The Plot
1 2 3 4
Birlings are celebrating Sheila Mr Birling admits to firing Eva Sheila admits that she got Eva fired
Inspector Goole enters and tells the
from a dress shop, as the dress
and Gerald’s engagement at family that he is investigating the after she asked for a pay-rise
looked better on Eva than it did on
dinner. suicide of Eva Smith for the factory workers. herself.
5 6 7 8
Gerald admits to an affair with Mrs Birling admits to denying Eric admits to meeting Eva at the
At the end,the Birlings find out that
Daisy Renton, during the same bar as Gerald and that when he
Eva/Daisy (who was pregnant) Inspector Goole was not a real
found out she was pregnant he
summer he claimed to be too help from her women’s charity offered her stolen money which she inspector, but a young women had
busy. after Eva calls herself Mrs Birling. refused. really committed suicide
, Quotations for Each Key Event:
1. ‘It’s one of the happiest nights of my life’ (Mr Birling - Pg. 4)
Order of 2. ‘Two hours agoa young women died in the infirmary...because she’d swallowed a lot of strong
Interrogations: 3.
disinfectant’ (Inspector Goole - Pg. 11)
‘She’d (Eva smith) had a lot to say - far too much - so she had to go’ (Mr Birling - Pg. 15)
4. ‘I went to the manager at Milwards and I told him that if they didn’t get rid of that girl, I’d never go
1. Mr Birling near that place again’ (Sheila - Pg. 23)
5. (to Gerald) ‘You decided to keep her - as your mistress?’ (Inspector Goole - Pg. 36)
2. Sheila 6. (to Mrs Birling) ‘She appealed to your organisation for help?’ (Inspector Goole - Pg. 43)
3. Gerald 7. ‘I insisted on giving her enough money to keep her going - until she refused to take anymore’ (Eric -
Pg. 53)
4. Mrs Birling 8. (stage direction) ‘They stare guiltily and dumbfounded , the curtain falls’ (Pg. 72)
5. Eric They appear to be in order of severity, with Similarities and Differences between
Why doe Mr Birling firing Eva for her actions as the
sP the Interrogations:
choose t riestley least fatal act and Eric impregnating Eva as
his orde All the characters who are interrogated
r? the most fatal. played a part in Eva’s death, and all the
events are interlinked with one another.
Priestly is reflecting the idea of social responsibility which means However only Sheila and Eric choose to
that all people in society have collective responsibility for one take the responsibility for the part they
another, and all our actions have consequences, even indirectly. SOCIAL played in Eva’s death. Mr and Mrs
THEME of & Birling, as well as Gerald refuse to take
He also reflects hope for the future, as Sheila and Eric (the S P ON S IB ILITY, AGE
RE any and try to defend or excuse
YOUNGER GENERATIONS) are willing to accept responsibility CLASS:
unlike their parents. Gerald also does not, which could reflect themselves, by deflecting the blame onto
priestly’s negative views of the upper class. Eva herself.
1 2 3 4
Birlings are celebrating Sheila Mr Birling admits to firing Eva Sheila admits that she got Eva fired
Inspector Goole enters and tells the
from a dress shop, as the dress
and Gerald’s engagement at family that he is investigating the after she asked for a pay-rise
looked better on Eva than it did on
dinner. suicide of Eva Smith for the factory workers. herself.
5 6 7 8
Gerald admits to an affair with Mrs Birling admits to denying Eric admits to meeting Eva at the
At the end,the Birlings find out that
Daisy Renton, during the same bar as Gerald and that when he
Eva/Daisy (who was pregnant) Inspector Goole was not a real
found out she was pregnant he
summer he claimed to be too help from her women’s charity offered her stolen money which she inspector, but a young women had
busy. after Eva calls herself Mrs Birling. refused. really committed suicide
, Quotations for Each Key Event:
1. ‘It’s one of the happiest nights of my life’ (Mr Birling - Pg. 4)
Order of 2. ‘Two hours agoa young women died in the infirmary...because she’d swallowed a lot of strong
Interrogations: 3.
disinfectant’ (Inspector Goole - Pg. 11)
‘She’d (Eva smith) had a lot to say - far too much - so she had to go’ (Mr Birling - Pg. 15)
4. ‘I went to the manager at Milwards and I told him that if they didn’t get rid of that girl, I’d never go
1. Mr Birling near that place again’ (Sheila - Pg. 23)
5. (to Gerald) ‘You decided to keep her - as your mistress?’ (Inspector Goole - Pg. 36)
2. Sheila 6. (to Mrs Birling) ‘She appealed to your organisation for help?’ (Inspector Goole - Pg. 43)
3. Gerald 7. ‘I insisted on giving her enough money to keep her going - until she refused to take anymore’ (Eric -
Pg. 53)
4. Mrs Birling 8. (stage direction) ‘They stare guiltily and dumbfounded , the curtain falls’ (Pg. 72)
5. Eric They appear to be in order of severity, with Similarities and Differences between
Why doe Mr Birling firing Eva for her actions as the
sP the Interrogations:
choose t riestley least fatal act and Eric impregnating Eva as
his orde All the characters who are interrogated
r? the most fatal. played a part in Eva’s death, and all the
events are interlinked with one another.
Priestly is reflecting the idea of social responsibility which means However only Sheila and Eric choose to
that all people in society have collective responsibility for one take the responsibility for the part they
another, and all our actions have consequences, even indirectly. SOCIAL played in Eva’s death. Mr and Mrs
THEME of & Birling, as well as Gerald refuse to take
He also reflects hope for the future, as Sheila and Eric (the S P ON S IB ILITY, AGE
RE any and try to defend or excuse
YOUNGER GENERATIONS) are willing to accept responsibility CLASS:
unlike their parents. Gerald also does not, which could reflect themselves, by deflecting the blame onto
priestly’s negative views of the upper class. Eva herself.
