Eva Smith / Daisy Renton Flashcards
Put these stages of Eva / Daisy’s life in order:
A. shop assistant
B. factory worker
C. prostitute
B, A, C
Give three things the play tells you about Eva / Daisy’s physical appearance.
Eva / Daisy is described as “pretty” with “soft brown hair” and “big dark eyes”
Why was Eva / Daisy sacked by Arthur?
She was one of the people who organised a strike asking to be paid a better wage. Arthur says “She’d had a lot to say — far too much” about the wages strike, so he dismissed her.
How does Priestley make the audience feel sympathy for Eva / Daisy?
Eva / Daisy’s death is described in brutal terms, with the Inspector highlighting the “agony” she was in. This makes the audience feel sorry for her. He also emphasises the “nice little promising life” that Eva / Daisy could have had, which encourages the audience to sympathise with Eva / Daisy by highlighting that her life was tragically cut short.
Why is it significant that Eva / Daisy never speaks or appears on stage?
- Eva / Daisy’s absence from
the stage reflects the way
that as a working-class girl
she wouldn’t have had a
voice in society,
emphasising her
powerlessness in the
world. - The fact Eva / Daisy never
appears on stage makes
her seem more mysterious
because the audience has
no way of knowing if she is
one person or many
different girls. - It means that she could be
symbolic rather than a
physical presence. She
represents social injustice
and the consequences of
people refusing to accept
social responsibility.
Why do you think Priestley chose the name Eva Smith?
The name ‘Eva’ is like ‘Eve’, who was the first woman according to the Bible. This suggests she represents all women. Her surname ‘Smith’ is a very common surname and is also taken from the word for a tradesman. Priestley may have chosen this name to show that Eva / Daisy is representative of all ordinary, working-class women.
Eva Smith eventually changed her names and Daisy ransom. When does she do this?
She changes her name to Daisy Renton after she is dismissed from Milwards.
Where does Eva / Daisy go after her affair with Gerald ends?
She leaves Brumley and goes to a “seaside place”.
Why does Eva / Daisy stop accepting money from Eric?
She realises the money has been stolen.
Why do you think Eva / Daisy lied to Sybil about being married?
She lied to Sybil because at the time it wasn’t acceptable to be an unmarried mother. She didn’t want to be judged harshly by Sybil because of this and risk being denied the charity’s assistance.
Priestley leaves some ambiguity over whether Eva and Daisy are the same person. Why do you think he does this?
He leaves some ambiguity to emphasise that it doesn’t matter whether they are the same woman. Even if they are different women, the fact that they could have been the same shows the potentially dangerous consequences of the Birlings’ and Gerald’s actions.
