How does Priestley present Inspector Goole in Inspector Calls

Priestly presents Goole as not a big man, but in his air he has something that makes it seem he has authority over others, even the capitolist Mr. Birling:

“The inspector need not be a big man but he creates at once the impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefullness.”

This quote shows that he has a power over people that makes him manipulate them into giving him or telling him what he wants to hear. Giving this auror about himself he doesn’t need to say a lot to get information either, in the play everyone gives their stories to him rather willingly with out the inspector forcing them.

Priestley makes Goole the complete oposite of Mr. and Mrs. Birling:

Mrs B .“First, she called herself Mrs. Birling-

Mr B     Mrs. Birling!

Mrs. B  Yes, I think it was simply a piece of gross impertinence-quite                                                           diliberate-and naturally that was one of the things that prejudice me against her case.

Mr. B    I should think so! Damned impudence!

IG         You admit being prejudice against her case?

Mrs B    Yes

Sheila   Mother, she’s just died a horrible death - don’t forget

Mrs. B   I’m very sorry. But I think she had only herself to blame.

This converation between them represents how inferior Mr. and Mrs Birling believe the lower class to be, and how important they think themsleves to be, that they are beyond taking reponsibility,

Goole is an embodiment of Priestleys’ socialist ideology, representing a new era in society, as the younger generation are beginning to see right and wrong for themselves. And Mr. and Mrs.Birling who embody nearly every upper class person and aristocracy with their capitolist views on society and accepting no responsibility.

Priestley also shows that Goole is very didactic:

“Remember this. 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, their hopes, their fears, their sufferings and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and say and do. We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for eachother.

Priestley puts this message into the play through Goole, to the audience aswell as the characters of the ficticous play.

        Writing this in 1945 at the end of the war is significant to Preistleys’ intentions. He wanted to tell people that after two world wars, the classes and society didn’t have to go back to how they were, everyone should have more of a chance to be equal. In the war, poor working class men were fighting alongside rich businessmen in France, and at a time of war, nobody cared. Priestley wanted this to carry on into the future.