The main character of the play is ‘Inspector Goole’, an enigmatic character who reveals very little of himself, but instead spends his time digging up the secrets of the Birling family and exposing them amongst themselves. He does this because he is aware that the Birlings are largely responsible for the suicide of ‘Eva Smith’ a young girl who committed suicide whilst pregnant with Eric Birlings child, and wants the family to know what they have done, suffer for it and hopefully change their ways to a more socialist way of thinking.
It is not clear in the play whether the inspector is a real person, or whether he is some form of spirit, hallucination or the personification of the guilt of Eva Smiths death. It doesn’t actually matter, as the message and effect of the inspector is the same regardless. Whatever the actual nature of his existence is, he acts as the conscience of the Birling family. He makes them aware of the wrongs they have done to Eva Smith, and to make them suffer for it by the feelings of immense guilt they should receive from knowing that they are responsible for her death.
The inspector first arrives in the house as Mr Birling is giving a speech about how he that it is every man for himself, to look after number one, and not to care for poor people to forget about community. This is important because it is the exact opposite of the message the inspector tries to convey, that everyone should look after everybody else and that we are all responsible for each other.
`we are all 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 in fire, blood and anguish'
The inspector ensures that he is successful in his task by making sure that he is always in complete control of the situation. He does this by remaining firm and assertive. He also makes a habit of lulling the family members into a sense of false security, and then completely destroying it. For example, when he is talking to Mrs Birling about how the father of Eva’s child should be held entirely responsible, and publicly humiliated for his actions. He then proceeds to announce that her son, Eric, is in fact the Father. Techniques like this help him stay in control, and the family in a state of shock and submission throughout the play.
Even when the family refuse to answer his questions, to escape their situation, the inspector manages to force the information out of them, for example when Mrs Birling says that she has no intention of discussing the matter, the inspector says “You have no hope of not discussing it, Mrs Birling”.
Mr Birling attempts to counter the inspectors accusations by continually reminding him that he is both an ex-mayor and a magistrate, as if that somehow excuses his actions, or means he should be treated with more respect. But the inspector clearly wouldn’t care if Mr Birling was next in line to the throne, it is his duty to make the Birlings see the error of their ways and he intends to do so no matter what social status they may have.
The inspector is definitely successful in achieving his purpose in the play, despite the twist of events at the end where the Birlings are unsure as to whether he is a real inspector or not, he still manages to have an impact on Sheila and Eric. And once again, the inspector once again plays his trick of making them feel secure, and then destroying that security; when the Birlings are convinced that they are safe and that it was all an elaborate hoax, and then the phone rings, announcing that a girl has died on the way to the infirmary after swallowing some disinfectant.
Not only does the character of the inspector leave the family wallowing in the guilt of their own actions, but he also manages to make the audience think twice about their own lives, and perhaps realise that everything they do has an affect on someone else. Whether this effect is for better or for worse, is very much up to us.
