Who is to blame for the death of Eva Smith?

Sheila on the hand has played her part in the death. While at Milwards, a clothes shop in which Eva Smith later worked Sheila complained and got her sacked. This job was all Eva Smith had left to hold onto after being sacked by Mr. Birling. She would have probably once again been lead to despair as Eva relied heavily on every penny of income. However, Sheila's reaction to this information is very different to that of Mr. Birling's. While explaining her story to the inspector she says, 'I've noticed them giving me a sort of look sometimes at Milwards...why had this to happen?' as well as a stage direction which reads 'She almost brakes down, but just controls herself'. This gives the impression that she feels truly distressed by the news and truly feels that she has played a significant part in her death.

Another character involved was Gerald who met Eva Smith when under the name of Daisy Renton (we later learn they are not the same person). He met her in the Palace Bar and felt sorry for her and the predicament she was in, with no money and about to be thrown out of her house. He got his hands on a set of keys from Charlie Brunswick for a set of rooms in Morgan Terrace which he let her stay in, he made sure the inspector didn't think he just let her stay there so he could make love to her and that he did truly care about her. However, he had to go away on a business trip a while later and so was forced to break it off with her. She had been let down again and at this stage must have felt that the world was closing in on her and that no one cared for her. Gerald realises this as well and also sympathises with her death and admits he may have been partly responsible. He explains, 'She didn't blame me at all (about the break-up). I wish to God she had now. Perhaps I'd feel better about it.'

In conclusion, it seems that most of the characters in 'An Inspector Calls' played some part in Eva Smiths death in varying degrees. However, we find at the end of the story that they have all been talking about different people so the most important thing is what they took away from the experience and how they might change there actions tin the future. The younger members of the cast who maybe are more impressionable seem to be affected greater than other people. Namely Sheila and Gerald are distraught about the death and once they realise it was a hoax you feel that they are changed people. Whereas the likes of Mr. and Mrs. Birling are concerned they are more thankful that the family name will not go into disrepute and seem to have little interest and little effect made upon them by the events portrayed in the play.