Are the Birling family and Gerald Croft collectively responsible for the death of Eva Smith? I will be looking at the Birling family and Gerald Croft to see if they are collectively responsible in any way for the death of Eva Smith/Daisy Renton. I will begin by looking at how Mr Birling was involved with the death of Eva Smith.
Mr Birling is head of his own company called Birling and Co and Eva was a worker there but was then sacked because she was a strike ringleader. This, although it wasn't the nicest things to do, wasn't a major factor in Eva's death. The factor that was nasty was that after her death Mr Birling didn't show any remorse towards Eva at all, on the contrary he shifted the blame onto other people who were just as equally responsible.
So this started off a chain reaction in Eva's life, which eventually lead to her death.
During the time that the inspector is at the Birlings we find out that Mr Birling is a very callous man whom does everything in his power to shift the blame. We hear this when he tries to justify himself by saying "This girl left us nearly two years ago".
Mr Birling also uses his status to threaten the inspector, first of all it is very subtle by saying things like " I'm a public man" and then starts threatening him overtly and openly by saying "Don't you forget I was lord high mayor for two years" but the inspector brushes these aside by counter-saying " public men have responsibilities as well as privileges" In conclusion towards this character I think he is too arrogant and self-centred and this is why I place a fair portion of blame upon him.
The next person the inspector interrogated was Sheila, her involvement with Eva was when Eva got her second job but this time at a department store called Milwards, and Sheila (with a very big account there at Milwards) went in to do some clothes shopping. Sheila picked up a piece of clothing but was advised against it by...