Who Is To Blame For Eva's Death?

By the end of these series of lessons you will have:
Re-read most of the play.

Looked in detail reactions to the Inspector·s
interrogation.
Completed mini ² tasks that will prepare you for you
forthcoming exam.
Completed quote searching tasks that will improve your
response in the exam.
Completed an essay question on Who is to blame for Eva's
death?
Had an opportunity to work on your own, as a pair and in a

group in order to develop your speaking and listening skills.

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How much
can you
remember of
the play?
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It is a spring evening in 1912 at
the Brumley home of the
Birlings, a prosperous industrial
family in the North Midlands.
The family is enjoying a dinner

party celebrating the
engagement of their daughter to
a man who is heir to the most
successful family business in the
North -- but they are about to
be interrupted by the persistent
Police Inspector, Inspector
Goole.
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ß ß
In brief, the plot is as follows.
Arthur Birling, a wealthy businessman, and his family are
celebrating the engagement of his daughter Sheila.
The play begins with the idea that all is well at the Birling
household.
They receive a visit from an Inspector, Inspector Goole,
who has come to inform them that a young working class girl
called Eva Smith has been found dead and that he is there
to investigate her sudden suicide.
The family are, in turn, interrogated by the Inspector, and
evident cracks appear in their relationships with one
another.
Under the pressure of the Inspector·s interrogation,
every member of the family turn out to have a shameful
secret linking them with Eva·s death.
The Inspector leaves the house, the phone then rings,
informing the family that a Police Inspector is to visit them
that evening. The curtain falls.
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X
Î

September 1910 Eva sacked by Birling & Co.
December 1910 Eva employed by Milwards.
Late January 1911 Eva sacked by Milwards.
Eva becomes Gerald's

March 1911
mistress.
Gerald breaks off the
Early September 1911
affair.
Eva leaves Brumley for two months.
November 1911 Eric meets Eva.
December 1911/January
Eva finds she is pregnant.
1912
Mrs. Birling turns down
Late March 1912
Eva's application for help.
Eva's suicide/the
Early April 1912
Inspector calls*
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THINKo

hho is to blame for Eva's death?

Think carefully how each of the Birlings and Gerald Croft influence
what happens to Eva.
Name hhat role does How prepared is
the character play the character to
in Eva·s death? accept blame?
hho is to blame
work sheet. Mr Birling
Mrs Birling
Sheila
Gerald
Eric
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n your own, look again at the play as a whole and find
quotes to support your findings on the Who is to blame
worksheet.
By the next lesson: Re-read Act 1 of the play looking closely at Mr

Birling·s character, Sheila·s character and that of the Inspector.
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#

!

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In Act 1 Sheila Birling is also interrogated by the
Inspector. Look at what she says in response to the
Inspector·s questioning and how the Inspector behaves
again in a moralistic manner.
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VVï s
s

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4xtended question: How does Mr Birling·s reaction to the
Inspector·s interrogation differ to that of his daughter, Sheila?
Think, and find in the

dictionary, as many
adjectives as you can to
describe Mr Birling and to
describe Sheila
Think!
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self-righteous self-satisfied
arrogant pompous
boastful condescending
patronising domineering
ostentatious discriminatory
unscrupulous unfair
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ashamed crestfallen
guilty regretful
enlightened affluent
greedy jealous
selfish resentful
naïve shallow
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Make your , give an then explain its
² The audience can see that Sheila is jealous when, while at Milwards, she is
rude towards 4va Smith. In the play the inspector asks her ¶ you might be said to
have been jealous of her· and Sheila replies with ¶Yes, I suppose so.· This has a
positive effect on the audience·s attitude towards Sheila as they see she is willing to
admit how she felt.
N h complete the task by finding quotes to support your

adjectives for both characters.
By the next lesson: Finish the quote search task in your work books.
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Study closely both character·s relationship with Mr Birling.
Consider what is said and how it is said and how each
character reacts to one another. Use the boxes below for
your notes.
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Think of 4ric·s relationship with his father. Now find quotes that show how
they feel for one another. Do they like each other? 4xplain your answer.
4ric Mr Birling
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Think of Gerald·s relationship with Mr Birling. Now find quotes that show
how they behave with one another. Do they like each other? 4xplain your
answer.
Gerald Mr Birling
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Mrs Birling is described at the beginning of the play as w
!
Consider how Mrs Birling behaves towards the Inspector and his
interrogation.
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The older generation and the younger generation take the Inspector's message
in different ways.
hhile Sheila and 4ric accept their part in 4va's death and feel huge guilt about
it, their parents are unable to admit that they did anything wrong.
Look at these contrasting ideas:
%%" $&
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± '
( '
ß "ëMr and Mrs Birling) ß Î# ëSheila and 4ric)

The young are open to new ideas. This is
first seen early in Act 1 when both 4ric
The old are set in their ways. They are
and Sheila express sympathy for the
utterly confident that they are right and
strikers - an idea which horrifies Birling,
they see the young as foolish.
who can only think of production costs
and ignores the human side of the issue.
The old will do anything to protect
The young are honest and admit their
themselves: Mrs Birling lies to the
faults. 4ric refuses to try to cover his
Inspector when he first shows her the
part up, saying, $
photograph; Mr Birling wants to cover up
% %
a potential scandal.
They have never been forced to examine Sheila and 4ric see the human side of
their consciences before and find they 4va's story and are very troubled by
cannot do it now - as the saying goes, their part in it. They do examine their
# & consciences.
Mr and Mrs Birling have much to fear Sheila and 4ric have nothing to fear from
from the visit of the 'real' inspector the visit of the 'real' inspector because
because they know they will lose they have already admitted what they
everything. have done wrong, and will change.
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hhere does
Gerald fit in.
Young or old?
|
(

In what ways is his reaction In what ways is his reaction similar

similar to that of Mr and Mrs to that of 4ric and Sheila?
Birling?
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| ß

)
*

| ++++++++ (
,
- %

- .

- /' 0&&1
- 2
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hith reference to the work completed in this unit, plan your essay.
-"3 "

-%
-4 '
- |
By the next lesson: Complete the planning of your essay.
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By the end of these series of lessons you will have:

Re-read most of the play.

 Had an opportunity to work on your own, as a pair and in a

The family is enjoying a dinner

September 1910 Eva sacked by Birling & Co.

December 1910 Eva employed by Milwards.

Late January 1911 Eva sacked by Milwards.

Eva becomes Gerald's

Eva leaves Brumley for two months.

November 1911 Eric meets Eva.

hho is to blame for Eva's death?

By the next lesson: Re-read Act 1 of the play looking closely at Mr

$"   

Think, and find in the

N h complete the task by finding quotes to support your

Look at these contrasting ideas:

ß "ëMr and Mrs Birling) ß Î# ëSheila and 4ric)

In what ways is his reaction In what ways is his reaction similar

- %       

-"3 " 

By the next lesson: Complete the planning of your essay.

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Re-read most of the play.

Had an opportunity to work on your own, as a pair and in a

$"

ß "ëMr and Mrs Birling) ß Î# ëSheila and 4ric)

- %

-"3 "