Furthermore, we learn that the Inspector has authority when he states:
“One person and one line of inquiry at a time. Otherwise, there’s a muddle.”
Likewise, the Inspector is shown yet again with more authority after he gives permission to Gerald to be dismissed from the interrogation of Eva Smith for sometime:
“(Inspector) Go where? Home?
(Gerald)… If you don’t mind. I’ll come back.
(Inspector) All right, Mr. Croft.”
In addition, we discover that the character is respecting the authority of the Inspector. Another example of the characters respecting Goole’s authority by asking permission to leave is put through when Eric requests to withdraw from the whole situation dealing with Eva Smiths case, but the Inspector refuses.
“(Eric)…I think I’d turn in.
(Inspector) And I think you’d better stay here.”
Similarly, Inspector Goole prepares Mrs. Birling to slip into a trap that she moulds with her own two hands. We identify this foolish act of Sybil, during the conversation between herself and the Inspector.
“(Mrs.Birling) Then he'd be entirely responsible-because the girl wouldn't have come to us, and have been refused assistance, if it hadn't been for him-
(Inspector) So he's the chief culprit anyhow.
(Mrs.Birling) Certainly. And he ought to be dealt with very severely.
(Sheila) (with sudden alarm) Mother-stop-stop!...
(Mrs.Birling) And if you'd...make sure that he's compelled to confess in public his responsibility...then you really would be doing your duty.”
As an audience, we know that Sheila is silencing her mother from uttering anything else, because she is aware of the culprit who compelled Eva Smith towards committing suicide, and she knows that such questions asked by the Inspector will only lead to regrets in the end.
Walking further into the conversation, as an audience we are able to predict who the culprit maybe, because it becomes transparent to us when the Inspector says:
“...I'm waiting.
(Mrs.Birling) Waiting for what?
(Inspector) To do my duty.”
From the stage directions earlier on, we know that all the characters, except Eric are present in the Birlings house. This fires hints at us that Goole is waiting for Eric to come back, so he can fulfil his duty properly, the way Mrs.Birling instructed him to. This also shows that the Inspector is aware of the tiniest bit of history ever connected with each individual.
“(Mrs.Birling) (understanding now) But surely...I mean...it's ridiculous...
(Mr.Birling) (terrified now) Look Inspector, you're not trying to tell us that-that my boy-is mixed up in this-?
Finally Sybil expresses recognition of who the irresponsible one was, and it's none other than her own son, Eric. We become aware of the fact that the Inspector embodies a character from whom nothing can hide.
A further function of the Inspector is revealed wile he pressures people to change and learn from their mistakes. One example which stresses how one's behaviour can affect others is shown when:
“(distressed) I went to the manager at Milwards and told him that if they didn't get rid of that girl, I'd never go near the place again and I'd persuade mother to close our account with them...Because I was in a furious temper.
(Inspector) And was it the girls fault?
(Sheila) No, not really. It was my own fault.”
The Inspector goes forth to teach Sheila that her sullen mood and sourness has been the reason for Eva Smiths removal from Milwards and that was partially the reason for her suicide. The Inspector repeatedly uses emotive language to lead Sheila to know how her hotheadedness affected Eva and push her remorselessly towards suicide:
“It was the last real steady job she had. When she lost it...-she decided she might as well try another kind of life.”
Although the characters don't alter their ways instantly, the Inspector certainly makes them perceive their misdeeds, confess and feel guilty. These are the few quotations which show us, as an audience, the extent to Sheila's guilt:
“(...she almost breaks down, but just controls herself) How could I know what would happen afterwards?”
The stage directions massively convey the message of how ear-splitting the truth is tot her Sheila about her being a moral criminal:
“Its the only time I've ever done anything like that, and I'll never, never do it to anybody.”
The repetition(never,never) in this quote states that Sheila is in true regret and accepts responsibility for her actions.
“...I know I'm to blame...it's simply my fault that in the end she...committed suicide.”
As an audience, we discover that Sheila has transformed massively through the Inspectors revelations.
Crawling deeper into the play, we detect another function of the Inspector, which he treasures until the end and displays it as his final speech.
The Inspector shows the act of righteousness to Birling by delivering an extremely dynamic and weighty phrase.
“(Birling)...If you don't come down sharply on some of these people, they'd soon be asking for the earth.
(Inspector)...But after all it's better to ask for the earth than to take it.”
The impact of this on the audience is immediate, because the Inspector defines a huge message of morality and value, in such simple words. This statement shares an act of virtuousness with the audience, which explains the ways of a socialist. The phrase has a dramatic effect on the characters and audience, because it avoids confusion.
Goole uses his jewel tool, the final speech, near the end of the play because it's the ultimate key to unlock the characters capitalist ways and force them to reform for the better of themselves and their society, by making them accept responsibility for their actions and the people in their community. The Inspector unveils his speech with a direct start.
“But just remember this.”
As Goole proceeds with his speech, he unfolds countless potent statements.
“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.”
Placing repetition(millions and million and million) in this speech, Goole emphasises and stresses the amount of people who are still living under ghastly conditions.
“Their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, with what we think and say and do.”
Using the Inspector as his mouthpiece, Priestley separates the rich and the poor by adding 'their' and 'our' in his speech. By stressing the two personal pronouns he makes us feel that we need to help them, and as an audience we feel involved with involved with the speech because it has an psychological affect. We feel like an interactive part of the play rather than the spectator himself. In addition, the personal pronouns implicate that the poor don't wallow in sybaritic splendour, therefore they need the people's help.
Similarly, by including contrasting pairs like 'hopes' and 'fears' and 'suffering' and 'happiness', as an audience we become more aware for the need of the positive. Moreover, it highlights the good in comparison to the bad, by making it stand out. It is psychologically proved that a series of three repetitions settles with the audience. By stationing the term 'intertwined' within this sentence, the speech attains more power, influence and potential to do superior deeds. It indicates that if one thread(signifying a person) is pulled out from it's place then it all(symbolising the society) becomes unravelled.
“We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”
Once again, Priestley uses personal pronouns to include the audience in his vision. By situating the speech into a religious context, it becomes exceedingly deep, profound and serious.
“And I tell you 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.”
Once again, the insertion of three repetitions will stay with the audience. Planting 'I' amongst the Inspector's speech, Priestley makes it more believable and serious, because it builds on the impression that Goole is an extremely sagacious individual with immeasurable authority. We accept that the Inspector is in charge as soon as he utters 'I'. 'Fire, blood and anguish' are samples of emotive language. Priestley uses them to intrigue the audience emotionally. The audience of 1946 would've been particularly affected, because memories of World War Two were still vivid and fresh.
“Good night.”
Priestley wraps up the speech with a direct finish, leaving the audience to think and hopefully implement his message. The effect of the speech on the characters on stage is exposed through the stage directioning itself.
“Sheila is still quietly crying. Mrs.Birling has collapsed into a chair. Eric is brooding desperately. Birling...moves hesitantly..., stops, looks gloomily at the other three, then pours himself out a drink, which he hastily swallows.”
This shows that the characters are shaken by the Inspectors speech, because he has adumbrated the future's outcome, if their capitalist ways are not abolished. A similar affect overcomes the audience.
Priestley illustrates another function of the Inspector by applying him as a dramatic device.
Priestley uses this tool to move the plot ahead, and to convey a message. Priestley shifts the plot further by making each character confess and utter things that the audience or the family are not aware of.
“(Mrs.Birling) (shocked) Eric! You stole money?”
This supports Priestley by helping him keep the audience intact or interested, because it builds tension, conflict and friction.
Along with that, Priestley transmits a message through the Inspector, by using him as his mouthpiece, to voice his views about socialism. After Goole exits the stage, The Birlings and Gerald Croft are left uncertain of what awaits them in the near future. From this anxiety that brews within the characters mind, Priestley uses the Inspector to extract and exploit the reactions of the Birlings.
“(Mrs.Birling)...There's every excuse for what both your mother and I did-it turned out unfortunately, that's all.”
This shows that Arthur is still refusing to take responsibility.
“(Sheila) Well he inspected us all right. And don't lets start dodging and pretending now. Between us we drove that girl to commit suicide.”
This is an example of collective responsibility; Sheila is not just accusing herself, but claims that everyone is to blame.
Sheila expresses that she accepts responsibility for her actions throughout the play.
“So nothing really happened. So there's nothing to be sorry for, nothing to learn.”
During this scene, Sheila embodies sarcasm to express her anger with her parents who are still refusing to take responsibility. The younger Birlings have accepted responsibility, whereas Arthur and Sybil refuse to, therefore this suggests that the future will be brighter, because the younger generation are more impressionable as they're open-minded.
We learn that the characters know that Inspector doesn't exist when Gerald affirms:
“(slowly) That man wasn't a police officer...I met a police sergeant I know down the road...He swore there wasn't any Inspector Goole or anybody like him on the force.”
Immediately after Mr.Birling finds out that the Inspector was unreal, he becomes relieved, because he hopes he will be receiving his knighthood and his reputation is also kept unblemished. We realise this when Arthur says:
“(excitedly) By Jingo! A fake!”
This illustrates that Mr.Birling remains a capitalist and nothing the Inspector mentioned has inspired or influenced him.
Priestley intentionally allowed the characters to suspect Inspector Goole's existence, to help him retrieve them from accepting responsibility for Eva Smiths death. This supported Priestley to maintain the difference between a socialist and capitalist. Above all, Priestley enunciates the desperation for an exceptionally preponderant and prudent community through this. By employing the Inspector as a dramatic device, Priestley was capable of evolving the plot, conducting a moral message and engrossing the audience.
Leaping closer to the end of the play, another function of the Inspector is revealed before us. Priestley uses dramatic irony to expose the issues that are present in a capitalist society, and how they stain capitalism. Priestley alerts the audience to Birling being a bigoted individual by allowing him to declare:
“And I say there isn't a chance of war...And then ships...-the Titanic...unsinkable-absolutely unsinkable...-except of course in Russia, which will always be behindhand naturally.”
After Mr.Birling states this about the future, the audience of 1946 especially would assume that he lacks much knowledge and this implies capitalism to be false, and blemished because the audience are aware of World War Two, the Titanic sinking, and Russia never being behindhand.
“If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we'd had nothing to do with, it would be very awkward.”
Whilst blurting this out, Mr.Birling broadcasts and outlines his views from a capitalists perspective. This also explains the variation between him, as a capitalist and Priestley, as a socialist.
Priestley proves capitalists to be wrong through Mr.Birlings dull and inane observations.
“...people say that war's inevitable. And to that I say-fiddlesticks! The Germans don't want war.”
This clarifies that not everything that capitalists share amongst themselves or with other people (socialists) are polished pieces of data.
“A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own-and.”
“I can't accept any responsibility.”
This shows that he doesn't believe in the concept of society or brotherhood and only cares about himself.
Priestley allows us to gain knowledge about how the pursuit of personal wealth can be destructive, when Birling mentions:
“...If I'd known that earlier, I wouldn't have called you officious and talked about reporting you.”
This portrays Mr.Birling as a selfish individual who is striving to stay on the Inspectors positive side, only because of the fact that if anything is revealed before the public, then he has some protection to erase that blemish on his name. Arthur's yearning for wealth and fame has led him to fall into the lap of destruction, because nothing the Inspector said has changed him for the better or improved his society. Whereas, Eric who submitted a greater sin than Birling, has attained more respect than his father, because he accepts responsibility for his actions.
“(shouting) And I say the girls dead and we all helped to kill her-and that's what matters.”
This portrays Eric as a responsible being, therefore we admire him more than Mr.Birling.
Priestley advertises the need for a better society very effectively through the Inspector. Priestley displays this need by firstly showing us how every being is associated with our life.
“(Inspector)...What happened to her then may have determined what happened to her afterwards, and what happened to her afterwards may have driven her to suicide. A chain of events.”
Mr.Birling decided not to accept Eva Smiths demand, therefore she was compelled to work elsewhere. However, Sheila's decision of removing Eva Smith from Milwards drove Eva Smith into darkness. This explains the link between our lives and others; whatever decision we make may determine the future of another being.
“(Sheila) And it was my fault really that she was so desperate when you first met her.”
This intimates that Sheila has accepted responsibility for her faults. Sheila has realised that her temper at Milwards partially resulted in Eva ending her life.
Priestley expresses the need for a better society, via the Inspector.
“One Eva Smith has gone-but there are millions and millions...of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, all intertwined with our lives,...what we think and say and do...the time will soon come when if men will not learn that lesson,...they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.”
Priestley shows us how our lives are connected by using the term 'intertwined'. He attempts to disturb a 'superior' society, by informing them (and us) of the consequences that will result if the society doesn't improve. Priestley stresses this need, countless times throughout the play; sometimes by disclosing the flaws of capitalists that make capitalism imperfect, and other times by sharing the consequences of having an imperfect society.
Although the society we dwell in today has improved enormously since 1946, J.B Priestley’s 'An Inspector Calls' still shares a similar message of moral values with our community. This is because sexism, racism, and several other '-ism' fields like these still remain amongst today's community.
Priestley distances the characters who accept responsibility from the characters who don't.
Mr and Mrs.Birling and Gerald Croft refuse to take responsibility once they discover that the Inspector is a 'ghoul'! On the other hand, Sheila and Eric both accept responsibility for their actions, despite the Inspector being illusive.
“I behaved badly too. I know I did. I'm ashamed of it...so nothing really happened so there's nothing to be sorry for, nothing to learn.”
This shows that Sheila is taking responsibility for her actions and is being sarcastic with her parents because she is infuriated with them for not doing the same.
“(Eric)...the fact remains that I did what I did. And mother did what she did. And the rest of you did what you did to her...It's what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters. And I still feel the same about it...”
This is an example of collective responsibility; Eric is accusing everyone for Eva's murder, and not just himself, although the other's refuse to take responsibility and Eric admits his crime.
As the Inspector mentioned earlier on in the play:
“We often do on the young one's. They're more impressionable.”
We believe this because Sheila and Eric, both being of the younger generation, have been influenced more, because they're open-minded. This implies that the future of our society will be more appropriate and sharpened, because the upcoming generation have a greater impact as they prove to be efficacious.
Priestley expresses the need for a better society, by highlighting the flaws of capitalism. He divides the characters who have reformed their ways, from the characters who still remain capitalists. Sheila and Eric relinquish after their numerous attempts to convince their parents to accept responsibility for their actions. Priestley expresses this message of how the younger generation are more impressionable by reforming Sheila and Eric throughout the play. This declares that the society we inhabit today, will gradually improve and our community will eventually become more influenced by socialism.
As a representative of the audience, I believe that Priestley has elevated my knowledge on the need for a better society, by making the consequences of the sole pursuit of personal wealth, extremely prominent.
'An Inspector Calls' is a play which is relevant to audiences of the twenty-first century, because although our society has improved incredibly since 1946, it still consists of some fields of '-ism'.
In conclusion, Priestley has successfully established his message of certain moral values to his audience, through the Inspector's image and his powerful language.
Lucky Boparai-10H
