Priestley uses “An Inspector Calls” as a political diatribe to critique the 1920 society and more specifically Capitalism. The use of the play is allegorical s the characters are symbolic of various things including politics and moral values. More specifically. Eva Smith is used to present women of the working and lower classes who fell victim to the immorality of society at the time.
With reference to Eva Smith / Daisy Renton, Priestley uses her name metaphorically. The noun “Eva” has links to Eve from “the Garden of Eden” and much like the biblical story where Eva is too corrupted and ruined by the Birlings, “died in agony”. Additionally, the surname “Smith” is the most commonly used surname in Britain and therefore Priestley subtly implies that many women are subject to mistreatment as a result of capitalist ideals
