The set is meant to be a single room, the room shall be small as a metaphor for the Birlings small minded views, closeted to show how closed of the Birlings are from the rest of the world. They do not really connect with society unless they are ‘important’ members of the community. I think that the stage setting should be decorated in an upper-class, wealthy way. I think maybe the paint and decorations/props should be slightly sub-standard to show the proverbial cracks in the Birlings lives and relationships. Birling makes several little speeches during the play all of which are about his world view, they all turn out to be ironic. On page six Mr Birling says “there isn’t a chance of war” this is very ironic as two years later war is spread through out all of Europe. Then he goes on to mention the titanic he refers to it as “unsinkable” and as most people know hundreds of people died when the titanic sunk a few days of leaving port. Birling’s philosophy is completely different to Priestley’s, Priestley believes that social change is inevitable and it will be a change for the better, where as Birling thinks that the world will stay the same and if it does change it would defiantly be for the worse.
The door bell rings when it does because Birling was just telling Eric and Gerald that they didn’t have to look after any one but themselves and their families. The Inspector appears in the play at that time to show the audience that he has come to show the Birlings the error of their ways and it also points out a moment of change where there will soon be a shift in power from Mr Birling to the Inspector.
The audience’s first impressions of the Inspector are likely to be that they are impressed by the Inspectors imposing figure, and also wonder as at this moment we are not sure why he is at the house. I think this because the Inspector is supposed to create an impression of “massiveness, solidity and purposefulness.”
The Inspector looks at the person he is talking to hard before he speaks to them, which I do not believe is normal for a police officer. The Inspector also is following a line of inquiry where no court in the world would convict the Birlings but he doesn’t want the Birlings to go to prison he just wants them to face their culpability over Eva Smith’s death, to become better people and look after those around them.
The Inspectors first line “Mr Birling?” is a rhetorical question, he already knows the answer to this. He never shows any identification to prove who he is and that he is a police officer. He has no assistant with him to help take notes, police officers generally work in twos. He also never asks a question that he doesn’t already no the answer to, but he never takes, or looks at, any notes.
On page eleven the Inspector says “two hours ago a girl died” this is very peculiar because the Inspector would have had to go to at least three different places, file a report, search Eva Smiths apartment, read all of Eva Smith’s diary and memorise it then go to the Birlings house, in only two house that’s nearly impossible.
Eva Smith’s death is a big clue that the Inspector is not a real police Inspector, as I have already mentioned no court in the world would convict any of the Birlings of manslaughter or murder, they have done nothing lawfully wrong. The Inspector was more an inspector of morals, he is teaching them that they are behaving amorally and have to change, as Priestley believed that society had to change too.
I think Sheila is the one who has a conscience or at least she gains one by the end of the play she starts to change from a conservative to a socialist in just a couple of hours this is possibly the Inspectors greatest triumph.
Eric also changed towards the end of the play unlike the others who change a little then revert to their old beliefs, Sheila and Eric stay the same and appear to be ready to keep to their new morality. I think this is a sort of metaphor for the future as young people are the future in many respects and the young people change for the better, this is an indication that the world is going to change and become more socialist. The Inspectors motives seem to have Priestley’s politics embodied in them.
Mr Birling is not a good leader though he thinks he is. I thing Priestley highlights this fact because he wants to portray Mr Birling as a typical conservative and show the conservative rule though it may seem strong and working it really is week and failing. Priestley wants the audience to think about change and see that the conservative rule is failing, because he feels once people see that conservatives are failing they will then move over to the socialist side, and socialism will save them. He also wants them to think about how dangerous ignorance, complacency and capitalism is.
Time is mentioned a lot through out the play because the inspector is trying to emphasize again that we don’t have very much time to change our ways. The Birlings don’t have very much time to change because I think that after the Inspector had left they reverted to their old ways that is why Eva Smith died as a warning, they had a chance to amend their ways and they ignored it.
The inspector seems to be an apparition or ghost I thing this because although on page seventeen he says “I am an inspector” which makes us think he is, but he does not act like a police inspector, he expresses an opinion which generally police inspectors don’t do. He sticks up for the workers and Eric especially over the workers pay.
When the Inspection is over the Inspector appears to have achieved his goal, to change the Birlings for the better and open their eyes to society and how important it is. When the inspector says “fire blood and anguish” Priestley is referring to the first and Second World War where millions of people were tortured, murdered or severely disabled both mentally and physically.
I have already mentioned the elder Birlings, Mr Birling, Mrs Birling and also Gerald all revert back to their old beliefs where as Sheila and Eric both change their beliefs quite radically. I think Priestley changes the younger generation because he believed that things would be better in the future and as the younger generation symbolises the future so if they change so will the future.
I think Priestley conveys his socialist views to the audience through the character of the Inspector very cleverly he does not tell them how to think, but he show them a new way of thinking. I thing John Donne’s words are very inspiring and may have inspired Priestley quite a lot and probably helped him become a better person and a socialist “ no man is an island” is a good message, and more people should try and remember it.
