The inspector has arrived at the Birlings house to try and show them that what they have done is wrong and remind them what could happen to many more people in the world, ‘I think you remember Eva Smith now don’t you, Mr Birling.’ ‘ ….and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us…’ These are the most common names that the inspector said and he is trying to show to the Birlings that people like themselves can affect ordinary people. ‘ We are responsible for each other,’ this is a short sentence that the inspector uses to emphasise his message. ‘We don’t live alone,’ is another short sentence that the inspector uses to make a point to the Birlings about the concept of community and society, we should all live together rather than in separate social classes. These are not only the inspector’s words but also Priestley’s thoughts and feelings being shared with the audience.
The inspector hopes to achieve something through his visit, even if it only means they will think about their actions before pursuing them. Although he really wants the Birlings to see that it only took something that seems minor from each member of the family to ruin someone else’s life and they should listen to others thoughts and mix and help people in other social classes. The inspector is like a spirit an omniscient, he represents the future, he is acting as the Birlings only chance of repent but only Eric and Sheila realise this, ‘If it didn’t end tragically then that’s lucky for us. But it might have done.’ Priestley wants the Inspector to paralyse the audience, at that time the book was conceived World War II had scarred society and left a deep trench in Europeans minds. Priestley is trying to stimulate the audience into taking a long, hard critical look at themselves- money and power are supposed to be a privilege, not a weapon. He is doing all of this by using the inspector as his messenger and to tell the audience to look at what is happening around them.
The inspector behaves in many different ways. When the audience is first introduced to him he seems like a polite man, ‘Thankyou, sir.’ However as the play develops he becomes significantly ruder and snappy, ‘ (dryly) I don’t play golf’ and ‘stop!’ ‘I don’t want to’, ‘sharply’, and ‘harshly.’ These words are used to help him to control the conversation throughout the play, much to the Birlings disgust, ‘Don’t yammer and stammer with me man.’ ‘Yes, and she’s right,’ this shows that the inspector is not afraid to share his feelings and emotions with the family, however rude they may seem to them. Mrs Birling’s reaction to this shows how rude she feels he is behaving, ‘(haughtily) I beg your pardon!’ ‘No, he’s a young man. And some young men drink far too much,’ this shows that the inspector is speaking his mind again, no matter how offensive it may be to the Birlings. ‘Gravely’, ‘cutting in with authority’, ‘sharply turning on him’, ‘coolly’ and ‘massively’, all show how the inspector says his line and how it will come across to the audience. This also shows how is behaving, when he says something ‘sharply’ he might be loosing his temper with one of the family, this frequently occurs throughout the play.
When the inspector leaves he seems to have made an impression on the younger Birlings but not so much on the elders, ‘ You seem to have made a great impression on this child, inspector.’ However when he leaves there is a different response, ‘ He walks straight out, leaving him staring, subdued and wondering…….’ This shows that his job is done and he is leaving them to reflect on his message. He makes an abrupt departure as though his job is done and leaves them feeling the effect of his powerful speech, following the discoveries and he awakens the family, which is what he wanted to achieve. It is only when Gerald comes back in the scene and tells them of his discovery that everything the inspector has said disappears from Mr and Mrs Birlings mind and the impression that he made has gone. Sheila and Eric still feel guilty unlike their elders and do not want to forget what might have happened or what could have happened, ‘you’re pretending everything’s just as it was before.’ This shows that he has been successful in changing the way that Sheila and Eric see and feel about other people in the society but Mr and Mrs Birling and Gerald have not changed their opinions, they still believe they are not responsible for any thing that happens to anyone they don’t know or who are in the lower classes.
The inspector has affected each of the other characters in different ways. Mr Birling is not affected at the beginning of the play, although he does get cross with the inspector, ‘(angrily) why the devil would you want to go upsetting the child like that.’ Mr Birling is also intrigued with the inspector’s rudeness and the following phrases illustrate his views towards the inspector, ‘Peculiar’, ‘ suspicious’, ‘rude’ and ‘assertive.’ Even though he feels like this he let’s that inspector trample all over them like wet grass-weak and feeble. Even the ‘arrogant’ Birling recognises this after the interrogation. He even acknowledges that the inspector has socialist tendencies ‘prejudice… socialist… you let him bluff’. This shows that Birling is being very hypocritical and is being narrow-minded, the way he dislikes the Inspector due to his social beliefs. ‘Don’t yammer and stammer with me man!’ This shows that Birling is getting annoyed and angry with the inspector and Priestley is trying to outrage the audience, to stir up the emotions, to bring the corruption of the class system into the open. During the play when Birling discovers a problem his first priority is to not let anyone find out or it could get out into the public and ruin his status, ‘ I’ve got to hide this up.’ Priestley used dramatic irony at the beginning of the play to make Mr Birling seem arrogant, ‘the titanic… unsinkable,’ ‘and I say fiddlesticks to that!’ The inspector has not made a great impression on Mr Birling but has made him worried about what could happen and might make him act more cautiously in the future.
Mrs Birling is very much like Mr Birling, she thinks the same about the inspector, especially that he is very rude towards her and her family, ‘ The rude way he spoke to Mr Birling and me- it was quite extraordinary.’ She is also deeply shocked to find out the truth about her family which she thought was so perfect, ‘(shocked) Eric! You stole money?’ Mrs Birling is hardly changed throughout the play and accepts no responsibility for Eva Smith’s death, ‘ I’m afraid I can accept no responsibility.’ This shows that she cannot think about any one else except her family and the people in her class and most all her self.
Gerald Croft is also very much like Mr and Mrs Birling and is not deeply affected by the inspectors visit. Although he is affected as he is forced to confess something that might have affected his marriage to Sheila. Gerald is the one who makes the discovery about the inspector being a hoax. He is then proud of himself for this, ‘(slowly) That man was not a police officer’. Gerald is the only other stranger in the house, besides the inspector and is afraid that the truth might affect his marriage and the way the family look upon him. However once the discovery has been made Mr Birling is delighted with him, ‘(excitedly) Good lad!’ The visit from the inspector has made no visible impressions on Gerald.
Sheila has been affected greatly by the inspectors visit and her attitude towards other people and classes has been altered much to her parent’s disgust. Sheila has changed from a sweet, quiet, well behaved young woman to a young woman who shares her thoughts and stands up for herself and what she now believes, ‘Your ready to go on in the same way.’ Throughout the whole play the audience can see a change in the character of Sheila. She changes the way she sees life and the people around her. She is trying to help her family see that whatever they have done is wrong and could lead to someone’s death in the future. Her character has grown up as the story unfolds and she has become a much stronger and stable person.
Eric is very shocked at the beginning of the play that somebody could kill herself, ‘My god!’ Eric changes throughout the play like Sheila does, he grows up and realises what he has done is wrong and must never let it happen again. The inspector makes a big impression on him as he is the youngest boy and feels ashamed with himself. Eric is not seen as much as the other characters throughout the play but the audience can still see that by the end of the play Eric’s character has changed a lot and this will affect what he does in the future and what he thinks about the rest of his family. Sheila and Eric are really the only characters that are deeply affected by the inspectors visit and this will affect them in the future and how they reflect on the rest of their family. Mr and Mrs Birling were beginning to become affected by the inspector until the sudden twist came at the end of the play. Priestley used the unexpected twist to show the audience that some people can change even though nothing has happened but could (Eric and Sheila) and other people cant be changed even though they have done something terrible and will not take responsibility for their actions (Mr and Mrs Birling and Gerald).
The inspector would be portrayed as a normal person in a stage production but he would have great stage presence and would over power the other characters on the stage. He would speak slowly as to intimidate the other characters but he would dress in a normal suit, so he looks like an inspector. Even the stage directions at the onset of the play the immenseness of the inspector is evoked in the audience’s mind. ‘Pink until the inspector arrives… brighter and harder.’ The pink atmosphere helps to highlight the rose tinted view of optimism shared by the Birling family at the start of the play. The white atmosphere will help to show the draconian treatment that the inspector will employ during the play. The whiteness also emphasises the way that the truth will be found out- no one can hide from its harshness. The light hits all corners of the room. The inspector has a great affect on the audience when he is on stage as he seems so rude and overpowering and almost unreal. The way that the inspector makes a quick and deliberate exit bewilders the audience and questions the truth. The structure of the play is clearly set out with a celebration at the start, visitor, visitor leaves and then a strange unexpected twist, which leaves a cliffhanger and suspense in the audiences mind.
To conclude this essay I will say that the inspector is Priestley’s method of administrating an inquisition into the corruption and self centred beliefs that lie at the kernel of the ruling class. The inspector is a conglomeration of something tangible and something metaphysical. As Tim Bezant discusses in his introduction ‘supernatural’, ‘wondering’, ‘dubious’ and ‘unreal’. The metaphysical aspect of the inspector is ever evident, no more so when he prophesies World War II, ‘Fire, blood and anguish.’ This heightens the enigma surrounding the inspector.
