Eva Smith

Question 1

Intro

Answer 1

In AIC, Preistley documents the struggles if the lower class through the suffering of Eva Smith, using as an anecdote, and a Christ like figure to encourage change for a more egalitarian society

Question 2

Para 1

Answer 2

Through the introduction of Eva as a ‘young woman’ who had swallowed disinfectant that ‘burnt her inside out’, Priestley captures the horrific suffering of the lower classes.
-‘young’ emotive, shows how even the vulnerable suffer, effective to the audience that would have still seen women as vulnerable
-the graphic image ‘burnt her inside out’ emotive, harsh dysphemism, contrasting the euphemism used by the Birling’s to trivialise their actions- make them feel more guilty, while conveying the harsh reality of the lower class’ suffering
By establishing distinct parallels between and Sheila, Priestley explores the detrimental effects wealth has on the lives of people through the huge differences.
-unmarried and in her ‘early twenties’- albeit from a lower class. described as having died in ‘died in misery and agony – hating life’, demonstrating her suffering through the graphic adjectives ‘misery and ‘agony’ the verb ‘hating’ juxtaposing Sheila being ‘pleased with life’.
Highlights the detrimental effect of the class system on people’s lives by portraying distinct parallels between Eva and Sheila

Question 3

Para 2

Answer 3

Presented as the voice of the lower class that has always been suppressed by the upper classes
-Birling sees her protests as ‘far too much’, later using the somewhat ironic and absurd hyperbolic argument that ‘if you don’t come down sharply on some of these people they’d soon be asking for the earth’- her protests are seen as greedy, she is seen as a problem and removed as Birling has that power.
By doing this priestly criticises how the classist system condemns the lower classes-they are powerless.
Through the revelation of her being forced into prostitution, Priestly exposes how the lower classes are forced into desperate situation 
-‘So first she changed her name to Daisy Renton’-her reputation has been tarnished by her firing so she is forced to change her name. name ‘Renton’ is derived from the euphemism for prostitution ‘to rent’.By doing this Priestley to highlight how she is forced into prostitution against her own morals in order to survive in such a hostile society

Question 4

Para 3

Answer 4

Through the diary, the inspector recounts the sins of the Birling’s that leads to her death.
-Birling’s deadly sin of greed, led to her firing
-Sheila’s deadly sin of envy led to her firing at Milwards
-Mrs B’s deadly sin of pride the prejudiced her from giving Eva charity
-Eric and perhaps Gerald’s sexual exploitation of her- sin of Lust
By doing this Priestley presents Eva as a sacrificial Christ like figure who died for their sins – moving his majority Christian audience
Priestley presents Eva’s suffering as a microcosm for the suffering of the lower classes
-‘millions and millions of Eva Smith’s and John smiths’- Priestley uses the common name ‘Eva Smith’ to
symbolise the universality of the suffering of the working classes, largely forgotten and neglected by
the wealthy.