As the Inspector ‘need not be a big man’, it shows that, unlike Birling, he does not need an intimidating height or status to gain respect or control over someone. Whereas Birling often flaunts his social and economical status to manipulate people, rather than his actual ability to gain respect. Priestley uses the Inspector here to show how money and who you’re friends with are just material wealth, and should account for nothing.
‘At once creates an impression of massiveness’ shows again statuses should mean nothing, and in fact, if Mr Birling is intimidated by his ‘massiveness’, then Goole is of a higher status then him in his world.
The Inspector often ‘speaks carefully’ and ‘weightily’, to show that he thinks and plans what he is going to say to get the most effective answers. As he says very little anyway, because he already knows most of the facts, he uses what he says carefully so the others speak without little intervention or prompting.
He also ‘looks hard at the person at the person he addresses before actually speaking’, which would, considering his ‘job’, give the feeling that one had done something wrong. This would then make them feel more frightened and paranoid about the Inspector’s intimidating presence.
Mr Birling uses his status to try to impress Inspector Goole. He asks Goole if he will ‘have a glass of port - or a little whisky?’, which were, as it says in the stage directions at the beginning, luxurious to have at that time. Usually only wealthy people with good jobs and probably therefore have good reputations would be able to have expensive things like that, so by flaunting his wealth, perhaps because he in intimidated by him, Mr Birling is trying to impress him with his wealth.
Also, Birling tries to gain the respect of the Inspector by saying he was ‘Lord Mayor two years ago’ and tells him of various other jobs. This shows Birling again trying to show off his status, by being in such a high job, particularly as Mayor, as it would give him so much control. However, when the Inspector comes, he has such an omniscient character that he is the one with the control, showing the audience that again, jobs may give you control over a company, but can not give you control over a person.
Birling also tries to impress him by showing off his contacts, so by introducing Gerald as ‘Mr Gerald Croft - the son of Sir George Croft - you know, Crofts Limited’, it shows how much he uses his social influence, even when in the point where he should be showing even a little emotion towards the death of a young girl. The use of ‘Sir’ shows that Birling cares only abut position, but doesn’t realise that is only a title, and means nothing other than his name. Also, Sir George Croft is probably of about the same age as Birling, as they are both fathers and business rivals, which means Birling takes pride in the older generation having that title and feels superior. This contrasts to Priestley and Goole believe no-one should be treated any differently due to who they are.
To all three of these quotes, the Inspector answers very simple, one-sentence, if even that, answers. To the first he replies, ‘No thank you Mr Birling, I’m on duty’ showing he is uninterested in his wealth or expensive possessions, much like Priestley, who uses the inspector to voice his opinion. ‘Quite so’ which he answers to the second also shows how the Inspector isn’t swayed in opinion after hearing his list of high-up jobs, and knows that doesn’t change what Mr Birling has done, because he thinks job status should not affect one’s responsibilities. However to the third he answers ‘Mr. Gerald Croft, eh?’. This implies that he heard what Birling had just said, but only registered facts, which is what his job entails, such as a name. He believes that everything else is irrelevant to the current situation and does not care about his social status, so this part is alien to him; he is incapable of registering it.
The Inspector talks in such a way that is different to how a real one would probably speak. Rather than just finding out information, he often projects a political message, which is also the opinion of Priestley. For example, socialism is left wing, which is more towards sharing the wealth of the country more equally between everyone, so when Goole says, ‘You see, we have to share something. If there’s nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt’, Priestley is using him as an author surrogate. Goole here is talking about money: if society and the Birlings cannot share that, then they will have to share something, meaning the guilt and responsibility, between everyone. The use of ‘we’ and ‘our’ shows that everyone, including him, is responsible for each other, in spite of addressing the Birlings.
Some of the things the Inspector says are quite vivid in description. For instance, he says, ‘ If men will not learn that lesson, they will be taught in fire and blood and anguish’. This is dramatically ironic, as in hindsight, we know that Goole is referring to World Wars One and Two, and how fighting at the frontline were the unions of people of all classes, because it did not matter to anyone then. However, the price that has to be paid for that union is millions of deaths in the wars - the pain that the Inspector was talking about.
Both Sheila and Eric are much more affected than their parents and Gerald by what had been said that night. Unlike the older generation, they don’t try to deny anything they’ve done, or keep whatever reputation they have intact
Despite the realisation that the Inspector may not be a real inspector, the feelings of Sheila and Gerald still don’t change, contrasting to Mr and Mrs Birling who embrace the fact. . For example, Eric says, ‘whoever that chap was, the fact still remains that I did what I did, whether it’s been told to a police inspector or by somebody else.’ The author surrogacy here really shows what one of the main aspects of the book is about. According to Priestley, it does not matter what your status is, but the fact is they all did something they shouldn’t have done, and should be making up for it, not trying to cover it up just because the person who told them is a fraud and of lower status
In spite of the Inspectors visit, Mr and Mrs Birling don’t change their capitalist views and behaviour even after all of what the inspector had to say. Birling says that he was ‘almost certain for a knighthood’ which completely contrasts to what the Inspector had been saying. Not only here is Birling being heartless about Eva’s death and only thinking of himself, but also the ‘knighthood’ shows how he still, after being shown how horrible he really is, is only concerned about his reputation, even though he had been told how statuses mean nothing several times.
One of Priestley’s socialist ideas inferred into this play was that, with his hindsight, he believed that after two world wars, nothing had really changed in social class and “collective conscience”. This is shown by World War 1 being represented by Inspector Goole, and World War 2 by the second inspector who is to come, but not in the actual play. Since Priestley thought that nothing much had changed after WW1, this is the same as Mr and Mrs Birling still denying what they had done after the Inspector leaves, which shows that still nothing has changed in their capitalist attitudes and they only care about keeping their reputations.
