Mr Birling feels no sympathy for Eva. He also thinks of her as just an other employee and then Sheila point out that, ‘ But these girls aren’t cheap labour-their people.’ Showing that Sheila has feelings and recognises the working class as real people. Mr. Birling only thinks about his family, profits and himself. He only sacked Eva because she was going to jeopardise his profits if he gave her the pay rise. Mr Birling has no time for small inconsiderate employees. Eva can be easily replaced, is ‘run of the mill’ and is nothing special. He does not care what happens to the people that are in a lower social class than he is.
Sheila on the other hand has feelings for these employees and takes the responsibility for what she has done. When Sheila caused Eva to be sacked merely because she smiles, it was because she was emotionally distressed and took it all out on Eva and allowed her emotions to shroud her use of common sense. Shelia is the only one who will portray her real feelings towards what happened. Shelia’s harsh temper was due to her jealously.
Mrs Birling thinks Eva Smith is of a lower class and doesn’t relate herself to Eva at all. The inspector asks, ‘ You admit to being prejudiced against her case?’ and she replied, ‘ Yes’. This shows that Mrs Birling was prejudiced even before Eva presented her need to Mrs Birling for money. She is quick to shift the blame to someone else for example ‘…I blame the young man who was the father of the child she was going to have…’. The charity that she is the Chair Person of, makes her think that she is helping people of a lower class to herself, but really she isn’t at all - she is emphasising the power that the upper classes have over the poor. The charity also relieves the guilt from Mrs Birlings mind because she thinks that she is helping the lower classes.
The Inspector defends Eva, he feels sorry for her because she is of a lower class. He individually phrases his questions so that the truth will slowly unravel. He interrogates one person at a time so that the other people cannot quickly think of a way to hide the truth. It seems as though the inspectors wanted to get the enquiry over and done with quickly and not let the Birling’s think about their own escape routes over night. He was keen to take the side of the lower class person rather than the higher-class citizen.
Eric Birling thinks she is a good sport and not a relationship because of her class. Eric cannot remember much of what went on when he talked to Eva. Eric has feelings for these lower classed people because he found her a home and gave her money, that was stolen, to live on. Although used her as a bit on the side he still had feelings towards her. He is also the father of the child she was carrying. He was even concerned enough to nearly attack Mrs Birling.
Gerald Croft met her in a bar, which was a favourite haunt of women of the town. They went to a County Hotel and had a drink or two. Gerald had asked her some questions about her life and was feeling sorry for her. He then heard that she was going to be thrown out of her miserable back room and Gerald knew a place where was vacated and said she could move in there. Gerald then became the most important person in her life. Gerald broke it off just before he went on business. He takes sides with Arthur about the labour costs and the decision to sack Eva. This shows that Gerald felt sorry for and therefore found a home for her but also he reaped the rewards.
I think Eva caused some of these situations herself. She might have gone on a strike because she felt she was better than all the other workers and that she and needed a pay rise. Also if she hadn’t gone down to the hotel, which was favourite for the haunt of the women of the town she might never of met Gerald. I think she was hanging around place like this so she could do exactly what she did to Gerald make people feel sorry for her and then reap the rewards, in Gerald’s case she got a new home and had rather interesting relationship with him.
My opinion of Eva is that she had unfortunate circumstances and that some of these were due to large egos, emotional distress and prejudice. The Birling family not being secure and stable caused all these and that each person in this family was feeling incomplete with what they had in life and therefore wanted more. Although in Sheila’s case she was emotionally distressed because she felt jealously towards Eva and her good looks. Eva also should not of felt that she was above all the other staff in Mr Birling’s company and not tried to have a revolt, this is what started he steep incline of social disadvantage.
By Matthew Walpole 10B