In his play An...
Illustration
In his play An Inspector Calls, J. B. Priestly brings in a police inspector to question a family in the investigation of Eva Smith's suicide.
Does the merchant know anything about Miss Smith? Not at first, but as more of the girl's story comes out he acknowledges that she was recently fired from his employment.
Does the merchant's daughter remember Eva at all? It seems not, yet when she sees a picture of the dead girl she identifies her as the shop assistant she had made such a complaint about that the girl lost her job.
And so with all the others in the family. Each had in one way or another pushed Eva Smith into the darkness from which she chose suicide to escape.
Priestly's play may seem melodramatic. But it also becomes a mirror in which we see ourselves reflected. How many Eva Smiths have we perhaps nudged further into darkness without even knowing what we were doing?
God, speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, makes us all aware that questions will be asked about people, questions which go to the very marrow of our living.
Does the merchant know anything about Miss Smith? Not at first, but as more of the girl's story comes out he acknowledges that she was recently fired from his employment.
Does the merchant's daughter remember Eva at all? It seems not, yet when she sees a picture of the dead girl she identifies her as the shop assistant she had made such a complaint about that the girl lost her job.
And so with all the others in the family. Each had in one way or another pushed Eva Smith into the darkness from which she chose suicide to escape.
Priestly's play may seem melodramatic. But it also becomes a mirror in which we see ourselves reflected. How many Eva Smiths have we perhaps nudged further into darkness without even knowing what we were doing?
God, speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, makes us all aware that questions will be asked about people, questions which go to the very marrow of our living.
