Mr Birling: “They wanted the rates raised so that they could average
About twenty-five shillings a week. I refused, of course.”
Inspector: “Why?”
Look how he simply says why and then the out rage Mr Birling goes in to. He says:
Mr Birling: “(surprised) Did you say “Why?”?
Inspector: “Yes. Why did you refuse?”
Look at the simplicity used this is where we doubt the fact of him being an inspector, it just concludes to the point that in that period of time rich people had connections with the police however this time is not so successful. Also the next point it shows how the inspector dominates Mr Birling. Mr Birling having such a high status and the inspector an ordinary person.
Mr Birling: “Well, inspector, I don’t see that it’s any concern
Of yours how I choose to run my business. Is it now?”
Inspector: “It might be you, know.”
In reality the inspector could not have interfered with Mr Birling or asked him such a question so we can see the domination of the inspector on Mr Birling and the stress that is being caused on Mr Birling and that just in a matter of minutes. The argument continues as Mr Birling keeps on losing.
If we look on page sixteen we can doubt him actually being a police officer. It is where Mr Birling starts to warn the inspector that he plays golf with the chief constable, Colonel Roberts.
Mr Birling: “We play golf together sometimes up at the west Brumley.”
Inspector: “I don’t play golf”
So this tells us that he does not play golf and probably all the real inspectors play golf.
The next example from the story shows the power, the domination the firmness in the inspector against Mr Birling. This is when Sheila, Mr Birlings daughter comes into the room. Mr Birling thinking the investigation is over thinks the inspector is ready to go thinking he was justified to fire Eva Smith because she rightfully wanted a pay rise however this does not happen.
Mr Birling: “We shall be along in a minute now.”
Inspector: “I am afraid not.”
Mr Birling: “There’s nothing else, you know. I’ve just told you that.”
So we can see the amount of pressure on Mr Birling and the calmness of the inspector.
The character that has just entered the room Sheila is also an important person because the inspector figures out the personality, more caring and then uses harsh words however in a kind way to get everything out of Sheila. Sheila is rather soft hearted and cries when she sees the photo when the inspector produces it. She feels the guilt of the inconvenience that she caused for Eva Smith. The inspector is very successful with Sheila to make her see the consequences of her actions, which also lead to Eva Smiths death. We will learn how the inspector examines this sympathetic character and how she reacts.
The inspector first recognises the sympathy when Sheila wants to know what is happening on page 17.
Sheila: “What business? What’s happening?”
Inspector: “…..This afternoon a young woman drank some disinfectant and died
after several hours of agony, tonight in the infirmary”.
Sheila: “Oh- how horrible! Was it an accident?”
If we look at Sheila’s sentence it tells us that she is worried and from this sentence we can tell a lot of Sheila’s character that she is caring and she is particularly worried about this girl already. If we also notice that the inspector is over exaggerating about the girls death exactly what he did with Mr Birling but it did not effect him however he has done the same thing with Sheila but has recognised that it effects her very much and we will learn as I continue to write the essay.
The next example we are going to look at is also on page 17. This example is very important because the inspector is further going to explain about the girl’s death. This is an advantage that I feel that the inspector is taking first the evening itself was an evening which consisted of Sheila’s engagement with Gerald, and also the inspector also knows that she is sympathetic so this is very good because the inspector knows that Sheila is very soft hearted. The inspector also tells Sheila in a way that it was her father who started the slow painful death of the innocent girl. This strikes of Mr Birling who thinks he is so great.
Inspector: “…She wanted to end her life. She felt she couldn’t go any longer.”
Mr Birling: “Well, don’t tell me that’s because I discharged her from my
employment nearly two years ago.”
Know the inspector has used his intelligence because this strikes of Sheila who is very caring.
Sheila: “(Rather distressed) Sorry! It’s just that I can’t help thinking about this girl-
destroying herself so horribly- and I’ve been so happy tonight. Oh I wish
you hadn’t told me. What was she like? Quite young?”
Know the inspector uses his clever techniques to investigate. He then further goes on to explain the characteristics of Eva Smith.
Inspector: “Yes. Twenty-four.”
Sheila: “Pretty?”
Inspector: “She wasn’t pretty when I saw her today, but she had been pretty –
very pretty.”
This is an exaggerating description that he is giving. This also implies if we look at this sentence carefully that he is not an inspector because it seems like to me if he knew Eva or he could have picked up her diary at the infirmary and took petty on her and decided to become an inspector. And we can tell that he is over describing because Mr Birling also notices, “That’s enough of that”.
The inspector as I have said is very good at dominating the rich family and he has done so because as he has won every kind of argument so far. The next part where he gets Sheila is where he starts to say that Eva then got a job at Milwards. This is also another clever technique of investigation used by the inspector because he knows that Sheila is a frequent shopper at Milwards. This strikes of Sheila.
Sheila: “Mlwards! We go there – in fact, I was there this after noon….”
So we can see already the cleverness of the inspector. We can know see the power of the inspector. He is leading her into her self realising who the girl is. Sheila being really anxious to find out about this girl anyway then asks for the girl photo. Again the clever inspector uses his intelligence. He only shows her a photo, in a corner of the room, and only to her. This could mean that the inspector could be showing any old photo to her. When Sheila looks at the photo she cries out aloud and goes out of the room. We then later learn later in the story that the inspector is told by Sheila and to the whole family that she was in Milwards and got angry of Eva because she was trying on this dress, which her mother never liked. Sheila then thought that Eva was laughing on her and she complained and Sheila was sacked.
This then concludes to the next character being closely examined by the inspector. This is Gerald. Gerald is also effected by the death of this girl deeply because he does not know who Eva Smith is. In reality he was not that really bothered about the girl right at the beginning of the story but when the inspector mentions that Eva Smith left Milwards and changed her name to Daisy Renton strikes of Gerald. The inspector is also successful in investigating Gerald because Gerald knows after Sheila realises that the inspector now’s everything so there is not much point in hiding anything. However the inspector is still the most predominant in the whole of the play and still uses his techniques of investigation.
Inspector: “So first she changed her name to Daisy Renton-“
Gerald: “(Startled) What?”
Inspector: “I said she changed her name to Daisy Renton.”
Gerald: “D’you mind if I give myself a drink.”
Know the inspector leaves the room. We know why he has done this because he knows that Sheila is going to ask Gerald why on earth did he react on the name. She is very curious of Gerald especially that they have got engaged. So the inspector knows what is going to happen, an argument. He just makes up an excuse that know he wants to see Mr Birling. This tells us that the inspector has got the power because he has just caused an argument between two members of the family.
I feel that the inspector himself should be discussed this is because the inspector is the main character in the whole play, because he is the one who is investigating the family. Through out the play so far the inspector has remained entirely in control of the investigation. He has never lost the investigation or has been beaten even when Mr Birling tried he could not achieve it. As we will continue with the essay we will learn that only Sheila has realised the inspector knows about every one in the family that they are a contributor to her death.
Sheila: “Why – you fool – he knows. Of course he knows. And I hate to think how
much he knows that we don’t know yet. You’ll see. You’ll see.”
This is an important sentence because I feel it sort of concludes to the play it self. This is because he does know everything about each family member hence him staying on when Mr Birling thought that he had finished the investigation.
Gerald even listening to Sheila’s advice tries to manipulate the inspector but is not successful in doing it. Even Sheila goes against Gerald in a way.
Gerald: “Where did you get the idea that I did know her?”
Sheila: “Its no use, Gerald. You’re wasting time.”
This also proves my point that Sheila knows that the inspector knows everything about each of the family and she is telling Gerald to hurry up, probably because she knows that other family members still have to be investigated. Gerald then tells the whole incident to the inspector. It’s like a continuous cycle with the Birlings they always end up telling the inspector there whole story and how they dealt with Eva Smith. However compared to every other character such as Mr Birling Gerald had the best time with Eva Smith, helped her out and cared for her quite a lot.
Gerald: “So I insisted on Daisy moving into those rooms and I made her take
some money to keep her going there.”
There are two more people to be inspected by the inspector. Those are Eric and Mrs Birling. Mrs Birling is a character who thinks extremely high of her self; I personally would not blame her because she has got a very rich husband. However I feel she is not a very nice character at all. She cares for her self quite a lot and only her family. She is investigated by the inspector very aggressively in language but is tricked into a belief that she has said but not realising that it is in her family. She feels that she has beaten the inspector but is found dumb founded at the end. I also feel when she starts in the play she is also trying to show of her husbands political powers.
Mrs Birling: “You know of course that my husband was lord mayor only two years
ago and that’s he’s still a magistrate”
There is also a point to be considered. Mrs Birling was in the scenes when Gerald was being inspected. Sheila who has figured out that the inspector knows everything is trying to tell her mother but is not successful obviously because she thinks high of herself and thinks that she cannot be wrong. On page 29 is the perfect example where Sheila is trying to tell her mother that she should not say anything because she will regret it afterwards but she does not bother to listen.
Sheila: “And I am afraid you’ll say or do something that you’ll be sorry for
afterwards”.
Mrs Birling: “ I don’t know what you are talking about Sheila.”
Sheila: “ We all started like that – so confident, so pleased with ourselves until
he began asking us questions.”
So she even hints out to her mother the power of the inspector in simple words but her mother does not listen. Another example on page 30 is even a better one. Sheila is trying to explain the actual power of the inspector by using an example. We should already know that Mrs Birling already knows why the inspector is here because her husband has told her when he left the room back in act one.
Mrs Birling: “ …..I don’t suppose for a moment that we can understand why the
girl commited suicide. Girls of that class.”
Sheila: “ You mustn’t try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl. If you
do then the inspector will just break it down. And it will be all the worse
when he does.”
Here we actually see the example of the wall being used by Mrs Birlings daughter
however she still ignores the advice of her own daughter and is found dumb at the end of the play. The actual technique of investigation from the inspector on to Mrs Birling is quite tough. The inspector starts of by asking where Mr Birling is, then the rest of the conversation between the inspector and Mrs Birling continues.
Inspector: “ Yes. Now what about Mr Birling.”
Mrs Birling: “He’s coming back in a moment. He’s just talking to my son, Eric,
who seems to be in an excitable mood”
Inspector: “ What’s the matter with him?”
Mrs Birling: “ Eric? Oh – I am afraid he may have had rather too much to
drink tonight. We were having a little celebration here-“
Inspector: “ Isn’t he used to drinking? ”
This is where the inspector is beginning to start of the temper in Mrs Birling. I mean at Eric’s age you were aloud to drink anyway and if you are rich then you wouldn’t be needed to ask if or how much do you drink etc. The rest of the conversation is on page 32 where Sheila takes the side of the inspector. She tells her mother that Eric is a heavy drinker, which surprises Mrs Birling.
The next part is where Mrs Birling tries to toughen herself up against the inspector yet still is very unsuccessful. It is about the photo that the inspector showed Sheila. This part could prove my point which I mentioned before that the photo that he showed to Sheila is not necessary to be the same one that he shows any other person in the family. This is because on page 40 when Gerald leaves the house Sheila asks, “ You know, you never showed him the photograph of her” and he replies in basic terms that it was not necessary to do so. This could mean he could have different photos.
On the last sentence on page 40 Mrs Birling demands a photo of the girl. The rest of the conversation is made direct with the inspector and Mrs Birling. The best argument between the couple is in the middle of the page, where the inspector really does get on the nerves of Mrs Birling.
Inspector: “ You’re not telling me the truth.”
Mrs Birling: “ I beg you’re pardon.”
Mr Birling: “ Look here, I’m not going to have this, inspector. You’ll apologise at
once.”
Inspector: “ Apologise for what – doing my duty? ”
Know we can see the power, the domination of the inspector. He has spoken against the Birlings, which they could have never dreamt about. The conversation then continues onto the subject on where Mrs Birling works. So we can see that he is bringing her around on a trap cycle where she will get caught and regret it. Mrs Birling then argues on the fact that when Eva Smith came for help because she was pregnant she had called herself Mrs Birling, which made her very angry.
Mrs Birling: “ Yes I think it was quite deliberate and naturally that was one of the
things that prejudiced me against her case. “
The inspector gets tougher as he speaks and Mrs Birling weaker as she is forced out the answers. This next part is the main part. The inspector again has used his intelligence and has brought Mrs Birling to her own sense that it was her own son who made that girl pregnant and it was her who refused the help which eventually killed the girl. Even when Sheila tried to warn her mother that don’t say anything that you will regret which she has just said, “ Certainly. And he ought to be dealt with very severely “, these are the exact words used by Mrs Birling. So in reality he has got her out because when Mrs Birling thinks she has successfully finished the investigation the inspector says, “ Not yet. I’m waiting. “ This gets Mrs Birling and she feels like as if she has been stabbed, “ But Surely…I mean…it’s ridiculous….” This means that she is left dumb founded.
Again the inspector has beaten one person again who really thought that they had beaten the inspector but failed extremely.
Eric is rather young and enjoys life in his rich fashion ways. We will learn quite a lot about his character especially how he deals with Eva Smith. However I feel after reading the play Eric realises his mistakes. We will also learn how the inspector inspects him.
As we have looked at the previous characters so far we have come to a conclusion that they have all given up to the inspector, even if trying to win there way out or just simply giving up. This tells that the inspector has had absolute power so far in the rich family. This is what also happens to Eric. Eric has come back in from outside and soon as he comes in he just says, “ You know, don’t you? .“ He has given up already even before the inspector has spoken. This just tells us the power of the police inspector. Eric then tells how he spent his period with Eva and how he made her pregnant. The only part of the investigation when the inspector is dealing with Eric is when he turns Eric against his mother and they have an argument.
Eric: “ Yes and you killed her…your own grandchild, damn you, damn you “
This is what he said to his mother. We can see that the inspector has turned a mothers child against the mother, which also tells us the power of the inspector. At the end of the play we learn that the inspector is not a real inspector and Mr Birling is trying to cover up the scene with Eric and Eva, and worrying about the press which shows us that he is not effected by the death and is only worried if something could go wrong. Right at the end of the play when the inspector has left they are all left dumb founded because of this speech that the inspector give which is on page 56. We should also raise the point that he mentions a point, which concerns the World War 2.
Inspector: “ 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. “
This taught us a lesson because at the end we did not care for other people and that lead to an unfortunate world war this was the same for Eva but the Birlings being so rich nothing could have happened.
I have explained everything I can fully to my best. I have explained how the inspector investigates and how the characters are in this play.
