The Inspector is inferior in class to the Birlings and Gerald. The lower class were usually very worried what the upper class thought of them and whether they were good enough or not. This was not the case for Inspector Goole. In fact it was quite the opposite. He speaks to them normally and not as if though they are superior to him. At first he even speaks to them politely “Thank you Sir.” However as the play progresses he starts to get a bit impatient as the family are not giving him direct answers and shows them no respect showing he is not scared of them. Mr. Birling gets offended because this behaviour is not expected from a professional Inspector and he says “I don’t like that tone.” This shows that the Inspector does think a great deal for the upper class. When Inspector Goole mentions Eva Smith nobody but Mr. Birling recognizes the name. So the Inspector explains that she was employed at his works at one time. Straight away Mr. Birling starts to look down on her because she was in the working class. Inspector Goole talks about Eva Smith as though she was an important person and not in the working class. This shows that he thinks everyone is equal and there is not a social divide.
Inspector Goole has an air of mystery around him from the start. Mr. Birling is on the bench and knows all the police officers but has never seen Inspector Goole. The Inspector tells him that he is new “Only recently transferred.” This makes us wonder, is it a coincidence that he has just started working in Brumley at the same time as this investigation is going on? Or maybe he knew Eva Smith personally and wanted to find out more about what drove her to suicide. We don’t really know who he is and there is no evidence that he is a real Inspector so the audience are confused whether to believe him or not. We do not know enough about his character to trust him. He also has a very mysterious nature for example the way he talks to people. “He chooses his words carefully and speaks weightily.” He does this so that he makes sure that he is saying what he wants to say and means it. Everything he says has a rather matter of fact tome to it making the other characters think that he is always right and knows what he is talking about. Also he has a disconcerting habit of looking at the person that he is talking to. This makes them uneasy. It is like the Inspector is searching them internally and can see what they are thinking.
The name of the Inspector “Inspector Goole” adds to the dramatic tension of the play. The name Goole is a homophone to the word ghoul which is often related to a ghost. A ghost is a disembodied spirit of a dead person i.e. it is not really there. Ghosts and ghouls are thought to be fictional to scare children. Therefore is the Inspector real or not? Is “Goole” his real name or is he just using the name to scare the Birlings? These questions remain unanswered throughout the play.
Inspector Goole has a very awkward yet methodical way of questioning each member of the family. He concentrates on one person at a time and does not let them go until he is satisfied with the information that he has gained. When he is questioning one person he does not like to disturbed. He has a photograph in his pocket which he says is of Eva Smith and he says he found it in her lodgings. He only shows it to one person at a time and makes sure that no one else can see it. When he shows Mr. Birling the photograph Gerald and Eric are eager to see it as well but he blocks their view. When they ask him why they can’t see the photograph he replies “It’s the way I like to go to work. One person and one line of enquiry at a time. Otherwise there is a muddle.” This shows the methodical side to his questioning. Throughout his enquiries, the Inspector has remained in control. At times he has massively taken charge.” In social status, the Inspector is lower than the Birlings although throughout most of the play the Birlings are inferior to the Inspector as they do not know all the information like he does.
What we do not know is how much the inspector already knows before arriving at the house. Whenever he asks a question, he already seems to know the otherwise he would not be questioning them. The information he has gathered before coming to the house is by reading the diary that Eva Smith left. Maybe some pages of the diary were missing, hence the lack of information in the Inspector.
There is not really any evidence that what the inspector says is true apart from everyone admitting to what they did to Eva Smith. He doesn’t even show the Birlings so called diary. Therefore we aren’t sure if there even was a diary or if he made it all up. We are force to believe that he is telling the truth because how else would he have got that information? The audience answer to it “Anyhow I already knew.” He obviously has bits of the puzzle missing do not learn a great about Inspector Goole in the play. All they learn about is his character and personality; he is imposing and intimidating. We do not know any background information on him e.g. where he is from. All this does not matter because even though he is the main character the play is not about him it is about Eva Smith. The audience probably do feel a bit curious about the mysterious Inspector but their curiosity soon subsides as they try to keep up with the fast pace of the play.
Before the Inspector goes he says “One Eva Smith has gone but there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths left with us.” From this, the family learn that they might have led someone to suicide but there are plenty more vulnerable people like Eva Smith left in the world that needs their help.
John Priestley was born on September 13th 1894. He grew up into a family who enjoyed debates. At a very young age he was caught up in debates with his friends. They all discussed politics from a socialist point of view. He expresses these ideas and beliefs in the play. In the play his socialist ideas are expressed through the characters and by exploiting some techniques and devices.
Now I am going to write about the social and political climate of the day. Priestley wrote this play 'An Inspector Calls' in 1944, but the play was set in 1912. Priestley took into account the political and social climate of not just 1944 but also when the play was set in 1912. Because of the time in between the two periods Priestley could use historical events and facts for his own use in the play. An example of this is when Birling says, "I'm talking as a hard headed, practical man of business. And I say there isn't a chance of war. "And in the Inspectors final speech when he talks about everyone being responsible for each other's actions and the world is a whole and people shouldn't be divided up into classes and social groups. “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.” In both these quotes Priestley touches on the subject of war. This would have attracted the audience to what Birling was saying and they would have started to dislike him and his ideas, since the Second World War would have just finished the audience would have been upset about their lost ones and would have been interested in peoples opinions and views leading up to the start of World War One.
Another part of the social and political climate he uses to demonstrate his political views is through the play is the class system. Priestley being a socialist himself would have hated the class system just as the socialists in 1912 did, this is a reoccurring theme throughout the play. The class system in 1944 was different in some respects to the one of 1912; these differences were the introduction of middle class, instead of having two classes; the upper and working class. In the play the Birling's played an average upper class family in the 1900's. They lived in a comfortable lifestyle unaffected and unaware what was happening on the other side of the population. The rich upper classes did not acknowledge the working classes as anything but cheap labour for use in production of goods.
In the play Eva Smith represents the poverty stricken working class people of Britain. An example of the split of upper class and working class can be found on page six when Sheila asks the Inspector about Eva Smith's death and Mrs. Birling says, "I don't suppose for a moment we can understand why that girl committed suicide. Girls of that class…" This wasn't just Mrs. Birlings view on the poor but also most of the upper classes too. Mr. Birling's view on the working class didn't differ much to his wives.
Priestley invented the Inspector as a representative of socialism come to sort out capitalism and the problems it caused for others. Priestley uses the Inspector to convey socialist views.
After studying the play in this essay, J.B Priestley uses the social and political climate of the day, the class system, the Inspector and many techniques and devices to put his socialist views across in his play. Also Priestley gives us the idea that none of this would've had come to light if the girl hadn't of committed suicide. The play is also like a test in the way that the Birlings have to keep taking it until they learn their lesson.
If I were directing the first scene from the "Inspector Calls" play I would keep most of the objects that are instructed inside the book by J.B. Priestly but add or change some of them. I will keep the stage the same because it symbolises how the family is, "The dining-room of a fairly large suburban house," "good solid furniture" this shows that they are or they think they are a high-class family. I will add a piano because even if the family can't play the piano it shows that the family are posh. A long dining table because the longer the table it will show that the Birlings have many visitors, it will make them very important and probably famous. I will add a grandfather clock to show that they are a high-class family.
When the Inspector arrives I would make him pause in the door way for a while so that the audience can try to understand him. He will be wearing a black suit with a long beige coat on top and a matching large hat that shadows his eyes as he will be looking down. As soon as he enters he will look up to reveal his expressionless face and look directly at the other characters showing he means business. The inspector will be about 6 foot in height to go with his domineering personality. His posture will be very straight and stiff.
When Mr. Birling invites the inspector to sit down, “Sit down Inspector” he will take big strides towards the chair. The first words he will say are, “Mr Birling?” These words will be said quite slowly, loud and clear to show he has authority. When he is offered port by Mr. Birling he will refuse it by shaking his head once and saying “No Thank you.” I will keep directing him to show his mysterious by making him have this same attitude throughout the play.
