Eva Smith Flashcards
Context
She represents the oppression that both women and the lower classes experienced in early 20th Century society.
The audience learns that all the characters have come into contact
with Eva and, together, their actions result in her suicide. The
Inspector claims that Eva worked for Mr Birling and was fired for
striking in favour of fairer wages. Then she worked at a shop,
Milwards, where Sheila was instrumental in her dismissal. Next,
she had a relationship with Gerald, and then Eric, with whom she
became pregnant. Finally, Eva turned to Mrs Birling’s charity committee for aid, yet they rejected her, giving her pregnancy outside of wedlock as the reason. She subsequently committed suicide by drinking disinfectant two hours before the play begins.
➔ Eva symbolises the suffering of the lower-classes.
➔ She is the victim of a patriarchal society and the class inequality which is apparent
throughout the social hierarchy of 1912 Britain.
➔ She demonstrates the need for a welfare state
Name connotations
Priestley uses the name Eva as a reference to Eve, the first woman in the Biblical story of the Garden of Eden. She was tempted by Satan to eat fruit from the Forbidden Tree which resulted in Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden of Eden (this expulsion is often called the fall of man).
● Eve is from the Hebrew “to live” / “source of living” and therefore Eva’s suicide is paradoxical, as the source of living has given up on existence.
● She is a symbol of all those living as Eve is the mother of humanity. Eva is the representation of all humanity, but especially women and those living in poverty.
● While Eve tempted men to corruption through offering Adam the apple in the Garden of Eden, Eva is the opposite of this; she is corrupted by the men in the play.
● She never appears on stage, but is the central figure around which all of the action spins.
The surname Smith
● Priestley uses “Smith” as at the time it was the most common surname in Britain and
therefore symbolises the everyday people of Britain. Eva’s story of poverty and suffering is the universal story of the common people. This is demonstrated by the Inspector’s message that “there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths”.
○ ‘Smith’ is a working class name, originating from ‘blacksmith’, and Priestley uses this to demonstrate that her class is a fixed part of her identity and origins, something that she can’t escape.
○ In using just two names to represent the entire working class, they lose identity as individuals. This suggests these are people that society has forgotten, or has simply ignored from the start.
Symbolism
Priestley uses the character of Eva to force the Birlings to realise that their actions have consequences for which they must take responsibility. Priestley uses Eva to criticise individualism.
➔ All the main characters have impacted Eva, driving her to suicide (except for the Inspector).
➔ She serves as the Inspector’s evidence, an example for why taking responsibility is
necessary, exposing the dangers of the class system.
◆ This demonstrates that what he is teaching is for the greater good of society.
◆ Structurally, Priestley shows this through the Inspector’s repeated reference to
Eva’s death and suffering throughout.
➔ More importantly, the audience is reminded to connect individualistic actions to Eva’s
suffering, encouraging the audience to behave more collectively
Key quotes
'Two hours ago a young woman died in the infirmary' (IG) Wretched girl's suicide' (Mr. Birling) "Lively good-looking girl' (Mr. Birling) 'very pretty girl' (Sheila) 'pretty' (Gerald) 'young and fresh and charming' (Gerald) 'pretty' (Eric)
"ealous of her' (IG says about Sheila) "Girls of that class-' (Mrs.Birling) "I was sorry for her' (Gerald) "She was young and pretty and warm hearted and intensely grateful' (Gerald) 'She didn't blame me at all' (Gerald) 'She only had herself to blame' (Mrs. Birling)
Antithesis
Priestley uses the character of Eva to dismiss the contemporary beliefs concerning the causes of poverty. In his play, Priestley aims to counter the negative stereotype of the lower classes. It was commonly believed that poverty was merely the result of poor morals and laziness, and therefore the poor were not deserving of aid to escape their situation, which the upper classes perceived to be self-inflicted. This is clearly demonstrated when Mrs Birling blames “first the girl herself” . Despite this, Eva is a stark contrast to the lower-class stereotype
A02 analysis
died in misery and agony – hating life”
After Sheila’s confession, the Inspector reminds her that Eva “died in misery and agony – hating life” . The graphic adjectives “misery and agony” encourage the audience to empathise with Eva, visualising the pain and suffering she endured at the hands of the Birlings. Priestley intensifies Sheila’s guilt as her enjoyment of life is at the expense of others.
Renton”
Arguably, the name “Renton” is dervived from the verb “to rent”, a euphemism for prostitution in the early 20th Century. Priestley uses this change in name to mark Eva being forced to change her approach to surviving in a hostile society.
She can no longer survive by working hard and therefore she must go against her own moral principles to survive, engaging in prostitution
a girl of that sort would (not) ever refuse money” Mrs Birling claims that “a girl of that sort would (not) ever refuse money”, as she assumes that due to her lower-class origin, she is inherently greedy. Despite this, Eva is presented as a moral force, who never takes stolen money and won't marry Eric just for his wealth. This is in contrast to Eric, who steals money, and the Birlings, who arrange Sheila’s marriage for financial gain; in the name of “lower costs and higher prices”.
