Discuss the dramatic importance of the Inspector in J.B. Priestly's 'Inspector Calls'.

The ghost-like status that the inspector acquires intensifies the characters' anxiety; even his name is a blatant pun on the word 'ghoul' and it has been suggested that he is a spirit sent by the late Eva Smith to torment the characters conscience, however I disagree with this analysis and choose to hold the opinion that he is there to represent a religious figure, representing morality and a moral stance. His dramatic power lies in the fact that we never learn his real name and are never given an interpretation by Priestly of who The Inspector really is - if we were told that he was a ghost or a tormented spirit then this would ruin the unresolved tension that is so effective at the end of the play.

Even though the characters in the play are at first blissfully unaware that they have been the instigators of such anguish, the inspector manages to dramatically obtain confessions from them all using his speech and his aggression. To evoke guilt in the characters and promote their confessions, The Inspector uses emotive language in his speech for example he describes Eva Smith as a 'pretty' girl whose life ended in 'misery and agony'. This technique makes all of the characters feel increasingly ill at ease; Sheila ends up 'quietly crying', Mrs Birling eventually 'collapses into a chair', Mr Birling 'hastily swallows' his drink and Eric is 'brooding desperately'. The Inspector uses aggression to coax declarations by answering his own questions or repeating them if he is displeased with the answer, for example when Mrs Birling won't admit that there was a committee meeting he says, "You know very well there was" and when she refuse to admit that it was her influence that got Eva Smith's claim turned down The Inspector sternly repeats, "Was it or was it not your influence?" This often-rude persistence works because it draws answers out of them before they realise what they are admitting to.

One of the dramatic importances of The Inspectors role is to act as a 'voice of conscience ' and he uses his authority over the other characters to strengthen his moral tone. One of the aspects of the play that helps to sustain the audiences attention is the way that most people can relate to at least one of the characters as they all have differing personalities and the way that The Inspector exploits flaws in all of the characters makes the audience question their own personal motives. One of The Inspectors roles is to be the voice of human conscience and somebody that the characters and the audience can look up to. Some of the les stubborn characters relate to his moralistic views for example when Mr Birling talks about his workers being 'cheap labour', Sheila argues that, "These girls aren't cheap labour - they're people!" and the Inspector dryly comments, "I've had that notion myself from time to time", showing his ethical stand. He has definite authority over the characters in the play, for example when he sternly tells Mr Birling that Eric can "wait his turn" and the way he 'massively' interrupts Mr Birling to inform him that public men have "responsibilities as well as privileges." He even finds the audacity to contradict Mr Birling by telling his son Eric that he can have another drink - this authority puts him above the other characters, demonstrating how he is also above them morally.

I have already mentioned that The Inspector reveals what everybody did, but he also brings dramatic importance to the play by passing judgement on each characters actions by posing as both a 'judge and jury'. He condemns each character to their own admissions, but notice how he does not pass judgement on Gerald telling him "if you're easy with me, I'm easy with you" and he tries to stop Sheila from blaming herself too much because she shows remorse. However, he loses all patience with the stubborn Mr and Mrs Birling, who refuse to admit they have done wrong, for example he tells Mrs Birling that he thinks she "did something terribly wrong" and that she is "going to spend the rest of her life regretting it." This is unusual for a police inspector and it adds more mystery to the Inspectors persona. By undermining the characters assumptions that they are respectable citizens, The Inspector is filling them and the audience with anxiety. When talking about Mr Birling he says that public men have "responsibilities as well as privileges" and he brings up the fact that factories like Mr Birling's thrive on the pool of "half-starved" young women who then become "cheap labour". He says that all of the characters must "share their guilt" or they will be taught their lessons through "fire and blood and anguish", which I believe implies that they will go to Hell and this is another reason why I feel The Inspector acts as a religious figure.

The play 'An Inspector Calls' was written in 1945 but set in 1912, and Priestly uses The Inspector as a social and historical commentator for the time period in which it is set. In 1914, Britain was on the brink of World War 1 with Germany and communist views in Russia were threatening the rest of Europe. The Inspector is used to express these socialist views for example when he says, "we don't live alone. We are all members of one body." Priestly was a committed socialist who was patriotic to his country and his disgust for the early 1900's class-system is strongly portrayed in this play - the working-class, middle-class and high-class hierarchy of the time is taunted especially in the way the Birlings are portrayed. By illustrating the Birlings as such a dysfunctional, snobby family Priestly is suggesting that the moral, classless Inspector is a favoured option and hinting that if these teachings had been followed at the time, the impending war may have been avoided.

In conclusion, the mysterious persona of The Inspector has helped to captivate audiences across the world since the play was written in 1945. Priestly uses The Inspector to deliver dramatic tension throughout the play and to hold the audiences attention using intrigue and suspense. He acts as a voice of conscience and makes the audience question their own intentions and he acts like a judge and jury to their morbid confessions. The Inspector is also used by the author as a vehicle for his socialist views and it is my opinion that without him, the aroma and apprehension encircling the play would not exist and it would therefore not be successful.

Alyson Mobey Inspector Calls Coursework