Act 1: Spring 1912 The Engagement Party

1
Act 1- Spring 1912 The Engagement Party
The Birling family are celebrating the engagement
of Sheila Birling and Gerald Croft.
The Birlings are pleased with the engagement,
however it is clear that the Croft family feel
Gerald could have done better.
I have an idea that your mother - Lady Croft -
while she doesnt object to my girl - feels you
might have done better for yourself
socially. P. 8
The reason why the Crofts are unhappy is because
they are an old family with a name and a business
far bigger than Birlings P. 8
For the Birlings to have a marriage/alliance with
the Crofts is very significant.
The Crofts are not so pleased and that is the
reason they are abroad at the time of the
party. P. 4
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Act 1- Spring 1912 The Engagement Party
Arthur Birling is a very satisfied person.
i. His daughter has made a good marriage.
ii. He is no longer competing with Crofts
iii. He has been informed he may well be
Knighted.
P. 4 8
He is also very complacent about society. Just
before Inspector Goole enters he makes the
following comments.
The way some of these cranks talk and write now,
youd think everybody has to look after everybody
else, as if we were all mixed up together like
bees in a hive. P. 10
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Act 1- Spring 1912 The Engagement Party
A man has to mind his own business and look after
himself and his own P. 10
The connection between Arthur Birlings callous
comments and the entrance of the Inspector is
deliberate.
Inspector Goole has come to report the death of a
young girl.
i. Two hours ago a young girl died in the
Infirmary
ii. Shed been taken there that afternoon
iii. She had swallowed large amount of
disinfectant
iv. Her death was suicide
v. She had left a diary
vi. Her name was Eva Smith and she was 24 years
old.
P. 11-12
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Act 1- Autumn 1910 - Eva Smith and Arthur Birling
From reading Evas diary the Inspector has come
to know all that happened to Eva and her
connections with the Birling and Croft families.
Evas problems started with Arthur Birling and so
it is with him that the Inspector starts.
She worked in his factory during the autumn of
1910
She was a good worker and the foreman was going
to promote her.
She was in charge of a group of girls
After the summer holidays all the girls were
restless and demanded more pay.
They wanted 2/6 12p more per week.
Birling said that if he paid that it would cost
him 12 on costs
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Act 1- Autumn 1910 - Eva Smith and Arthur Birling
The workers were all broke after their holidays
so the strike ended very quickly.
Others were taken back, but Eva and others were
not.
P. 14-15
Arthur Birling clearly uses the strike to get rid
of Eva and other people he felt were causing him
trouble.
About Eva-
Shed a lot to say - far too much - so she had to
go P. 14
How to deal with people like Eva-
If you dont come down sharply on some of these
people, theyd be asking for the earth P. 14
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Act 1- Autumn 1910 - Eva Smith and Arthur Birling
Arthur Birling and Inspector Goole-
The Inspector appears to sympathise with Evas
demand for more wages. When the Inspector asks
why it was wrong for Eva to ask for more Arthur
Birling gets very angry and tries to bully him.
its better to ask for the earth than to take
it P. 14
Birling-
What did you say your name was, Inspector?
How do you get on with our Chief Constable,
Colonel Roberts?
P. 14/15
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Act 1- Autumn 1910 - Eva Smith after Birlings
Between September 1910 and October 1910 Eva was
out of a job.
Both her parents were dead so she could not go
home.
While she was at Birlings the pay had been so low
she had not been able to save much.
During these months she was alone no income or
money coming in had very few friends living in
lodgings and getting desperate.
The Inspector points out that the story of Eva
Smith is not unusual, because of poor conditions
and low wages there are many Eva Smiths.
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Act 1- January 1911 - Eva Smith and Shelia
Birling
In December 1910 Eva got another job, as an
assistant at Millwards.
There was Flu about and many of Millwards staff
had become ill. They took on new staff, including
Eva Smith.
Millwards is clearly an important shop in
Brumley. When Shelia hears she got a job there
she is surprised.
..She was lucky to get taken on at Millwards
P. 20
Millwards is also the shop that the Birlings
used they had an account there.
From December 1910, when Eva Smith got a jot
there until the end of January 1911, when Shelia
Birling went to shop there, Eva did well.
Eva enjoyed working there and felt that she was
making a fresh start in life.
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Act 1- January 1911 - Eva Smith and Shelia
Birling
Shelia is clearly shocked by the story of Evas
death, even before the Inspector comes to
question her. She has not been able to put the
image of her death out of her mind.
..I cant help thinking about this girl -
destroying herself so horribly - and Ive been so
happy tonight. P. 17
She is a spirited girl who likes to have her own
way. When she is denied that she becomes
determined to have her own way.
When Shelia arrived, with her mother at Millwards
at the end of January 1911, she was in a bad mood
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Act 1- January 1911 - Eva Smith and Shelia
Birling
She had seen a dress she thought would suit her.
Mrs Birling said it would not suit her and so
Shelia was determined that it would and that she
would prove her mother wrong.
Her mother and the assistant told her that this
dress was not right for her.
Eva was asked to demonstrate the dress and it
suited her.
This made Shelia more angry and determined.
When she tried it on she looked silly and at
that point Shelia noticed that Eva was smiling at
the sight Shelia looked.
Shelia lost her temper and shouted at both the
assistant and Eva.
She then went to the owner and informed them
that Eva had been rude to her and she was either
sacked or Birlings would close their account.
P. 23/24
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Act 1- January 1911 - Eva Smith and Shelia
Birling
Millwards decide to fire Eva rather than loose
the Birling account.
Eva is never told the truth..she is just fired
out of the blue later.
All she knew was - that a customer complained
about her - and so she had to go.
P. 20.
Why Shelia had a go at Eva-
1. She was jealous that the dress fitted her and
not Shelia.
You might be said to be kind of jealous of her
. Yes I suppose so
P. 24
2. She knew Eva was pretty and she felt she could
take care of herself.
She was very pretty and looked as if she could
take care of herself.

P. 24
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Act 1- January 1911 - Eva Smith and Shelia
Birling
3. She knew that Millwards would not keep Eva if
they were also to loose the Birling account. She
knew she could get Eva fired.
You used the power you had . to punish the girl
just because she made you feel like that.
P. 24
Birlings staff have never forgotten the
incident. A year later they still are careful
around Shelia Birling.
Ive noticed them giving me a sort of look
sometimes at Millwards..I noticed it even this
afternoon. P. 24/25
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Act 1- Spring 1912 - Themes and Act 1
At the end of Act 1 two important themes have
been introduced-
i. Community and the Individual
ii. Respectability and Hypocrisy
1. The way some of these cranks talk and write
now, youd think everybody has to look after
everybody else, as if we were all mixed up
together like bees in a hive.community and all
that nonsense. Arthur Birling
P. 10
The Inspector symbolises a new kind of attitude
that is being born in the country. Until this
point in time people, like the Birlings,
considered that the Individual was the more
important.
These people are only concerned with themselves
and what they can gain from society.
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Act 1- Spring 1912 - Themes and Act 1
Just as this concept, of being concerned for
others, is new to Britain so the Inspector has
just arrived in Brumley he is new to
Brumley.
He represents the introduction of this concept
into the community.
As the play progresses the characters begin to
spilt with regard to their view on this subject.
However, even in Act 1 Sheila is already showing
concern for others and, and in particular Eva
Smith.
Its the only time Ive ever done anything like
that, and Ill never, never do it again to
anybody. Sheila Birling P. 24
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Act 1- Spring 1912 - Themes and Act 1
2. were respectable citizens and not
criminals Gerald Croft P. 22
To this class of people respectability was of
great importance. To be able to maintain it often
meant having dual standards.
In this society women were not meant to be
experienced in sex before marriage. However men
were expected to be experienced.
In order to maintain such a dual standard society
simply turned a blind eye to what happened in the
background.
When Sheila complains that Gerald was away during
the previous summer she is reprimanded by Mrs.
Birling.
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Act 1- Spring 1912 - Themes and Act 1
When youre married youll realise that men with
important work to do sometimes have to spend
nearly all their time and energy on their
business. Youll just have to get used to that,
just as I had. Mrs Birling P. 3
It is clear from Sheilas reply that she will be
even less tolerant to such behaviour that her
mother was.
I dont believe I will. (Half playful, half
serious, to Gerald) So you be careful. Sheila
Birling P. 3
As the play progresses the characters again split
on how they view this concept and theme.