To what extent can Gerald Croft be held responsible for for the death of Eva Smith Essay Example

knew the girl, and the inspector knew full well that Gerald knew and recognised the name by saying," As soon as I mentioned the name Daisy Renton, it was obvious you'd known her.

You gave yourself away at one "From the sentence - all eyes focused on the conversation between Gerald and the Inspector !At first, Gerald was reluctant to say anything because of the fact he'd had an affair with Eva and he didn't want to upset Shelia - but in the end he gave in and explained the relationship the two had by saying," All right, if you must have it. I met her first, sometime in March last year, in the stalls bar at the Palace. I mean the Palace music hall here in Brumley "From then on, he explained to the inspector the affair the two had and the feelings and emotions they had for each other. He said that his good self had become the most important person in the poor girls life and that he wanted to help her. But the last sentence was the one that made him partly responsible for the death when he said," I see. Well, I never saw her again, and thats all I can tell you.

"That sentence along with the explanation that he was the most important person in the girl's life tells me that she had lost something when he ended the relationship - which may have sent her into a spiral of depression which may have finally finshed in suicide ! But this turns out to be one of the many other factors into the girl's death.His association with the

girl doesn't come into contact with the other Birlings. By that statement, I mean that he hasn't really got a direct link with Eva Smith through any of the Birlings. Any association he may have had isn't as strong as Eric being the father of the baby Mrs Birling refused to help. But there is a hint of association when Shelia has made he jobless - and Eva, instead of being happy and working - met up with Gerald at the Palace (a bar which plays host to upper class men looking for women - and women looking for money !).

Eva Smith had been happy with the way Gerald has treaten her, the way he has given her something worthwhile in her life and improved the quality of life for her which is a big contrast on the other members of the Birling family when Shelia gets her sacked from her job, Mr Birling sacks her, Mrs Birling turns her away for help and Eric abandons her when she has the baby - even at the end they left each other in good terms. But my opinion that I stated in the first paragraph still counts when I say that he shouldn't be held as responsable as the others because he had given her enjoyment and satifaction for a short period of time and ended the relationship because he thought it was for the best.Shelia is shocked and very disappionted with Gerald throughout the interogation - she often interupts his speeches with annoying sentence's that send Gerald off track - such as," Well, we didn't think you meant Buckingham Palace ! "She isn't supportive of

him at all, and in a way, she wants him to feel as guilty as possible. Gerald does not want her to be there because he doesn't want her to get upset by listening to his story more and more - and the inspector doesn't really want her there because she is being interuptive.I feel sorry for her because this has all come as a shock to her in the very small time of her knowledge of the incident.Throughout this particular scene where Gerald is under interogation, the audience feels sorry for Shelia because she seems to be distraught and shocked, at the same time I think she it irrating the audience because the story is getting very interesting and she interupts it often.

I think J.B. Priestly does this intentionally so that the audience will carry on watching and perhaps feel more relieved once they know the whole story.Ther audience can see the look on Gerald's face and can hear the tone of his voice - by these two senses that Priestly cleverly introduces, the audience can see how upset Gerald is when he is telling the story.

I think the majority of audience feel sorry because all he ever did to Eva was love, care and support her and it seems to have backfired onto him.Gerald is and should be feeling guilty for the death of Eva Smith, but he should not be feeling as guilty as the others should be feeling. The only reason he feels bad is because of his personality, by that I mean that for example, Mrs Birling did a far worse intentional thing to Eva and doesn't really

feel as bad as she should - thats only because she is 'stuck-up'.Gerald makes it clear about the way he is feeling when he says," She didn't balme me at all, I wish to God that she did - now perhaps I might be feeling better. "Gerald would have been happy to give as much information to the inspector as possible if it hadn't of been for the fact he didn't want to upset anyone which tells me he feels guilty and feels he is the one to blame, and he wants to make ammenze for it.

He seems to be a very nice man without a bad bone in his body and I'm sure that he could go back and change what he did, he would do it as soon as possible.