The Celebration Turns Sour
What starts as a lovely spring evening in 1912 quickly becomes a nightmare for the Birlings. The family are celebrating Sheila's engagement to Gerald, but there's already tension - Sheila suspects Gerald lost interest in her last summer for mysterious reasons.
Inspector Goole arrives with devastating news: a young woman called Eva Smith has died by suicide after drinking disinfectant. He begins questioning each family member, and the ugly truth starts to emerge.
Arthur Birling, the factory owner, had sacked Eva Smith from his business simply because she joined a strike for better wages. Then Sheila got Eva fired from a department store out of jealousy. Each revelation makes the family more uncomfortable.
The biggest shock comes when the Inspector reveals that Eva Smith changed her name to Daisy Renton - and Gerald's face goes white. He's forced to admit he spent last summer with Daisy as his mistress whilst supposedly courting Sheila.
💡 Remember: Priestley uses each character to represent different social classes and their treatment of the working class in 1912.
