Eva Smith: The Symbolic Victim
Eva Smith represents millions of working-class people struggling in pre-war Britain. As the Inspector reminds us, "One Eva Smith has gone but there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us!" Her common surname symbolically connects her to all working-class individuals mistreated by society's elite.
Despite being hardworking and moral, Eva faces constant exploitation. She initially works at Birling's factory where "the foreman there told me he was ready to promote her" before her dismissal. Later, when offered stolen money, "she wouldn't take any more" once learning its origin, showing her strong moral character despite desperate circumstances.
Eva's vulnerability makes her an easy target for the privileged Birlings. Being told "both her parents were dead, so she'd have no home to go back to" emphasizes her isolation in society. Gerald confesses she became "the most important person in his life" temporarily, highlighting her loneliness and desperate need for connection before being abandoned again.
Important insight: Eva Smith is never physically present in the play, yet she's the most powerful character - her story exposes the callous indifference of the upper classes toward vulnerable people and forces each character to confront their social responsibility.
The Birlings treat Eva as insignificant and disposable throughout her short life. Eric "just used her for the end of a stupid drunken evening, as if she was an animal," while Birling cannot even "remember her name or where she lived" after firing her. Her struggle for fair wages - "they wanted the rates raised so they could average about twenty-five shillings a week" - occurs during the suffragette movement, connecting her personal story to wider social change.