Despite the importance in the local community of people like Gerald and Arthur and the power they own, the inspector seems to be able to control what people say and overcome their power. Sheila says to Gerald “somehow he makes you”. But the inspector does not control the character’s reactions; he only simply gives his information on Eva Smith’s life and character, saying he found and read her diary and a letter, showing some of the people there her photograph, and giving them all constant morbid reminders of the tragic and quite alarming death Eva suffered. This approach to the investigation is unusual for a policeman, who would favour more of an interrogation of subjects. The inspector’s unique approach creates the opportunity for the family members and Gerald to face up to what they have done and feel responsible without being forced and interrogated to achieve it. They themselves must decide whether to change or not. Sheila and Eric do – Arthur and Sybil however do not, and Gerald does not show all of the guilt and responsibility that maybe he should, especially when they realise the inspector was a fraud. He and the elder Birlings almost completely forget ever feeling remotely guilty for anything at that point.
The Inspector has a moral side which makes him different from an ordinary policeman. He is more concerned with what is right and wrong, than what is legal or illegal. He sternly tells Birling, for example, that “it's better to ask for the earth than to take it”. But he also tells the characters that “if you're easy with me, I'm easy with you”. These statements show that he has compassion for those who are willing to accept their responsibility, but will not show them any sign of forgiveness. After all, “the girl's still dead though”, whatever they may realise and he forgive them for.
The inspector controls the development of events: who will speak and when; who may or may not leave; who will or will not see the photograph. Priestly describes the Inspector, when he first appears on stage, in terms of 'massiveness, solidity and purposefulness’; 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', gives the impression that he is able to see through the outside appearance of a person to the real being underneath. It also gives him a thoughtfulness that contrasts with the thoughtlessness of each character's treatment of the girl.
The Inspector is the catalyst for the events of the play; without him, none of the characters' secrets would ever have been revealed to each other, or anyone else for that matter, for a variety of reasons. Arthur Birling could not see that he did anything wrong in sacking, in his eyes, a troublemaker wanting pay rises. Sheila thought her spiteful jealousy of Eva as a shop-assistant was not “anything very terrible at the time”. Gerald wanted desperately to conceal his love affair with the Daisy Renton from Sheila, his fiancée. Sybil Birling is too cold ever to “have known what the girl was feeling”, and she seems completely oblivious to the consequences of her actions. Eric had stolen money from his father’s business, which he certainly would not want anyone to know about as well as this Eric shamefully got Eva Smith pregnant, after a drunken fling. This secret would also lead to the fact that he is a heavy drinker. Without the Inspector's “purposefulness”, each character in the dining room could not or indeed would not have acknowledged their behaviour.
Each character is punished by the inspector in an appropriate way that Goole would probably have hoped would show them the error of their ways. Arthur, when reprimanded, is made to realise that a public inquest could ensue, with the prospects of ruining his family’s reputation as well as his chances of a knighthood. Sheila feels shame for her selfishness, along with embarrassment at her actions in front of Gerald. Gerald has to suffer having his secret affair revealed to Sheila and her family, who all thought so very highly of him beforehand. Sybil Birling is tormented by the fact that her family are not near as perfect as she thought they were, and that her own son could commit the crimes her agency strives to put an end to. She loses much pride in her family. Eric is displayed suddenly before his parents as a thief, an irresponsible drinker, and an uncaring inadequate man. However in each case the punishment handed out is no more than the consequences of each person’s own behaviour. The Inspector himself does not bring down any punishment. However he does become noticeably angry at Arthur and Sybil Birling, because these two fail to accept any blame or responsibility for their actions. Arthur believes there was simply nothing wrong with dismissing Eva from his factory as a result of her bad behaviour. I think he understood how it could of affected events in Eva’s future life, but refuses to accept that this is the case. Sybil on the other hand simply does not care it would seem. She feels the girl insulted her by calling herself a Birling, and sees nothing wrong in punishing her for it. Both parents prefer to pass the blame onto Eric, who has already shouldered enough. They refuse to listen to Goole, or to anyone for that matter.
Inspector Goole came to the Birling household, not as an inspector, but as a moralist, I think. Throughout his stay there he makes it very clear he thinks what they have done is wrong, and no more. In his final, and in my opinion, most important speech, the inspector says “But just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes, their fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and say and do. We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish. Good night.” This to me says that the inspector’s main goal that night was to make the household aware of the fact that they can affect millions of people’s lives by the simplest of actions, and that they must all be careful in life with how they lead it and how they treat others. I think that Priestly intended the inspector’s speech to be spoken facing the audience, rather than the family. Because I believe that Priestly himself hoped to teach all of his audiences a lesson in respect and community values. This speech was not only part of the play, but also part of priestly’s wishes in life. He wanted people to realise these things and become a civil community. He also gives a threat through the inspector of “fire and blood and anguish” if people do not mend their ways. I think Priestly was warning of more war, after the two that had just gone, if people didn’t stop ignoring one another. It is a very powerful warning to give, and I think Priestly hoped by giving threat of such a horrible and evil thing as war, people would sit up and listen to his views and take the socialist movement he was a part of far more seriously.
