The whole visit from the Inspector is very formal. He calls them all Mr, Mrs or Miss and never uses first names. This is, to some extent portraying his respect for the Birlings, although he also cuts in on them in the middle of conversations. This shows that he is not intimidated by the Birlings and cannot be fooled into thinking they are more important than him, as they manage to do with other people of a lower status.
Mr Birling tries to use his power in high society to intimidate the Inspector, but the Inspector is not fooled. ‘Birling- Do you get on with our Chief Constable, Colonel Roberts? Inspector- I don’t see much of him. Birling- Perhaps I ought to warn you that he’s an old friend of mine, and that I see him fairly frequently. We play golf together.’ The Inspector dismisses these remarks and shows that it makes no difference that he has important contacts, by saying, ‘I don’t play golf.’ This is said dryly and the subject of the conversation is changed quickly. Mr Birling constantly tries this tactic throughout the play. Birling expects to be treated differently because he is the head of the family. This shows, again that the Inspector does not care about Mr Birling’s upper-class background.
The Inspector uses a photograph of Eva and her diary to extract information from the Birling family. The photo is used to remind the family of Eva’s identity, as she used a different one with each encounter. He showed the photo to one person at a time, claiming he wanted to deal with ‘One person and one line of inquiry at a time. Otherwise, there’s a muddle.’ However, the characters later believe that he was showing photos of different girls to each character. When faced with the photo, their reactions were very different, but dramatic. Sheila, Mr Birling’s daughter ‘looks at it closely, recognizes it with a little cry, gives a half-stifled sob, and then runs out.’ The Inspector gathered information from Eva Smith’s diary and expanded this by duping the family into believing he knew more than he did. This enabled him to complete the picture of the family’s involvement in the death of Eva Smith.
The Inspector’s different techniques in questioning the characters, encourages the family to confess to their connections with Eva. Mr Birling is the first character to be questioned by the Inspector. He tries to shock Mr Birling into confessing, by describing the horrific story of Eva’s death. Unfortunately, Mr Birling’s indifferent attitude means this tactic fails. He claims to not know Eva, even after the Inspector had shown him the photo. Eventually, the Inspector reminds Mr Birling that Eva was the girl he had sacked from her employment. Mr Birling did not think of the consequences when he dismissed Eva from her job and from his mind.
Sheila Birling is the next character to be questioned by the inspector. Once again, he describes Eva’s horrific death. It works this time; Sheila reacts just how the Inspector had hoped. ‘It’s just that I can’t help thinking about this girl – destroying herself so horribly – and I’ve been so happy tonight.’ She instantly feels guilty and after seeing the photo, she openly tells the Inspector of her encounter with Eva. Sheila was also involved in Eva losing a job, although unlike her father, her immense guilt was evident and she displayed a need to turn back time and rectify her mistake.
Gerald’s actions, Sheila’s fiancé, gave him away when the Inspector mentions the name Eva was known by after being sacked. Gerald acts surprised and reaches for another drink, Sheila notices his discomfort when hearing her name and questions him when the Inspector leaves. When the Inspector re-enters the room, he appears to know what they have been talking about. Sheila’s interference assists the Inspector in finding out about Gerald’s affair with Eva. She tirelessly interrogates Gerald however the audience is left unsure as to whether this is due to a need to know details or a need to find others guilty and relieve her own conscience.
One of the last characters the Inspector interrogates is Mrs Birling. He shows her the photo and she pretends not to recognise her. The Inspector knows she is lying and continues with his questioning. Sheila again assists the inspector with his search for the truth by reminding her mother of what happened to Eva and the trauma she had experienced. She also tells her she is making it worse by not telling the Inspector the truth. Mrs Birling eventually confesses and tells the Inspector how she denied Eva help when she came to her charity organisation for women.
When the Inspector questions Eric, Mr Birling’s son, he does not need to use any questioning techniques to discover the truth. Eric was the last character to be questioned. The other characters had already deciphered his involvement with Eva, by piecing the jigsaw together. Eric realises he has no option but to openly tell the truth.
The Inspector’s attitude and treatment towards the Birling family did not alter following their confessions. He always acted professionally but there was no doubt he regarded them as guilty. After each character admits to their involvement with Eva, the Inspector summarises the events, compounding their guilt and reminding the audience of their wrongdoing.
Before the Inspector leaves the Birling house, he delivers a compelling speech designed to teach the Birlings to accept their involvement in the death of Eva. The Inspector wanted them to realise the consequences of their actions and help people who need it, whoever they are or whatever they have done.
The Inspector totally dominates the situation prior to his speech. He tells them all to ‘Stop!’ immediately capturing their attention and ensuring they realise the seriousness of the situation. This would have been said in a controlling, precise voice. The Inspector begins by stating that Eva died. He repeats this in three different ways. ‘This girl killed herself – and died a horrible death. But each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it.’ This compounds their guilt and emphasises their need to learn from their mistakes. Throughout the speech, Priestley uses a lot of emotive words, such as, ‘Pitiable’- the term was used to reflect the disgust he felt towards Mrs Birling. ‘Power’- Describes the ability the family had to help or save Eva. Unfortunately, they chose to use their power in a negative way, making them responsible for her downfall. ‘Remember’ was used to reinforce the importance of learning from their mistakes by reflecting on their actions. ‘Remember what you did.’ During the speech, the Inspector appeals to the characters’ emotions. He, in turn, tells each family member their mistakes and what they should have done instead. This only has a positive effect on Sheila and Eric, the younger generation. They were influenced more easily by the Inspector and showed openly, more guilt for their actions.
Priestley submits his views and beliefs through the Inspector. The Inspector’s speech concludes very emotionally, compounding an important aspect within the play. ‘One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think say and do.’ Priestley uses the names Eva and John Smith; they are common names and represent many people in this world. He repeats ‘millions’, to emphasise the number of people in the world, who may need help and kindness. The Inspector believes that individuals like the Birlings will be taught a lesson. ‘And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish. Good night.’ This long sentence is designed to inform the reader that the experiences within the play are intertwined with real-life events throughout the world. The Inspector ends on a very serious and dramatic note and then finishes by saying ‘Good night’, leaving the characters to ponder over what has been said.
After the Inspector departs, Mr Birling only appears concerned about his reputation and what would happen if anyone found out about the incident. Mrs Birling is shocked and is trying to keep the family together. Sheila and Eric are devastated and are surprised by the way Mr Birling is acting. They are all arguing and blaming each other, until they realise the Inspector was not a real Police Officer. Mr and Mrs Birling believe that they should put everything behind them and forget about their recent revelations. Whereas, Sheila and Eric feel the fact the Inspector was an impostor makes no difference. They believe they need to learn from their experiences and prevent further wrongdoings. Priestley portrays a younger generation who learn more from their mistakes, unlike their elders who appear to be stuck in their ways. Gerald, who is middle aged, appears to take the middle ground.
The Inspector has an important role throughout the play. He informs the audience of the character’s backgrounds and their involvement in the death of Eva. However, this leaves the Inspector fairly characterless. Priestley chooses not to inform the audience in the same way about the Inspector, leaving his character open to individual interpretation. Priestley uses this featureless character to express his own views and personal morals, not just within the play but also throughout the human race. Priestley believes that the younger generation are able to learn from their experiences and make a new start and be more cautious of their actions and the consequences of them. The play was written at the end of the war. Priestley wanted people to learn from the experiences of war and prevent further conflict and human catastrophe.
