Birling being a Capitalist is arrogant and ignorant. Capitalists aim for a profit, and Birling shows this by saying “for lower costs and higher prices”
The sharp ring of the doorbell is effective as it makes the audience eager and keen to find out who is at the door and what they want. The door bell signifies a dramatic twist which leaves the characters confused and worried. The mood goes from being happy to nervous worried.
The entrance of Inspector Goole baffles the Birling family, as they don’t have a clue what he could want with them. The audience is left reeling, wanting to know what the Inspector could want, they are also left feeling very eager. The inspector represents a change in the mood and a change in events. He also represents the beginning of a very long eventful evening.
Mr Birling is a capitalist, which is very arrogant and selfish, and shows this by claiming “well it’s my duty to keep labour costs down”. All because Eva Smith wanted a pay rise and went on strike. He sacked her for wanting a few shillings more.
Sheila is a very caring yet jealous young girl. She shows how the upper class take advantage of their power. When the Inspector said that “in fact in a kind of way, you might be said to have been jealous of her” to which Sheila replies “yes, I suppose so.” Talking about why Sheila got Eva Smith sacked from Millwards.
Gerald is a charming upper class young man that takes advantage of lower class women. He is also a cheat and rather arrogant. He seduced Eva Smith and took advantage of her and we know that because he said “I became the most important person in her life- you- understand?”
Mrs Birling comes across as being very stubborn and arrogant, she is also prejudice and heartless. She is heartless because to back up why she refused to help Eva Smith she says “Yes, I think it was simply a piece of gross impertinence-quite deliberate- and naturally that was one of the things that prejudiced me against her case.” So Mrs Birling admits she is prejudicing as well as showing she is heartless.
Eric is the honest one, even though he raped Eva Smith, stole money from his father to help Eva and is abit of a drunk. He admitted what he did and is prepared to face the consequences. He loses his temper with his mother when he finds out what she did, he blasts her by shouting “Then- you killed her. She came to you to protect me- and you turned her away- yes, and you killed her- and the child she’d have had too- my child- your own grandchild- you killed them both- damn you damn you-“. Even though he raped her and admitted it, his mother finished Eva off, so he is right in a way to rap her in this way.
To build up tension throughout questioning, the Inspector takes each member aside one by one and shows them a picture of “Eva Smith”. Whether the picture is of the same person is unknown, but the picture pf “Eva Smith” upset =s and disturbs the family whilst being questioned.
The Inspector’s passionate speech acts as a climax to his very strong beliefs, which represents the socialist beliefs of Priestley, writing at the time of war, when people would be conscious of the ideas between socialism and capitalism.
“But just 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 and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all interwined with our lives, and we think and say and do. We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for eachother. 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”
The point of this speech is that we should all work together, help eachother and look out for one another. If we don’t we will learn our lesson through war.
When the Inspector leaves, the Birling family discover that he wasn’t an Inspector at all, he was as imposter. Who he really is, is unknown however.
The ending is important, as Gerald phones the infirmary to discover that no Eva Smith has been brought in, and that know one has for months. Shortly after he hangs up, the infirmary phone him back to say someone has just been brought in, after drinking disinfectant, which is how Eva Smith “died”.
Sheila and Eric have learned from the Inspector, however the rest of the family don’t seem to have learned a thing.
At the end of the play hope is offered to everyone to treat others how they would like to be treated, to prevent awful things like suicide happening.
