ipl-logo

Theme Of Who Was To Blame For Eva Smith's Death In An Inspector Calls

673 Words3 Pages

In ‘An Inspector Calls’ the theme of blame and responsibility is explored. The characters conflict with each other as to who was to blame for Eva Smith’s death. Some characters believe that they were fully to blame, and others believe that they are innocent. This is a useful theme as we can compare two characters specifically and how they conflict and change throughout the play. The characters in question are Arthur Birling and Sheila Birling; father and daughter.

The plot of the play is as follows; The Birling family are celebrating the engagement of Sheila and Gerald. An inspector turns up at their door and disrupts the whole party. He accuses them all of participating in the suicide of Eva Smith. He eventually makes each character confess …show more content…

Each character had a part to play in the suicide of this so-called Eva Smith. Mr Birling owns a company, and he had employed Eva Smith. She asked him for a higher wage and encouraged everyone to take a strike, but this ended up in him firing her. Losing a job could mean a lot to a working class person like Eva Smith. Mr Birling refuses to take responsibility for his actions, “Still, I can’t accept any responsibility” , and begins to argue that she shouldn’t have asked for higher wages. This is the first sign that Mr Birling has not warmed to the fact that he played a part in this poor girl’s suicide.

Sheila, is different however. Eva Smith had then found work at Milwards -after being sacked from Birling & Co- and she had been there for two weeks or so. Sheila was shopping with her mother whilst Eva was working. As Sheila was trying on a dress, Eva Smith gave a little smile, leading Sheila to think that this girl was mocking her. This then lead to Eva Smith being let go of her duties at Milwards. If we look at Sheila’s reaction to this information, we find that there is a distinct difference in the way she acts, compared to her …show more content…

Don’t you understand? And if I could help her now, I would”

Sheila is very honest and understanding about the situation unlike Mr Birling, and she admits to her jealousy of Eva Smith. Sheila also apologises and realises her mistake, and says she would help her if she could, even though she is dead. This gives us an idea of the character Sheila

As the play comes to an end, we see the same conflict arise again between the two characters. The inspector leaves the Birling household, and once he has, Mr Birling and Gerald come to a conclusion that they had been had and that there was no suicide. Mr Birling, along with his wife and Gerald celebrate with glee. But Eric and Sheila cannot get over the information that has been let out. Mr Birling’s opinion has not

Show More
Related

The Bass The River Sheila Mant Analysis

934 Words | 4 Pages

Sometimes people have to make a hard decision or choice in life when deep down they have to end up letting go of one of the options. In the story, “The Bass, The River, and Sheila Mant” that was brought to life by W.D Wetherell, when the narrator had to make a hard choice of either letting Sheila go or the bass. There are many reasons the narrator had one of the hardest choices, including his immaturity as a teenage boy. The other main reason that it was a hard choice was that he wanted to impress Sheila, and since she didn’t like fishing he had to pretend to be someone he was not. Firstly, in the beginning of the story the narrator had an obsession with Sheila.

Read More

How Does Priestley Present Injustice In An Inspector Calls

1425 Words | 6 Pages

Sheila even reveals to the inspector that ‘If she'd been some miserable plain little creature, I don't suppose I'd have done it’, which perfectly summarises how Sheila’s selfishness towards others and how she cares more about people’s appearances than their actual worth as human beings. Next, Gerald Croft is shown to be selfish towards Eva Smith as he met her at a bar and began a romantic relationship with her, but he was not serious about her and eventually ends the relationship,

Read More

The Grandmother Rhetorical Analysis Essay

1037 Words | 5 Pages

To briefly state, the storyline begins with a seemingly innocent start with a mother attempts into persuading her son to visit her beloved state of Tennessee instead of the trip to Florida. Yet furthering into the story the reader begins to notice how the grandmother carries herself and abides by the way she believes a good woman should dress and act. Thus furthering on into the plot the reader becomes aware of an underlying sense of foreshadowing when the grandmother leads the family to the wrong plantation and ultimately they end up confronting the misfit himself. The reader is able to feel this foreshadowing by the grandmother belief in being a lady to be moral, the actions of the grandmother to keep her safe from the misfit, and the way

Read More

Themes In The Play Blackrock

810 Words | 4 Pages

The play Blackrock covers a multitude of themes, ranging from Misogyny to guilt and responsibility to mateship. These are main themes that all but drive the play’s plot, if appropriate and responsible decisions where made in regards to and at the party there would have been a lessened amount of danger. If Jared had decided enough was enough and stopped his ‘mates’ from having their way with young Tracy then there would have been no murder. If women were seen as equals rather than sexual objects then the boys would have been less likely to drag a girl around and have their way with her.

Read More

The Role Of Lighting In J. B Priestley's An Inspector Calls

928 Words | 4 Pages

J.B Priestly wrote ‘An Inspector Calls’ in 1945, the last year of World War 2 but sets it in 1912 a time of inequality where upper and lower class was distinguished and treated differently within society and where a big gap existed among poor and rich people. The play introduces us to the theme of social inequality and social responsibility displaying the fact that trade unions were very weak, workers had few rights, wages were very low and many other injustices where made specially towards women; they were treated very differently then men and they were looked on as less important in society. Lighting is changed at the arrival of the Inspector "The lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives, and then it should be brighter and harder" this displays a contrast between scenes and atmosphere. It also shows the change in mood; suggesting a cheerful environment and a very joyfully and delight mood, everybody feeling thrilled for Shelia 's engagement and celebrating united as a family. But it changes to "brighter and harder" at the arrival of the Inspector and

Read More

Essay On Sheila's Change In An Inspector Calls

1041 Words | 5 Pages

In An Inspector Calls the character Sheila changes and matures significantly throughout the play. Priestly aims to encourage and persuade the 1912 audience to consider the negative power of capitalists and that socialism is a better way forward. Sheila contributes to Priestly’s moral message about socialism and capitalism by emphasising the possibility for change which is up to the younger generation. At the start of the play, Sheila is portrayed as a spoiled daughter who has been taught to be submissive to her parents.

Read More

The Role Of Lying In The Crucible

444 Words | 2 Pages

It shows whoever reads it why lying is a sin. A society or puritans, focused on perfection of religion, is shocked by an occurrence of witches. Witches are the Devil’s evildoers, and should be persecuted at once. Abigal, the drama queen of the play, attempts to kill the wife of the man she loves with witchcraft. They are found, but whenever Abigal and the others attending are being accused, they lie, blaming others of being witches.

Read More

Analysis Of John Patrick Shanley's 'Doubt'

1181 Words | 5 Pages

Topic: What elements existed or were created within the Church to allow fathers to have power over the sisters in Doubt, a Parable? Discuss. Doubt, a Parable by John Patrick Shanley is a successful and immortalized drama. The play is an open-ended construct, allowing each reader or spectator to build his own interpretation of the facts implied. In this article, the elements existed or were created within the Church to allow fathers to have power over the sisters in the play will be deeply analyzed and explored.

Read More

Importance Of Eva Smith In An Inspector Calls

1098 Words | 5 Pages

Eva Smith is the most important character in ‘An Inspector Calls’ in my opinion. She is used as a tool by Priestley, to show us how the capitalists treat others and how they don’t care about others and how they think they have power over others in the low working class. “if they didn 't get rid of that girl, I 'd never go near the place again” Sheila Birling sacked Eva Smith form her second job because she was ‘laughing at her’ this is showing us that the upper class do whatever they want because of their wealth, class and privileges. Even though Eva Smith was never on the stage play; she is still important because a working class woman like her cant do anything to the upperclass families; yet she made the Birling family (an upperclass family) feel bad and guilty about their actions and take responsibility for corrupting her life. Eva Smith is the perfect example to show the audience that you might not be affected by this but someone might be and you will be the blame for it.

Read More

Theme Of Jealousy In Roman Fever

864 Words | 4 Pages

The great controversy caused by Mrs. Ansley’s affair with Mr. Slade renders Mrs. Slade into a state of shock and disbelief. She only suspected her quiet, submissive, kindhearted friend to have feelings for her husband, yet never expected her to be disloyal. Mrs. Slade’s jealousy led her to set a trap that she herself would be caught in. Her fake letter to Mrs. Ansley in the name of Mr. Slade initiated the whole issue, which led to the dreadful

Read More

Examples Of Scapegoation In The Crucible

599 Words | 3 Pages

What if there was a society where God was loved the same amount as His wrath is feared? Well, in the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the Puritans were a society who loved and feared God equally. They loved and feared Him to a point where they blamed others for their sins. A group of young girls were caught doing witchcraft in the forbidden woods. The girls put the blame on others so they would not be the ones in trouble and the accused Puritans were all innocent of doing witchcraft.

Read More

Inspector Goole Character Analysis

1642 Words | 7 Pages

Inspector Goole is a mysterious figure. His name calls to mind the word 'ghoul ', which is defined as an evil spirit or phantom ghost, Although he is deeply bothered and concerned by Eva Smith 's suicide and the concept of societies morals. He is ghost-like in the sense that he doesn 't officially exist. The fact that we don 't officially know who or what the inspector is at the end of the play leaves whether Inspector Goole is real or not open to interpretation of the individual members of the audience. My personal belief he is that of something similar to that of the ghosts of christmas from Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” who 's purpose is too make a person aware of their morals and force them to confront their wrong doing.

Read More

The No Name Woman Analysis

915 Words | 4 Pages

Kingston’s mother exposes the story of her aunt to her as somewhat of a warning. Kingston’s mother explains to her how crucial it is to understand that what she does as a woman in their society is looked upon closely

Read More

The Contrast Of Kate Chopin's The Story Of An Hour

520 Words | 3 Pages

When Richard’s heard the news of her husband’s death, he assumed Mrs. Mallard would be devastated. While everyone knew Mrs. Mallard was “afflicted with heart trouble” (57), him and her sister, Josephine, wanted to give her the news with “great care” (57). Josephine broke the news to Mrs. Mallard in “broken sentences”

Read More

Trifles Character Analysis

1108 Words | 5 Pages

Trifles by Susan Glaspell is a play written in 1916 about a murder in a small town. There are seven roles, five of them speaking. Sheriff Peters, his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Hale, and the County Attorney Henderson are all trying to piece together what happened to Mr. Wright, who Mr. Hale found hanging from a rope in his home. Mrs. Wright, who doesn’t have stage time, is the main suspect in her husband’s death. It is understood she committed the crime by the end of the show.

Read More

More about Theme Of Who Was To Blame For Eva Smith's Death In An Inspector Calls

Related Topics

Open Document