Inspector Goole represents the social change in Britain during the era when the play is set. The name Goole sounds very sly and mysterious meaning he could be anybody. Goole is very stern and intelligent. When he says ‘I’m on duty’ after being offered a drink, it shows he is serious and has a job to do. He is also clever enough to foresee Birling trying to become friendly with him after initially showing an air of hostility. The inspector knows his facts, and makes the Birlings aware of him. Sheila says ‘Why you fool – he knows.’ He is controlling the Birlings in their own home and uses various inquisitive questions and worrying comments to gain the psychological edge over the Birlings. The Inspector has to be metaphorically big to represent the force of socialism and it standing up to capitalism. When the inspector enters, the first image the audience gets of him is one of ‘massiveness, solidity and purposefulness’. Priestley creates quite a daunting image in the audiences’ mind, and one that means business, a good representation of socialism. Gradually, throughout act 1, Goole works to gain control over the Birlings. This has both a literal and metaphorical significance. When Goole is ‘looking steadily and searchingly at them,’ we see that the Inspector has control over the family in their own home. In the bigger picture this represents socialism gaining control over capitalism. Goole shows the Birlings that social justice is a necessity. It represents what was happening on a much grander scale – the labour party were rising up against conservatives and is also a tool for Priestley to show his support for social justice for the working classes becoming more active in society.
Eva Smith’s character is employed by Priestley to portray the miserable and laborious lives of the working class citizens. The name ‘Smith’ was the most common surname in England at the time it is used to highlight the fact that Eva Smith was just another name; just another face and she could have been anyone. Birling exploits Eva, just like he exploits all of his other working class girls. However, Eva shows her spirit at times, such as when she helps lead a protest for higher wages. Although she was sacked, Priestley used this to display the fact that socialism was in the background and if more and more people like Eva stood up for social justice then the capitalists would have to listen. Birling squashes Eva to show what would happen to anybody rebelling against his ‘lower costs, higher prices’ slogan. To him, Eva was just another ‘crank’. Priestley however presents Eva as the direct opposite to Birling because he was a capitalist, and she was a socialist. Priestley makes his audience like Eva because she ‘had been pretty’ and was described to have ‘no money coming in’ and was also very lonely. Priestley uses this description of a promising young life gone to waste to guide the audience to supporting socialism, which he was a follower of himself. During the ‘chain of events’ that led to Eva’s death, none of the Birling family took a moment to consider the consequences of their actions toward her. In the big picture, it represents the fact that none of the rich capitalists care to think what would happen to their workers in the long run. Eva Smith’s character is used by Priestley to show the audience how the working classes had to live, with no money, loneliness and how most of the upper classes would look down on them, not caring what happened to these ‘cranks’, who were really, promising young people who should have had a bright looking life ahead of them.
Around 1912, social class was very important to just about everybody. Arthur Birling was no exception, he is a rich middle-class man but the man his daughter is marrying is in a higher class. He tries to impress Gerald Croft using the port they are drinking and his chance of being given a knighthood because he wants to climb the social ladder. Gerald and Sheila marrying is a chance for Birling to climb up another step on this ladder, and well allow for more profit and expansion of his business. Due to the fact that the Birling family are in a higher social class, they felt that they could do no wrong and hence dismissed the claim they could have even a small amount of responsibility to Eva committing suicide, without hearing a word of evidence or answering a single question.
The reality of the time was that the working classes had no power, and capitalist like Birling dominate them, showing extremely little, or no social justice. The Inspector points this fact out to the entire Birling family and tells them that they must change, just as socialists were telling the capitalists that they must change or face the consequences of their actions.
There is only one set for ‘An Inspector Calls’, and that is the Birling household. The Birling family come across as very happy, and united in their following of capitalism. However we see during act 1, that they are actually very different and have conflicts among themselves. Sheila Birling is about to marry Gerald Croft, who she seems to be very possessive and somewhat suspicious over. She is a spoilt child and is severely overindulged and over privileged. However when the inspector gets across his message about the need for change, Sheila changes and actually shows her caring side. She says, “these girls aren’t cheap labour, they’re people.” Also, she is quite rebellious because when her mother tells her that a woman’s place is n the home, and that she will just have to accept that, she replies ‘I don’t believe I will.’ Sheila is one of the next capitalists in line and her attitude, in comparison to her fathers, shows the fact that the next set of capitalists inline are changing and things are no longer going to be the same. Eric Birling is quite liable to say anything during act 1 because he is drunk, and in fact, has a drink problem, which his parents don’t see because they don’t want to. It is another example of the Birlings being blind to the realities in their lives. Eric is proud to be a Birling, but does not really like his father, who rules and keeps the family in order. The Inspector, along with his alcohol intake gives Eric the confidence to speak out against his father. Eric, like Sheila is one of the next in line as far as capitalist bosses go, and he too shows that he does care about the working classes when he tells his father that he should have ‘let her stay’ and once again shows the change which is coming about both in the Birling residence and in the greater picture. It seems as though Eric as guilty secrets, and although the inspector gives him the chance to speak out against his father, it also scares him. Goole intimidates the whole Birling family using very worrying comments, and a series of inquisitive questions. Eric uses the alcohol to try and escape the Inspectors questioning. He is scared of what will happen during his “turn”.
Gerald is soon to become one of the Birlings, or so it seems. His engagement is seen as a business deal and a step up in the social hierarchy to the Birlings. He hints at scandal at the start of the scene when he plays down the fact he barely saw his wife-to-be during the whole of the last summer. The fact that power, rank, status and wealth are all things which Gerald has, doesn’t bother the Inspector because its all of these things which have led to the imbalance in society which has led to Eva’s death in the first place. Gerald also has secrets, he chooses not to tell the inspector about his affair with Eva (Daisy Renton) and shows how people with power would use working class girls for sex. Priestly uses Gerald to highlight another fact about capitalists – the fact they abuse young working class girls, because they simply have the power to do so.
The arrival of the inspector at the Birling residence is a very significant event, both literally and metaphorically. He knocks at the door, which signifies a change in the life of the Birling family and a change for capitalists everywhere in England. The timing of the Inspectors call also holds significance as it is during the middle of another pompous speech by Birling. This is a metaphor for the immediate interruption by socialism against capitalism. It also highlights one of the inspector’s key messages – that the Birlings and all capitalists must change, and fast. The inspector’s abrupt arrival to the Birling household is used by Priestley to highlight the rapid change which took place as socialism came knocking at capitalisms door.
