The Inspector is an "Embodiment of a collective conscience." How successful is he in making the characters accept responsibility for Eva's death?

Neel Joshi English Assessment

The Inspector is an “Embodiment of a collective conscience.” How successful is he in making the characters accept responsibility for Eva’s death?

The Inspector is a great character in this play and the quote in the title said by Gareth Lloyd Evans sums him up. Basically the Inspector is a character that draws emotions and most importantly the truth out of people. He makes the other characters realise their conscience, this is a unique but distinctive quality in a character. The word “Inspector” suggests a person who searches in great detail at a person or thing. The Inspectors name “Goole” sounds a lot like the word “Ghoul” which means ghost or someone who is interested in death. The Inspector confirms the word pronunciation similarities by knowing what will happen to Eva.

The Inspector also shows a dominating role over the Birlings and Gerald, he over powers their minds with his unique technique, making them grow to believe that it was their entire fault that Eva died. He has the power and has gained the respect to show them only what he wants them to see e.g. the pictures they may have been different to relate to each person he showed them to. J.B. Priestly has used the Inspector as a catalyst, the word “catalyst” is mostly used in science, and it is used in chemical reactions to ease them on towards reacting, this suggests that the Inspector helps the Birlings and Gerald realise their consciences without being noticed, suspected or discovered.

The Inspector represents some of the main themes in the play he lays a great deal of responsibility and blame onto the Birlings and Gerald. Quotes from pages 26 and 56 suggest this: -

“Well?” he says this as if he knows what will happen to Eva, and of course he does.

“But just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smith’s and John Smith’s” saying this has made the Birlings and Gerald think about what they do in the future and taught them not to be as harsh ...

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The Inspector represents some of the main themes in the play he lays a great deal of responsibility and blame onto the Birlings and Gerald. Quotes from pages 26 and 56 suggest this: -

“Well?” he says this as if he knows what will happen to Eva, and of course he does.

The Inspector also has an enormous affect on the structure and pace of the play, he moves the play forward there is some evidence of this on page 22 of The Inspector Calls.

“Sometimes there isn’t as much difference as you think. Often, if it was left to me, I wouldn’t know where to draw the line.” As the inspector lectures this to the Birlings and Gerald he is ending one topic discussion and preparing himself for another.

The Inspector is also a great creator of long and dramatic pauses, which generates extreme tension. Just before he lays his final punch and exclaims his final speech he shouts “Stop!” this is where he generates all the tension before what he wants to pronounce, the characters know that what he will say now will be important as he has introduced chiefly.

The Inspector gains respect from the characters by the way he corners with his unique questioning procedures and guilt revealing techniques, this makes them feel uncomfortable. There is an example of his work on page 51.

“When did you first meet this girl?”

“Where did you meet her?”

“What happened then?”

“Was she drunk too?”

“Why had she gone there?”

“You went with her to her lodgings that night?” this questioning technique makes the enquired feel uneasy, as the questions are asked quickly the character has no time to make up a lie or to break the flow of the Inspectors methods.

The Inspector has a large affect on the audience during and after the play primarily by the way he enters and exits. The first time we hear of the Inspector entering is in page 10.

“We hear the sharp ring of a front door bell. Birling stops to listen.” This also has a contrast with the previously mentioned point about the Inspector creating tension; in this particular situation he builds the tension by visiting the Birlings house at such a late hour.

The Inspectors exit from the play is also a great point that shows all of the characteristics and manners that he has, being acted out. In this speech he makes the audience feel as if they have just seen a crime and what the Inspector was saying is hitting through to them too, they also feel that they know it is not enough to act in a “proper” manner too.

I think the Inspector is a very mystical and suspicious character in the play, I also think he is a vital character and J.B. priestly has invented the story revolving around him.