J.B.Priestley’s play, An Inspector Calls - Eva Smith's Diary

AN INSPECTOR CALLS

Wonderful day today. Went down to Birling and Company to be one of the

workers and I got the job. I am so excited. I'm starting in two days

and I'm seriously looking forward to it. At least I hope it would be

more exciting than the last one I tried. Mum was very excited and so

am I as you can tell. I'm already thinking about that break I will

have next summer. Go to Blackpool, lie on the beach. By that time I'm

sure I would have saved up enough money to do all this because they

told me the money wasn't that much but it was better than nothing. I'm

sure it wouldn't be that bad - probably twenty-six shilling or

something like that because the job looked pretty hard.

6/October/1909

Working this few weeks is much better. At least now I'm used to the

machines and places. I was wondering the other day if Mr Birling would

ever come around because I've never seen him and I think it's quite

silly when you think of it. I'm working under a man I've never seen.

They say he's very pompous, and hardly comes down to see anybody. All

he cares about is what has been done and what is needed. He has

children too and his wife is cold hearted I hear - but come to think

of it all upper class people are all so pompous-the question is "why?"

I guess nobody is going to be able to answer that question. Even if

there was going to be an answer, they'd probably say "Because we are

trying to put you working class in your place" I heard Mr Grainger one

of the men who worked there say that the other day to one of the

girls.

11/November/1909

Everyone is selfish with what they have; nobody wants to share their

fortune, everybody has to walk their way through poverty. Do people

ever think how the future is going to be? Are we all going to suffer

till God comes and takes us away? Will our generation suffer like

this? Before I have my children, I hope to have some one who loves me

and maybe I would have saved more money then so my children don't go

through so much. - the walk to the factory is going to be a long way

today because the normal short cut has been blocked for some reason so

now I have to take the long way around. Round the market which is

about 10minutes and then to the factory which will take me 15minutes