost lifting all the blame from her.
The Inspector goes on to exploit Gerald, and the plot continues to unfold. It turns out that Gerald saw Eva in a bar one night, and saved her from an Alderman who was making advances on this young poor money. This makes Gerald seem like a kind man, as he assisted the woman. After Eva and Gerald had talked for a while, they became very good friends, in fact they became than just friends. Gerald made love to Eva and then insisted that she stayed in this little set of rooms in Morgan Terrace. Eva moved into the rooms, and Gerald gave her money, as she had nowhere to stay and no money to buy any food or other necessities. This makes Gerard appear as though he is a kind man, however the audience is forgetting, that he was still seeing Sheila at the same time, and this adds to the guilt of him. He mistreats Sheila, and Sheila is obviously upset, however Mr and Mrs Birling seem to dismiss the affair and think that it is okay. Priestly does this so it makes Gerald seem less guilty, because if the two oldest (and supposedly wisest) people of the family, dismiss it and think that its okay, it makes the audience not as angry at him as they probably should be.
At first he denies the affair, but afterwards he does eventually admit to it, but the initial denial makes him seem guiltier than he perhaps is. However, after it all, Sheila says “I like you rather more now than I did half an hour ago” and this makes the audience think that what happened was okay, as Sheila doesn’t seem to be overly distressed, and unconventionally, likes him more than previously. Also, the Inspector says, “I don’t think any of you will forget. Nor that young man, Croft, though he at least had some affection for her and made her happy for a time” whilst making his exit speech. The fact that the Inspector has stated that Gerald made Eva Smith happy for a short period of time makes him appear a lot less guilty. Priestly’s use of characters reactions towards Gerald’s scandal, manipulates the audience to make us think that he is not as guilty as perhaps he is. Sheila tells him that she likes him more, the Inspector tells him that he made Eva happy, and Mr and Mrs Birling don’t seem too affected by the situation. Also, the fact that he still feels guilty and sorry after we find out that the Inspector wasn’t real, and this shows that he really cares.
Eric is the next person in this chain of events. It is here that we find out that Eric made love to Eva Smith, whether this is rape or not, we do not know, Eric does not recall as he was very drunk, which makes him seem guilty. Although, he does offer marriage and money to Eva Smith, however she declines to offer to wed, but takes the money. This makes Eric seem more respectable, however he did steal the money, which is a negative, but he gave it to someone who needed it, which is a positive, and shows how much he wanted to help. Eric takes the responsibility and doesn’t deny anything or try and blame others, which means that he earns the audience respect, in some ways. Even when we find out that the Inspector wasn’t real, he still feels remorse and guilt, and this helps us warm to him as an audience.
Finally, the last link in the chain of events, Mrs Birling. Eva Smith went to Mrs Birling’s charity, pregnant with Eric’s grandchild, seeking help, money and advice on what to do. Mrs Birling turned her away, as when Eva lied to Mr Birling about her name (Eva called herself Mrs Birling, and the real Mrs Birling was offended that someone of that class could have the same name as her), and because of this, Eva Smith was pushed over the edge and took her life. Mrs Birling, like Mr Birling, had a slightly justified reason as to sending away the pregnant woman, as she lied about one thing, what was stopping her from lying about another, however she too, denied all responsibility for the matter in hand, and tried to shift the blame. Her lack of remorse and the fact that she blames others make her seem very guilty. Also the fact that she was the last person in the chain of events before Eva took her life makes her seem the guiltiest in my opinion. Mrs Birling even admits that she was prejudice towards Eva’s case, and her obsession with her status makes her seem the guiltiest.
In conclusion, in my opinion I think that Mrs Birling was the one most responsible for the death of Eva Smith, for the reasons that she was the last one in the chain of events, pushing Eva over the edge, her arrogance and lack of remorse instantly makes the audience take a strong disliking to her snobbish ways, and the prejudice attitude she has towards people of a lower class is appalling and in my eyes, she seems the one most responsible for Eva’s death by far.
