Priestley uses many methods to prove that Mr Birling is very pompous and arrogant. An example of which is when he gives his opinions of the world around him like the titanic. ‘Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable’. This is an example of dramatic irony because the audience knows that it isn’t unsinkable and has already sunk but Birling doesn’t know this. His opinions on war are shown, ‘Just because… a few German officers have too much to drink and begin talking nonsense. The Germans don’t want war. Nobody wants war…there’s too much at stake these days. Everything to lose and nothing to gain by war,’ this shows him as very narrow minded and again proves him wrong as a war does happen and the audience would despise him for the comment and he is proves incorrect in a number of occasions.
When the Birling’s are informed by the inspector of Eva Smith’s death Eric is surprised and is quite horrified at the death, as is Sheila when she hears about it, but Mr Birling shows no emotion at all. ‘Yes, yes. Horrid business. But I don’t understand why you should have come here, Inspector-’ Priestley uses dialogue to show how Mr Birling doesn’t care about anyone else but himself and how others perceive him. This provides a surprise reaction from the audience who think that he is a cold hearted man who only cares about himself.
The way in which the inspector tells the Birling’s about Eva Smith’s death reveals a lot about him. ‘Two hours ago a young woman died in the infirmary. She’d been taken there this afternoon because she’d swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant. Burnt her inside out, of course.’ He is very plain and blunt about how he says it and this tells the audience that this man has nothing to hide, an honest and true man who is straight to the point. This favours the audience towards him slightly.
An example of a dramatic device that Priestley uses for effect is the photo of the girl who is meant to be Eva smith, but causes great confusion and suspense at the end if the play when they question whether or not their photos were the same. ‘Gerald’s dead right. He could have used a different photograph each time and we’d be none the wiser. We may all have been recognizing the different girls.’ Priestley has created a sense of mystery here and the audience would want to know the truth but it ends on a cliff hanger, which leaves a question upon the inspector and his credibility.
Inspector Goole interrupts everyone continuously throughout the play, and especially Mr Birling, showing that he is in power and control of the situation at all times and doesn’t care about his class. ‘But I don’t understand why you should have come here, inspector - (cutting through massively) I’ve been round to the room she had, and she’d left a letter there and a sort of diary.’ The audience feel admiration for the inspector because he doesn’t care for Mr Birlings’ social class or wealth. Mrs Birling has several attempts to deliberately try and scare the Inspector with her husbands’ power and class by making him seem superior but she doesn’t succeed. ‘Of course my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago.’ The inspector doesn’t succumb to any of the Birling’s ideas of social power and class and continues to treat everyone the same that shows he’s got a strong character and isn’t easily scared.
The Birlings family find out that the Inspector isn’t really an Inspector. ‘Yes. I met a police sergeant I know down the road. I asked him about this Inspector Goole and described the chap carefully to him. He swore there wasn’t any Inspector Goole or anybody like him on the force here.’ This adds to the mystery of the inspector and we wonder if he actually was an inspector and the Birlings feel relieved, however Sheila and Eric know that it isn’t over and Sheila says, ‘ He was our inspector all right,’ even if he wasn’t an inspector he inspected them and taught them a good lesson.
Overall the point of this play is to bring across Priestley message of socialism. This is because capitalists only care about money, they do not care about the consequences that happen to other people due to their actions to gain money and they lack sympathy. They are sycophants and they do not regret their wrong actions. Priestley spreads the socialist message throughout the play including in the inspectors final speech. He makes the audience feel as if they are seriously flawed and opens their eyes and makes them think that they can better themselves. By making the audience react to Birling in a negative way they are likely to oppose his way of life and Priestley encourages them to follow the inspector’s message.
