J.B Priestley uses the Inspector to create cliff hangers at the end of each act, thus creating tension, suspense and overall making people interested and drawn to the play.
At the end of the first act the Inspector creates a cliff hanger through his questioning of Gerald’s affair with Eva Smith. Gerald is trying to hide his involvement with Eva from the inspector and Sheila finds it rather hysterical.
Sheila: (laughs rather hysterically) “Why - you fool - he knows. Of course he knows And I hate to think how much he knows that even we don’t know yet. You’ll see. You’ll see.
Stage Directions: She looks at him in almost triumph. He looks crushed. The door slowly opens and the Inspector appears, looking steadily and searchingly at them.
Inspector: “Well?”
What happens next? What do they tell him? How much does the Inspector know already? This hooks the audience, as they want to find out what happens next in the play, keeping them on the edge of their seats. The final part off the play see’s Mr. Birling answer the phone to find out that a second Inspector is on his way and that what they thought was just a hoax was in fact true.
Stage Directions: As they stare guiltily and dumbfounded the curtain falls.
Ending the play on this cliff hanger makes the audience want to watch more and find out what happens next. It also keeps them thinking about the play and it's meaning afterwards.
Once the inspector starts questioning Mr Birling we find out hat he thought Eva was a good worker and he was going to promote her,
Mr Birling: “A good worker too. In fact the foremen there told me he was ready to promote her”
But this all changed after she organised a strike and he fired her. When asked why he did this he says, “It is my duty to keep labour costs down.”
This proves that Mr Birling’s main prerogative is money and showing different class people who’s boss. He cares more for looking upper class and important than someone’s livelihood. I think that Mr Birling feels he needs the to have the security of being in control and influencing everything that takes place. At first he thought Eva Smith was a fine worker so why did not he try to compromise with her and meet a mutual agreement, this shows that he sees his workers as cheap labour which can be easily replaced, - supporting his capitalism ideology. I do not feel that Mr Birling done what he did to Eva because she is a female but because she is lower class to him and he feels others should not try and take control from him, as he thinks she’s not worth him, just one of millions and Eva Smith is nothing special. Mr Birling felt no amnesty for Eva Smith after she had died this is because she is just cheap easily replaceable labour. I think Mr Birling supports that If people are of equal status or above him he will treat them with much respect and gratitude like Mrs Birling, but if they are of lower class he will treat them with little respect or gratitude like Eva Smith and Sheila. He did not have any remorse for Eva all he cared about that he looks good in the end. From the questioning of Gerald you learn about the social class and the difficulty in relationships. Gerald met Eva at a bar where a man was harassing her and Gerald saved her and provided her with a roof and also gave her lots of money. His actions prove that he really cared about Eva and did not just use her for pleasure. Gerald and Eva left on mutual terms as they both thought the relationship could not progress. This was because of the difference in class of Gerald and Sheila. If it got out that the pair had something going on Gerald would be disgraced and probably disowned by Mr Birling - making it impossible to marry Sheila. Another way in which you see the difference in class showing is from Mrs Birlings treatment of Eva Smith when she requested help. Sybil was head of a charity organization which helped the needy and this is who Eva Smith came to when she had no money, no house and a baby on the way. However Mrs Birling refused to help and dismissed Eva as someone not worthy,
Mrs Birling: “Girls of that class” - “As if someone like her would refuse money”
This was a last hope for Eva Smith and was her last resort before she committed suicide. Mrs Birling was upper class and didn’t waver in refusing help to Eva Smith, to her she was just another lower class commoner.
Mr Birling and the Inspector's views completely oppose each other. As the Inspector puts others first, whereas Mr Birling believes that you are responsible only for yourself. An example of this is during Mr Birling's and the Inspector's speeches. The Inspector talks about how "we are members of one body" and that we "are responsible for each other". However, Mr Birling makes a speech about how "a man has to make his own way" and how "a man has to mind his own business and look after himself". The inspector does try and educate all of the family however he does not succeed in Mr Birling. At the end he is still promoting his Capitalist views -
Mr Birling: “Oh well - put it like that , then there is something you say. Still, I can’t accept any responsibility. If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody that we’d had anything to do with, it would be very awkward.”
Mrs Birling was not to be educated by the inspector either as she also maintained her self important, snobbish views.
Mrs Birling: “I’m sorry she should have come to such a horrible death. But still I accept no blame for it at all”
The inspector did make the parents see his point of view but he actually opened up Gerald and Sheila’s younger adults minds to the socialist ways.
Sheila: “It didn’t seem anything so terrible at the time… - And if I could help her now, I would”
Gerald: In that case, I’m rather more upset by this business than I appear to be…”
Although Eric admits what he did may have been wrong he refuses to take any blame and will not let his parents bully him into it.
Eric (to parents): “ I don’t blame you, but I am ashamed of you, yes both of you.”
The Inspector is used to 'correct' the capitalists and makes a strong statement in favour of socialism in his final rhetorical speech. In this speech he states that for lower class, "Eva Smiths and John Smiths" there is a "chance of happiness" in socialism. The Inspector also says to Birlings plus the audience that they are "members of one body" and that they should try their best to help people like Eva Smith, otherwise, as the Inspector implies, "they will be taught in fire and blood and anguish". This almost acts as a threat to the audience and incites them to recognize the value of Priestley's message. The inspector is played as some sort of mystery ghost character with the clever thought up name of Goole - Ghoul. I think the way in which Inspector Goole is presented as a sort of ghost character makes a good ending because it makes sure people will not forget the play in a hurry, meaning the messages put across will not be forgotten either. Making the play effective and thought provoking.
“There are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and Jon Smiths still left
With us, with their lives, their hopes and 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 all members of one body. We are responsible for each other.
And I tell you that the time will come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will
Be taught in fire and blood and anguish”