After the Inspector left the house, we find out that he has divided Sheila and Eric- younger generation from Gerald, Mr Birling and Mrs Birling- older generations and makes them angry at each other. We can see that Sheila was clearly effected by his visit when she says “And probably between us we killed her” and “Between us, we drove that girl to suicide” and it shows her anger towards her parents and when she finds out that Eva was pregnant, she begins to feel very sorry for her acts. Eric is hit very hard and effected as much as Sheila and we can see his disgust at his egoistic and snob like life style when he gets into a row with his parents- “What’s the use of talking about behaving sensibly. You’re beginning to pretend now that nothing’s really happened at all. And I can’t see it like that. This girl’s still dead, isn’t she? Nobody’s brought her to life, have they”. The older generations do not seem to be effected to the end of the novel, and seem to think it’s all a hoax. For example “It’s a hoax of some kind” said Gerald.
The Inspector is considered a fraud. Gerald is the first to question if the inspector really is an Inspector. He goes on to say that the inspector did not show all of us the same picture as he showed everyone a picture one by one so there is no evidence that he could have showed each of them all different pictures let alone the real Eva Smith. They all may have seen different photos. He then goes on to say that there was no evidence to prove that there really was a young girl called Eva Smith that had died. This is Gerald’s view of how the inspector works and how it makes him a fraud. The inspector also tells us how and why he works. “It’s the way I like to work. One person and one line of inquiry at a time. Otherwise, there’s a muddle.” This shows us how the Inspector explains how he works and why. This sounds like the real way an inspector should work which misleads us at the beginning of the play and makes us think he really is an inspector. This makes the story effective and dramatic because it all leads to a huge twist at the end when we find out the inspector does not really exist and there is no dead girl called Eva Smith however there is another twist at the end when they really do find out an Eva Smith had really died and an inspector is on his way over.
The inspector is used in the story as someone who is supposed to be like J.B Priestley. He is like a substitute for J.B Priestly and they are linked as the inspector is being used to put across his messages. The inspector is in the story to make the Birling’s have responsibility for their actions. He is trying to make people think about what they do before they do it.
The inspector is trying to say that people should all be treated equally. All these messages are aimed at the audience as well as the Birlings. This is how Priestley gets his points out to us, through the link between him and the inspector. I think his main messages are that we are all part of one community, not individual people but we are connected one way or another so we have to care for each other and look after each other. For example “….We are responsible for each other,” said the inspector. This shows us the inspector has socialist views and does care about others apart from himself. We can clearly see that inspector goes beyond his duty when he said his speech, just before he left.
The inspector had an enormous affect on the Birlings. He caused them to fall out with each other and go against each other. From all what he told them the only people that actually learnt their lesson was the younger generation. The elders did not as when they found out the inspector was a fraud they were celebrating so what the inspector said went through one ear out the other. I think the family could get back to how they were before but it would be on Sheila and Eric’s conscience that they once helped lead a girl to suicide. Priestleys over all message in this story was we are all part of one community and we have to look after each other rather than just looking out for ourselves. If one person is affected in the community than all of us are. That is what Priestleys over all message is. I believe the over all role of the inspector was to play a substitute of Priestley and to get Priestleys messages across to the audience and the Birlings. The Inspector has many hidden messages in him. He plays so many different roles and the he himself makes the whole story. He makes you think and puts across the messages, which to me is the point of the book. He is very effective and adds a great deal of drama.
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 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 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
