Exploitation and Its Deadly Consequences
Here's where things get really dark - Mr Birling doesn't just enjoy his wealth, he actively exploits workers to maintain it. His business motto of achieving "lower costs and higher prices" reveals his true priorities: profit over people.
The way he talks about having "several hundred young women" at his factory who "need changing" is chilling. That vague number strips these women of their individual identities - they're just replaceable parts in his money-making machine.
Eva Smith's horrific death - "she'd swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant. Burnt her inside out" - shows the ultimate consequence of this exploitation. Despite being a "good worker," she's forced to become a strike leader because conditions are so awful.
Priestley connects this to real events like the 1912 coal strike, showing audiences that this isn't just fiction - it's based on actual working-class struggles. The contrast between the Birlings' comfortable dinner party and Eva's desperate final moments makes the class divide impossible to ignore.
Key Point: Eva's death isn't just tragic - it's the direct result of a system that values profit over human lives.