An Inspector Calls - Consider how the inspector makes the characters accept responsibility for their behaviour towards Eva Smith.

An Inspector Calls

Consider how the inspector makes the characters accept responsibility for their behaviour towards Eva Smith.

Although each member of the Birling family and Gerald Croft have had contact with Eva Smith/Daisy Renton during the previous two years, none of them is aware of the others´ involvement in the tragedy until the day of the Inspector’s visit. He makes them aware of the part they have played in her tragic end. The characters each react differently to the news and to the degree of responsibility which they should bear, Therefore I think the Inspector Call has caused the character to think about their actions towards Eva Smith.

ERIC

Eric is a young man, a bit of mess. His behaviour before the Inspector arrives is described as thoughtless, careless and immature. He has no personality, this is evident on page 2 “not quite as ease, half shy, half assertive”. Her sister, Sheila, soon describes him as “squiffy” on page 3 which demonstrates he tends to drink a bit too much. But he shows he has a certain respect when he is speaking with his father, this is illustrated on page 4 “not too rudely”.

Despite his carelessness, after the Inspector arrives, Eric shows involuntary sympathy for Eva Smith when he learn about her death and how Mr Birling had lay her off. This is manifested on page 11 “(involuntarily) My God !”This tells me he is sorrowful for her.

When Eric has to admit how he behaved towards Eva Smith/Daisy Renton, he has a stronger sense of guilt, but that does not excuse his behaviour because the consequences are much worse. Although not entirely to blame for her suicide, he must take much of the responsibility because he used her. He was drunk, and confessed that it happened because he was not conscious, but he feels terribly sorry for her, this is clearly showed on page 52 when he is trying to justify himself “well, I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty” However, he did not rape her; she was offering her services as a prostitute. Also, she could have married him. It was her choice not to. He tried to help her financially but she refused to accept any more stolen money. Maybe Eva/Daisy was too honourable. Nevertheless Eric deeply regret what he did, this is illustrated on page 52 “ That’s the hellish thing. Oh – my God! – how stupid it all is!” This tells me he wanted to remember exactly what happened, and the fact that he can not, makes him feels angry and more guilty.

As a last resort, Eva turns to the Brumley Women’s Charity Organisation for help. There she is refused help by Mrs. Birling because she did not like her attitude. She thinks Eva is lying about her circumstances and also Eva had started out on the wrong foot by trying to hide her real identity by calling herself “Mrs. Birling”. Sybil Birling comes over as an arrogant and domineering woman with little compassion. She not only refused help herself but made sure that the other members of the committee refused help too. As the inspector tells her on page 55 "You turned her away when she most needed help". It is not surprising that Eric turns violently on his mother when he learns that she did not support her. He curses his mother and accuses her of killing both the girl and the child, this is manifested on page 50 “(bitterly) You haven’t made it any easier for me, have you, Mother?” This tells me that Eric feels deep pain on how things goes, and feels very upset against his mother who made the situation goes worst. He maybe thinks he would marry Daisy/Eva and have a child if his mother would help her. Although Mrs Birling is the chairwoman of a charity that is supposed to help people, her attitude is hypocritical because she does not help people who genuinely need it.

Eric is one of the characters who has been incredibly impressed by the Inspector. He suddenly cares a lot about Daisy/Eva and wants justice and truth to be told in her honour. This is manifested on page 65 “And I say the girl’s dead and we all helped kill her and that’s what matters” This tells me that he admitted his huge faults and wants everybody to do the same. Even though Eric is quite a rude character who is not presented as an example at all, we may feel that he has learnt a lesson; and he is sincerely ...

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SHEILA

Sheila is a pretty young girl, presented as a lively person with a strong character. Before the Inspector arrives she is described in the stage directions on page 1 as “very pleased with life and rather excited.” This tells me that she is playful and proud of herself because she is enjoying the attention her engagement is bringing her.

Sheila had been a valued customer at Milwards and used this to her advantage to get Eva dismissed. Sheila had complained about Eva for laughing at her when she tried a dress on. From her behaviour the audience can see that she is actually a rather self-centred person. This is evident on page 24, line 21, because what had perhaps annoyed her even more, was that Eva looked better in the dress than she did. Eva was very pretty and Sheila was jealous of her and because of this she "could not be sorry for her". This tells me that Sheila got rid of her for a far less important reason caused by her own bad-temper and extreme jealousy. Sheila’s action was the result of a fit of temper however she regretted it immediately.

Sheila enjoys considerably the attention that her engagement is bringing her. This is evident in the line28/29 on page 5 “(who has put ring on, admiringly) I think it’s perfect. Now I really feel engaged” This tells me that she attach great importance to her ring, this shows she likes expensive jewellery which makes her feel like a rich person. She is proud of her status, and thinks she can only be really engaged when she is wearing expensive jewellery. Therefore this is evident, she is materialistic and selfish.

Sheila’s curiosity about Eva’s death is superficial at first, this is showed on page 17 “Oh – how horrible! Was it an accident?” But then this attitude changes, she shows a sensitive side to her nature and she is moved when she realises that her own jealousy and bad-tempered led to the girl losing her job. This is manifested on page 24 when the Inspector says “So you used the power you had, as a daughter of a good customer and also of a man well known in the town, to punish the girl just because she made you feel like that?” This is because Sheila felt embarrassed before the eyes of a prettier girl than her, so she decided to take revenge but soon she realises how big her mistake was, she then seems truly interested and feels sorry for her selfish happiness. Unlike her father she also demonstrates respect toward Eva because she responds to her as a person, not a cheap labour, this is evident on page 19 “But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people”

The evidence that she deeply regrets her action and is genuinely distressed is apparent in the stage directions on page 24 “(She almost breaks down, but just controls herself)”This tells me that she is not only selfish and foolish but can change and also be sympathetic, repentant and caring. She seems genuine when she says on page 24, "It is the only time I have ever done anything like that, and I will never, never do it again to anybody”. Contradictorily to her father, Sheila felt extremely guilty for having Eva dismissed. As she says on page 23"I felt rotten about it at the time and now I feel a whole lot worse". Eva’s second dismissal left Sheila in a worse state than her first dismissal and she became despondent. Sheila has been the cause of this further deterioration but we feel less inclined to blame her because of her great remorse. But we can see that her sorrow is also linked to her feeling of regret that she will not be able to go back to her favourite shop, and so her streak of selfishness is still there, this is illustrated on page 25 “I’ve noticed them giving me a sort of look sometimes at Milwards – I noticed it even this afternoon – and I suppose some of them remember. I feel now I can never go there again.” She sincerely regrets, and is very ashamed of her behaviour.

Sheila realises that truth and honesty really matter. This is apparent on page 29 “It’s simply my fault that in the end she – she committed suicide.” This tells me that similarly to Eric, she is honest enough to admit her share of the responsibility for Eva’s suicide. She is sorrowful about what happened and shows more sympathy as the play goes on.This demonstrates that she is capable of changing and maturity.

However, towards the end of the scene it becomes obvious to the audience that Sheila is suspicious of the Inspector. She wonders who he really is. She is the first character to accept that what she did was wrong. After this, there seems to be some kind of bond or understanding between her and the Inspector, this is because she knows what will happen to the rest of them. She seems to be an accomplice of the Inspector. This is illustrates on page 29 “I’m afraid that you’ll say or do something that you’ll be sorry for afterwards.” This tells me that Sheila is the first to realise what the Inspector is driving at in his interviews with herself and the others and she is aware that the Inspector knows all about them. Just as Eric, she wants justice and truth to be told.

Sheila tends to take up the Inspector’s criticism of the other characters, even when the Inspector has left the stage. This is apparent on page 57 “But now you’re beginning all over again to pretend that nothing much has happened” This tells me she feels that , whilst for a time it had seemed as though they had learnt something about themselves and their society, once they saw a “way-out”, they simply returned to how they were at the beginning. This deeply affect her, and makes her angry because she is simply trying to get at the truth and she is upset to see that her parents do not want to take responsibility in their actions. Sheila seems to have grown up psychologically and have changed; we can imagine that her future attitude towards others will be more responsible, caring and self-controlled.

INSPECTOR GOOLE

The Inspector is an enigmatic figure. He neither changes nor develops, but frequently repeats : “I haven’t much time”. Priestley describes the Inspector, when he first appears on stage, in terms of “massiveness, solidity and purposefulness” (p.11), symbolizing the fact that he is an unstoppable force within the play. His “disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before speaking” (p.11) gives the impression that he sees through surface appearances to the real person beneath. It also gives him a thoughtfulness that contrasts with the thoughtlessness of each character's treatment of the girl.This tells me that he is a cold and awesome character with a lot of authority, and has one target in mind,to make the characters accept responsibility for their behaviour towards Eva Smith. I agree that his style is very official. This is successful because the simple fact of looking at him is scary and appears as a menace , his look makes you feel uncomfortable and also makes you confess any mistakes you have done, you can not hide the truth. He works methodically as a real but suspicious Inspector. We never learn his first name. Moreover his name is not accidental because “Goole” is a play on words,the similarly sounding “ghoul” means a person interested in death and is a spirit which takes fresh life from corpses, and we could certainly argue that the Inspector's existence is a result of the girl's death. If he is not a real Inspector, what is he? A clever impostor (but nonetheless human)?, it also means an evil or phantom. Even the word “Inspector” breaks down to sound like “In-spectre”. This is amazing because The Inspector is certainly interested in death. He is no evil spirit, however, except that he exposes the evils in the others. He plays the role of a policeman and he is a policeman of conscience.This is apparent on page 11, when he refuses to drink. “No, thank you, Mr Birling.I’m on duty.”This tells me that his sobriety also contrasts with the misuse of alcohol so prevalent in the Birling household. However, The Inspector has a moral dimension which makes him different from an ordinary policeman,he is more concerned with right and wrong than with what is legal and he gives it away when he gets far too emotional and worked up about things. A real police inspector would not get so involved.This is demonstrated on page 30, "(very sternly) Her position now is that she lies with a burnt-out inside on a slab. (As Birling tries to protest, turns on him.) Don't stammer and yammer at me again, man. I'm losing all patience with you people. What did he Say?” This tells me that, here the Inspector gets to emotional about such a small thing.

The Inspector plays the role of the narrator and unifies the play. He makes the characters consider the impact of their actions. He controls the development of events: who will speak, when, and to whom; who may or may not leave; who will or will not see the photograph. He sums up for us what has happened and also steers the inquiry back on track when it wanders off,or the family break into explorations of their own altered dynamics. This is also evident on page 28 “(Massively taking charge)” This means how much he controls the situation, and the fact that he has to be listened to by others. His role in the play is not simply to confront each character with the truth, but to force each character to admit the truth they already know. He is usually commenting and questioning ,this suggests that he is waiting for more, which all members of the family usually supply.

The Inspector and Sheila became almost partners in the inquiry “The point is, you don’t seem to have learnt anything” This could be shown by Sheila moving towards the Inspector, maybe to the point where she is partially included in his spotlight. This should make the audience realise that there is an understanding between them. At the end of the scene, instead of staring at the Inspector, Sheila should look at the audience in the same manner as he does. This will signify that she is no longer awestruck as to his capabilities but knows that his way is the only way forward. The Inspector successfully makes Sheila and Eric take their responsibility for their actions. Both of them entirely admit their mistakes and regret it afterwards, they also learn a lesson, change and grown up enough to be recognize as responsible person to the eyes of the society.

The Inspector is the catalyst for the events of the play: without him, none of the characters' secrets would ever have come into the open, for a variety of reasons. For Mr Birling could not see that he did anything memorable or wrong in sacking a troublemaker; Sheila thought her rather spiteful jealousy of a pretty shop-assistant was not “anything very terrible at the time” (p.24); Gerald needed to conceal his involvement with the girl from a jealous fiancée; Mrs Birling is too cold ever to “have known what [the girl] was feeling” (p.45) and her effect seems lost on her; and Eric had resorted to theft, which he too needed to conceal. Without the Inspector's 'purposefulness', each character could not or would not have acknowledged their behaviour.

In conclusion I think that the Inspector is as real as every one else in the play but I think that he represents truth and justice and is a form of angel or something along those lines. While reading this play I enjoyed it immensely and I am very glad that I have read it. This play is more than just a detective thriller and you really have to look closely at it before you can fully understand it. I am sure that there will always be a sense of mystery about this play; who was the inspector? What was the Inspector? Will we ever know?