Another purpose of the inspector is to remind the characters and audience constantly of what has happened so far in the play. Throughout the course of the play the inspector repeats the events that have unfolded in short summarised sentences such as after Mrs Birling enters and the inspector starts to enquire Gerald, ‘At the end of January, last year, this girl Eva Smith had to leave Milwards, because Miss Birling compelled them to discharge her…’. Also he helps the other characters to reveal what had happened like when Eric says he took money from ‘the office’ the inspector fills in the gap by exclaiming ‘you mean – you stole the money?’
The inspector is revealed to us as an omniscient being that seems to know everything that not only has happened to Eva Smith but also about the future events that occurred after the time the play was set such as the First and Second World War. Before the inspector leaves the Birling’s he says rather boastingly in his speech ‘…if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.’ This is most likely referring to the death and despair that the two world wars left behind. The inspector also says ‘…what happened to her then may have determined what happened to her afterwards…’ this tells us that the inspector already knows about the events that led to the suicide of Eva Smith.
A role that the inspector plays quite frequently is that of a police. Priestley uses the inspector to control the plot so that it is in a certain order. When at first the inspector shows Mr Birling the photo Gerald and Eric are eager to see it themselves yet the inspector says ‘one person and one line of inquiry at a time’ this illustrates the inspector as a very routine person. When again Gerald asks to see the photo that the inspector has shown so secretively to Sheila the inspector replies ‘all in good time’, this phrase shows the inspector sticks to his words.
Priestley uses the inspector to voice his own social and political views. Throughout the play the inspector makes remarks on the various social and political disorders in society. Before the inspector begins questioning Sheila in her involvement with Eva Smith he states rather blatantly ‘There are a lot of young women living that sort of existence…’ this refers to the lower class people of the time who lived in very poor conditions and is clearly part of the social context of Priestley’s notion.
The character of the inspector is that of a social worker determined to integrate the society and join them into one body, the community. He is very swift at reminding the characters of the moral instability that surrounds their lives. At one point he even questions Gerald ‘And you think young women should be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things?’ This shows the inspector as a sort of teacher taking the characters through their own mistakes to teach them about good social relationships. Furthermore, just before the inspector exits the play he says ‘We are members of one body.’ Here he reminds the characters and audience alike of the moral of the play and also the importance of a community.
There is much inquiring over the reality of the inspector towards the end of the play after Gerald comes and states that the inspector is a fake and there is no Inspector Goole in the police force. However throughout the play the inspector persistently reminds the characters and audience alike of the reality around them. Such as when Gerald rather feebly seems to remember that the lady they are discussing is dead, all the inspector can do is severely say ‘Yes, she’s dead’ this is the inspector quite harshly reminding the characters of reality.
Priestley’s use of various purposes and roles of the inspector in the play gives a very dramatic affect to the play. It also allows Priestley to talk to the audience throughout the play via the inspector. As an audience myself I felt rather taken aback by the storyline and the twists that ultimately led to one point, social disorder. Priestley really bombards the audience with his views at the end when the inspector says ‘We are not alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.’ Here Priestley summarises the whole point of the inspector in the play, to raise awareness on social disorder in society.
The inspector is also portrayed as a figure of an interrogating lawyer. Priestley uses phrases such as ‘At the time of time of the incident…’ and ‘isn’t it so that at the time of the event…’ these phrases are most commonly used in places of enquiry like the courtroom.