Eva Smith
Paragraph 1: Motif of drinking
‘Burnt her inside out’
- toxicity of capitalist ideology because ‘bottle of disinfectant’ symbolises capitalism
- internal struggle of working class
-‘Burnt’ - ‘fire, blood and anguish’.
- Eva’s death as religious, cleansing
- Public vs. Private and truth seeping through societal facades
Paragraph 2: Truth
‘Pink and intimate’ to ‘brighter and harder’
- truth is harsh
- Birlings can’t hide from what they did
- further enforced by Inspector as Priestley’s mouthpiece: those who do not change their
mindsets will be taught in ‘fire, blood and anguish’
Context: ‘Fire blood and anguish’ of WW1 + WW2,
- working on changing society by voting in labour party, better structure
- therefore, Eva Smith as a catalyst for change in society - death demands action
Paragraph 3: Eva Smith’s absence
hotograph
P
- homogenises her, identity lost
- embodies working class as a whole
Name Eva Smith
- nomenclature; origin story [Eve] and rooted in working class [Smith]
- causing an ‘uprising’ demanding ‘higher wages’.
- punished for this, catalysing the events leading to her death
Perspective; Eva voiceless
- described through characters onstage
- oppression of women in Edwardian era
- women only ever present through the male perspective / gaze
- Priestley advocates for the emancipation of women through Inspector
- mouthpiece, conveys sympathy for Eva, forces Birlings to face the consequences of their
actions
Paragraph 4: Women / Sheila
otif of the ring
M
- acceptance; giving in to transactional marriage
- ultimately rejects materialism at play’s denouement after a moral transformation
- aligns her with Eva as a symbol of empowered women
, - rebellion against older generations ; the only way to progress is through the youth and new
ideas
Context: Suffragette movement
- accrual of women’s rights
- empowerment of women
- fighting to be heard and seen
Priestley
- advocates for women
- credit for upholding global economy during WW1 + WW2
- Sheila rejecting ring; women capable of independent thought and decision making
Paragraph 5: Vicious societal cycle
‘Millions and millions of Eva Smiths’
- vicious cycle of capitalism
- homogenises Eva Smith as she is one of many
- symbol for working class victims of capitalist avarice
‘Sharp ring’ of the ‘doorbell’ and ‘telephone’
- metaphorical wake up call for Birlings + by extension, the audience too
- bring news of Eva’s death
- cut off Birling’s diatribes - embodiment of capitalist ideology
- socialism powerful vs. capitalism lame
-Inspector; symbol of enlightenment/truth/socialresponsibility
- delivers + acknowledges Eva Smith’s death
- equality + social responsibility
Conclusion: Eva Smith + Form
idactic play form
D
- dismantles ignorance of society
- forces audience to reflect on their own role in the metaphorical Eva Smith’s death
- we must be haunted by the guilt and remorse of our own culpability
Gerald
Paragraph 1: Gerald and women
‘I hate those hard-eyed, dough faced women’
- homogenises women, superficiality of the male gaze, caring only for looks
- ignorance of the aristocracy who cause women to become ‘hard-eyed’ and miserable
‘Young and fresh and charming’
- polysyndetic list -> entrapment of women under the male gaze
- oppression of the patriarchy on women’
Paragraph 2: Alderman Meggarty + Palace Theatre Bar
- Mentioned by Gerald: signifies the corrupt natureof the aristocracy and bourgeoisie of an
avaristic capitalist society - ‘notorious womaniser’ yet holds the position of ‘Alderman’.
Paragraph 1: Motif of drinking
‘Burnt her inside out’
- toxicity of capitalist ideology because ‘bottle of disinfectant’ symbolises capitalism
- internal struggle of working class
-‘Burnt’ - ‘fire, blood and anguish’.
- Eva’s death as religious, cleansing
- Public vs. Private and truth seeping through societal facades
Paragraph 2: Truth
‘Pink and intimate’ to ‘brighter and harder’
- truth is harsh
- Birlings can’t hide from what they did
- further enforced by Inspector as Priestley’s mouthpiece: those who do not change their
mindsets will be taught in ‘fire, blood and anguish’
Context: ‘Fire blood and anguish’ of WW1 + WW2,
- working on changing society by voting in labour party, better structure
- therefore, Eva Smith as a catalyst for change in society - death demands action
Paragraph 3: Eva Smith’s absence
hotograph
P
- homogenises her, identity lost
- embodies working class as a whole
Name Eva Smith
- nomenclature; origin story [Eve] and rooted in working class [Smith]
- causing an ‘uprising’ demanding ‘higher wages’.
- punished for this, catalysing the events leading to her death
Perspective; Eva voiceless
- described through characters onstage
- oppression of women in Edwardian era
- women only ever present through the male perspective / gaze
- Priestley advocates for the emancipation of women through Inspector
- mouthpiece, conveys sympathy for Eva, forces Birlings to face the consequences of their
actions
Paragraph 4: Women / Sheila
otif of the ring
M
- acceptance; giving in to transactional marriage
- ultimately rejects materialism at play’s denouement after a moral transformation
- aligns her with Eva as a symbol of empowered women
, - rebellion against older generations ; the only way to progress is through the youth and new
ideas
Context: Suffragette movement
- accrual of women’s rights
- empowerment of women
- fighting to be heard and seen
Priestley
- advocates for women
- credit for upholding global economy during WW1 + WW2
- Sheila rejecting ring; women capable of independent thought and decision making
Paragraph 5: Vicious societal cycle
‘Millions and millions of Eva Smiths’
- vicious cycle of capitalism
- homogenises Eva Smith as she is one of many
- symbol for working class victims of capitalist avarice
‘Sharp ring’ of the ‘doorbell’ and ‘telephone’
- metaphorical wake up call for Birlings + by extension, the audience too
- bring news of Eva’s death
- cut off Birling’s diatribes - embodiment of capitalist ideology
- socialism powerful vs. capitalism lame
-Inspector; symbol of enlightenment/truth/socialresponsibility
- delivers + acknowledges Eva Smith’s death
- equality + social responsibility
Conclusion: Eva Smith + Form
idactic play form
D
- dismantles ignorance of society
- forces audience to reflect on their own role in the metaphorical Eva Smith’s death
- we must be haunted by the guilt and remorse of our own culpability
Gerald
Paragraph 1: Gerald and women
‘I hate those hard-eyed, dough faced women’
- homogenises women, superficiality of the male gaze, caring only for looks
- ignorance of the aristocracy who cause women to become ‘hard-eyed’ and miserable
‘Young and fresh and charming’
- polysyndetic list -> entrapment of women under the male gaze
- oppression of the patriarchy on women’
Paragraph 2: Alderman Meggarty + Palace Theatre Bar
- Mentioned by Gerald: signifies the corrupt natureof the aristocracy and bourgeoisie of an
avaristic capitalist society - ‘notorious womaniser’ yet holds the position of ‘Alderman’.
