Goole’s purpose is to make the Birling family and Gerald Croft admit to their wicked ways and make them realise how each member took part in Eva Smiths death. Priestley’s aim is to make the audience realise that everyone is equal and the poorer class deserves as well as others. Priestley displays his opinions in the closing speech. “We are members of one body-we are responsible for each other.” Inspector Goole’s views here are that everyone deserves respect no matter how rich or poor we are. When talking to the Birling family He stays solid whilst every other character breaks down. He also uses his knowledge to create an impression of someone who does not belong. By doing this it makes the inspector look mysterious and powerful.
Inspector Goole’s appearance gives “an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness.” This does not mean he is necessarily a big man but there for a reason and that reason to maybe represent a spirit or something similar. During the end it becomes clear that Goole is there to comfort the social arrogance of the Birling family. Inspector Goole wears a darkish suit which represents death and a man who means business. The Inspector is about fifty years old, and looks hard at the person he addresses before actually speaking, perhaps to intimidate the Birling's and Gerald or maybe is just merely making up his mind of what to say. Goole’s character is shown to have the power of presence which he used to overcome the arrogance of the Birling family.
Inspector Goole is presented as a police inspector, there to investigate the death of Eva smith. Eva committed suicide by swallowing disinfectant. He is seen as the narrator of Eva's life and is also used as a tool which Priestley presents his attitudes and feelings of social division by. Goole is Sheila's confessor; this is because the inspector was the only one that could get Sheila to admit to her wrong doings. His method of working was “one person and one line of enquiry at a time.” By viewing each member one by one he is showing that he is not intimidated by the Birling’s and that they are no different to anyone else even if they are higher up in the social ladder. A real policeman would interview people alone. This Inspector already knows what happened he just wants the others to see what they have done. A real policeman would take offence easily and would report it whereas this Inspector says he never takes offence. He says he doesn’t see much of the chief constable; he would if he really worked at that station. When Mr Birling Says “are you sure of your facts?” The inspector replies with “Some of them- yes.” He doesn’t know all of them exactly because Eva hasn’t killed herself yet.
The name ‘inspector Goole’ suggests that there is something spiritual about him, because it sounds like ‘ghoul’ which means involved with death. The name is an obvious pun on 'ghoul'; a spirit or a ghost. The name makes him sound ghostly. Inspector Goole could possibly be a spirit with an affinity and maybe that link is Eva smith. Inspector Goole could be Eva smith in spirit coming to warn the Birling’s about what they are doing wrong.
Goole’s attitude towards Eric and Sheila is different to how he acts and responds to Mr Birling, Mrs Birling and Gerald, because Eric and Sheila are younger it is easier for them to open up and admit to the errors of their ways. Mr and Mrs Birling are more arrogant to realise how they have affected Eva, so the inspector doesn’t go out of his way to protect them from the shocking details. “So I am really responsible” Sheila is the first to admit that she had some hand in Eva’s death and it doesn’t take her long to realise this. This proves that the younger ones are easier to open up to the truth.
The chronological order of the investigation was changed during the play. Goole changes his mind and then decides to interview the Birling’s and Gerald in this order: Mr Birling, Sheila, Gerald, Mrs Birling and Eric last of all. When the interrogation starts he shows a photograph, the others start to pry so “The inspector interposes himself in between them and the photograph.” The stage direction shows that the order of the investigation is important to the inspector because Goole stops the others seeing the photo, seeing as it was not their turn at that present time. Leaving Eric till last, makes him more and more impatient.
Whilst talking to Mr and Mrs Birling and Gerald the inspector speaks harshly. He is commanding and authorative “and that’s why I am here, and why I’m not going until I know what happened to Eva...” his intention was to shock the Birling's and Gerald into realizing their errors, which he clearly did. “Yes she was in great agony….” Goole gives a moralistic speech in the end. His words in the closing speech, “If men will not learn, they will be taught in fire, blood and anguish.” the tone of the speech is serious and warning, whilst the content of the speech is seen as apocalyptic. Priestley uses the ending passage as a message from himself displaying that world war one should start shortly and more than a million deaths alone would occur.
