Who in your opinion is most responsible for the death of Eva Smith?

J.B. Priestley writes the play. It is about a middle class family who are celebrating the engagement of Sheila and Gerald. An inspector who is investigating the death of Eva Smith interrupted the celebration.

The main theme of the play is to make people to realize that their actions will affect others. The play was written in 1946, just before world war two, but was set in 1912, just before world war one. At this time men thought that women should be protected from horrible things.

Birling is a heavy-looking rather portentous man in his middle fifties with fairly easy manners like to talk a lot most of what says is a lot of rubbish e.g. he said ‘that the titanic will not sink and war will not brake out’. Birling is undoubtedly pleased about his daughters happiness in her engagement to Gerard, he is also aware of possible business advantages arising from the union of the two families. Birling employed Eva at his factory. Daisy and some others wanted a pay rise so they went on strike. Eva was one of the ringleaders, so Birling dismissed her from his works. I don’t think that Birling is responsible for the death of Eva.

Sheila is a pretty lady and enjoys life. She is willing to marry Gerald. She a bother called Eric who is about the same age. Sheila got Eva dismissed from Milwards because Sheila put on a nice dress and did not suit her and sow Eva laughing in the back she got upset and went to the manager and got Eva dismissed with her power. At the end of the play Sheila realizes what she had done. I don’t think that Sheila is responsible for the death of Eva.

Gerald is an attractive man who is in his early 20s. ...

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Gerald is an attractive man who is in his early 20s. He is engaged to Sheila. He had an affair with Eva during the summer that Gerald was meant to be away. He helped her by putting her in a house. He gave her money but he had to go away one day and the affair stopped. I don’t think that Gerald is responsible for the death of Eva.

Mrs.B is a middle class lady who’s married to Mr.B. Mrs.B met Eva at her organization. Eva went and claimed to be Miss B and Mrs.B got angry with her and did not let her appeal to the organization to claim money from them to help her through life because she was pregnant and it was Mrs.B grandchild. I think that it was Mrs.B who is responsible for Eva’s death.

Eric met her in the Brumley palace bar in November they made love two weeks later they met again and Eric got her pregnant and then offered her money that he had stole from his fathers office but she did not accept it that is when she went to the organization. I don’t think that Eric is partly responsible as well.

The play was set over a period of one evening. I don’t think that it is realistic because one person could not have anything to do with a hole family it must have been two people. It is similar to detective story throw the way that the inspector was attacking in the play. He was working it out as he was going throw different people of the family. There were lots of cliffhangers leaving you in suspense so that you would read more because you wanted to know what was going to happen next.

An example of dramatic irony was when we (the audience) new that Eva Smith was carrying Mrs.B grandchild and Mrs.B did not know that. An other example is where Mr.B said that there would be no war and the titanic would not sink but we new that there was war and the titanic did sink.

Some of the question that we where leaf with are: Is the inspector a ghost? Was it Eva that died? Was it the same girl all along? What happened when the real inspector came? Did Eric stop drinking? Did Sheila and Gerald get married?

I think that the play was brilliant I really enjoyed reading it with the class. The suspense was unbelievable. I will read it again because I liked it so much my favourite character is Eric because he was drunk all the time. I think that the person responsible for the death of Eva is Mrs.B and Eric because if Eric did not get her pregnant in the first place then she would not of had to go to the organization to get money and get refused by Mrs.B. Mrs.B did not let her join because she got angry because used her name to join.

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