Who Is to Blame for Eva's Death?

Who is to Blame for the

Death of Eva Smith?

Introduction

This coursework focuses on how each character contributes to the suicide of a poor girl Eva Smith/Daisy Renton.

Part 1

Gerald Croft is a young business man. He has a good steady job, a fiancйe, a promising future and is financially stable. In 'An Inspector Calls' Gerald is described as "an attractive chap, about thirty". His father owns a company called 'Crofts Limited' who are friendly rivals of the Arthur Birling's business 'Birling and Company', although the Croft's business is both older and bigger than the Birling's. Arthur is very pleased about his daughter Sheila's engagement to Gerald, because of the possibility of the two businesses merging ultimately benefiting the Birling's financial status and power. Though Gerald's parents are not as happy with the prospect of their son marrying Sheila, as they feel she is not good enough for Gerald.

Part 2

Gerald had met 'Daisy Renton' in the stalls bar at The Palace Variety Theatre in March of the previous year. He'd noticed a girl who looked out of place, and was different from all the "hard-eyed, dough-faced women" that the bar is always filled with, he was drawn by her "soft brown hair and big dark eyes". But the girl looked distressed, she made eye contact with Gerald which he instantly knew was a cry for help. The girl was Eva Smith or who she would be known as to Gerald 'Daisy Renton'. An old, 'goggle-eyed' man, who was well known for being a womanising fraud by many people in Brumley, was harassing Daisy and she was trapped. Gerald took it upon himself to help the young girl. He approached the old man and told him the manager has an urgent message for him, as the old man left Daisy, Gerald offered to take her somewhere a bit more quiet and so he took her to the 'Country Hotel' where they had a drink and talked a little, planning to meet again two nights later.

On their second meeting Gerald bought Daisy a meal and they got to know each other better, this is when he discovers Daisy is penniless, jobless and was about to be turned out of the room that she lives in because she couldn't pay rent. At that point, Gerald generously offers her accommodation and some money, which she accepts. As time passed the gratitude and affection Gerald received from Daisy grew, so did their feelings for each other, although Daisy's love for Gerald was un-requited, as he admits he did not love her like she loved him. However, he started to love the feeling of importance he got from Daisy's dependence on him, and so a sexual relationship was formed.

But the affair wasn't to last much longer. Gerald ended his relationship with Daisy during early September, before he went away on business. He and Daisy agreed that she'd move out of the apartment. Gerald gave her some money, enough to see her through to the end of the year, and she hinted that she was going to move away from Brumley. After their affair ended, they never saw nor spoke to each other again.

When the inspector first started questioning Arthur and Sheila, he didn't think that his relationship with 'Daisy' was about to be uncovered. The inspector already knew about the relationship between Gerald and Daisy, so he purposely withheld her 'false' identity up until a certain point. The Inspector Goole then revealed that Eva Smith had recently started calling herself 'Daisy Renton', living under a pseudonym to conceal her real identity. As soon as Gerald heard this he (inadvertently) made it obvious, that he had known or been connected with her somehow or another. Gerald seemed rather shocked and shaken at the news of Daisy Renton's death. After the Inspector leaves, the room for a short time Sheila confronts Gerald and soon begins to suspect that Gerald had known Daisy pretty well to have reacted in a such a way. Gerald admitted that he had known Daisy, until Sheila forced him to admit that Daisy was his mistress. Gerald then begged Sheila not to tell the Inspector when she told Gerald that the Inspector already knew he just wanted Gerald to admit it himself.

Part 3

As soon as Gerald first laid eyes on Daisy in the Palace Bar, despite helping the young girl and forming a friendship with her, his intention were good-willed and kind and it was never his intention to have a sexual relationship with her. It wasn't until he had offered her a place to live and money that the possibility of an affair between the two became more certain. After his relationship with Daisy had been revealed Gerald stated that it was only natural, and any man would do the same.

Gerald was only being kind when he first helped Daisy, but when he planned to meet her two nights later it would seem that things were becoming slightly risky or unwise. At the time he met Daisy he and Sheila were courting, if Sheila had found out that he had met up with another woman, she wouldn't have been happy with Gerald. Gerald knew that if he had told Sheila she