Eva Smith [5]

Question 1

How is Eva Smith treated by Mr. Birling and what does it tell us about society?

Answer 1

Mr. Birling: She gathers a group of workers to strike for higher wages and gets fired for it
- A Victim of the capitalist system, where bourgeoisie interests in profit lead to the dehumanisation of the proletariat and breed a classist system

Question 2

How is Eva Smith treated by Mrs. Birling and what does it tell us about society?

Answer 2

Mrs. Birling: Completely denies Eva any charity help, prejudiced against her case by the use of her name and her lower class
- A victim of a classist society, where the upper classes look down on the lower classes as inferior and revolting, apathetic to their suffering and unwilling to offer any shred of humanity or help towards them

Question 3

How is Eva Smith treated by Sheila Birling and what does it tell us about society?

Answer 3

Sheila: Sheila’s envy is the downfall of Eva. When Eva Smith gets a job at a clothing store, and Sheila tries on a dress that doesn’t suit her, the young Birling grows vindictive and jealous, especially when she hears Eva laughing and assumes its about her; She orders she be fired lest they lose a customer
- This shows the pettiness and oblivion of the upper classes, how they are naive not to consider the effects their actions have and don’t stop to think about the lives less fortunate than them

Question 4

How is Eva Smith treated by Eric Birling and what does this tell us about society?

Answer 4

Eric: He is drawn to her in the Palace Bar, thinking she is unusually pretty, ultimatle yraping her that night when they were both drunk
- Shows the abuse of the upper classes, thinking they’re beyond the law and don’t even consider those lower than them as human.

Question 5

How is Eva Smith treated by Gerald Croft and what does this tell us about society?

Answer 5

G. Croft: He manipulates her emotionally, acting as a saviour in the palace bar from a worse life and providing for her for a while; He quickly cuts off his support after using her as his mistress and leaves her to struggle once again
- Shows the control of the proletariat by the upper classes, their sights and emotions completely manipulated so they can be extorted and then cut off when it’s no longer convenient

Question 6

Give five quotes about the character of Eva Smith

Answer 6

• “A lively good-looking girl. A good worker too.”
• “She was very pretty and looked as if she could have looked after herself”
• “She was - very gallant - about it… she didn’t blame me at all”
• “She didn’t want me to marry her. Said I didn’t love her. She treated me as if I were a kid
• “She refused to take any more”