Time
Arthur Birling
He is the first person that is interrogated by the inspector and the first person to effect Eva's timeline of events if it is actually the way it is said
Sybil Birling
She blames all the events on Eric getting Eva pregnant so perhaps she thinks this to get her off the hook or perhaps anyone that affected her is irrelevant.
Sheila Birling
Even though it was 2 years ago she still has a huge amount of regret for what she said and did as though time is irrelevant to her
"she was one of my employees then"
"discharged her"
"I blame the young man who was the father of the child she was going to have"
"he'd be entirely responsible"
"But I felt rotten about it at the time and now I feel even worse"
Gerald Croft
"I don't come into this suicide business"
This shows that he doesn't really change even after he finds out it was Daisy who died, he continues to refuse he has any part in it. (Just like Mr Birling)
Eric Birling
Eric goes from being a reckless drunk to, like Sheila, feeling extremely guilty. He discovers himself with the past.
"I was in a hell of a state about it"
"about £50 all told"
Eva Smith
The actual person or idea of Eva Smith/Daisy Renton becomes less and less unclear as the play progresses until they come to the conclusion she was more than one person
Seems important in the role of time, rarely goes a few weeks without being introduced to a member of the Birling family.
"Since last September. But Mrs Birling spoke to and saw her only two weeks ago"
The role of the Inspector Goole dealing with the time element?
He knows about Eva smith death before it happens
"Two hours ago a young woman died in the infirmary" ... "That was the police. A girl has just died"
How does time contribute to the death of Eva Smith?"
There is not a certain time that it is said when she actually dies. We didn't know if she actually died, before the Inspector arrived or after he arrived