Act Three
Eris is Accused
The dramatic irony is particularly strong at the start of the scene. Tension builds as everyone is staring at ERIC, who says “you know, don’t you?’
MRS B is distressed. She says it’s a “mistake”.
SHEILA says mother’s been “blaming everything on the young man who got this girl into trouble, and saying he shouldn’t escape“
MRS B replies: “you’re not the type”
GOOLE says “There’ll be plenty of time, when I’ve gone, for you all to adjust your family relationships“
BIRLING (Bitterly) [when he sees Eric take a drink] says “I understand a lot of things now I didn’t understand before”
ERIC says he was “squiffy” when he met her “she wasn’t the usual sort” “I insisted – it seems” that I went home with her “I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty” “I threatened to make a row“
“hellish” “God” semantic field of heaven and hell
“hellish” “God” semantic field of heaven and hell
GOOLE “you made love”
ERIC “I wasn’t in love with her or anything” “I hate to see these fat old tarts … I see some of your respectable friends with” when she “was going to have a baby” Eris stole “fifty pounds”
BIRLING (savagely) “he was responsible for the girl’s condition”
‘why didn’t you come to me?”
ERIC “because you’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble“
BIRLING “you’ve been spoilt”
ERIC once the girl realised the money was stolen “she wouldn’t take any more” which is when she went to MRS B for help
GOOLE “your mother refused that help”
ERIC (nearly at breaking point) “you killed her” “and the child” “-your own grandchild- … damn you, damn you“
MRS B (very distressed now) “I didn’t understand“
ERIC “you never did”
BIRLING (furious) “you hysterical young fool – get back”
Who is Responsible for the Girl’s Death?
GOOLE “Stop!” “each of you helped to kill her.” “Never forget it” He tells Mrs B to “remember” “You refused her even the pitiable little bit of … charity you had in your power to grant her“
to Eric GOOLE says “used her for the end of a stupid drunken evening, as if she were an animal, a thing, not a person“
GOOLE (looks at SHEILA) and she speaks before he does
SHEILA “I know“
to Birling GOOLE says “You started it”
BIRLING “I’d give thousands-“
GOOLE on Gerald “at least he had some affection for her”
Goole’s Final Conclusion
GOOLE sums up “there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths” “We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other” … “if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish“