On the Inspector’s arrival, Mr and Mrs Birling expect the Inspector to treat then with utmost sincerity and respect. But, Inspector Goole has no time for trivial courtesy and false facades. Upon arrival, Goole takes charge of the situation, and as Priestly notes, “he wasn't a big man but he creates at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness.”
Inspector Goole's dress sets him apart from the Birling's. They are dressed to impress. `All five are in evening dress of the period, the men in tails and white ties, not dinner jackets'. The women wear long formal dresses. The Inspector by contrast is dressed in a `plain darkish suit of the period'. He is dressed smartly but he is not concerned with status and appearance. Both Mr and Mrs Birling treat the Inspector as lower class, they talk down to him in a condescending way, yet he perseveres undaunted with his questioning.
During the investigations, Mr.Birling continues to insist that the sacking of Eva was perfectly justified from his business. Mr. Birling believes life is based on the path of every man for himself, to look after number one, not to care for poor people and to forget about community. Mr.Birling thinks that people like Eva, his former employee of a lower class, do not deserve or are entitled to a good wage like people of their own social status. It is only by the possibility of bringing out a scandal of the Birling’s into the public does the hope of any remorse from the Mr.Birling surface. Mr.Birling attempts to use his status and power to influence the Inspector. He was forever reminding him that he was an ex mayor and a magistrate, and becomes extremely angry when he is accused of being involved with Eva's death.
After rudely dismissing Sheila’s advice for her mother to be quiet and listen to what the Inspector has to say, Mr.Birling says rather grandly, “I realise that you may have to conduct some sort of inquiry, but I must say that so far you seem to be conducting it in a rather peculiar and offensive manner. You know of course that my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago and that he’s still a magistrate-”
When the truth comes out about Eric getting Eva pregnant and stealing money, Mr and Mrs.Birling is more worried about their reputation and what people will say when it gets out, “you've confessed to theft, and now he knows all about it, and he can bring it out at the inquest.” The Birling's are a respectable family, and Mr.Birling wants it to be kept that way. He doesn't think that Eric's problems could be partly his fault and refuses the idea that his drinking problem is a cry for help.
When it turns out that everything could be a hoax. Birling pretends nothing has happened. He hasn't learnt a lesson at all, he thinks if he pretends life is the same and that everything is normal no one will notice anything is wrong. His beliefs have not changed even after he has been shown the terrible consequences of irresponsible, self-centred decisions that stem from ignorance of others.
Mrs.Birling’s reaction is very similar to her husband’s. Both Mr and Mrs Birling are incapable of looking how people’s emotional lives work. Priestly even in the stage notes says how Mr.Birling is a “rather cold woman” and the sense that she has little or no emotional bond with her children is clear.
Mrs.Birling detaches herself from any involvement with Eva’s death, and instead tries to pass off any guilt onto the father of Eva’s pregnancy, “Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.” She carries on to show her small-minded beliefs in saying how Eva had come to The Women’s institute, where she helps out, to ask for help but Mrs.Birling had not believed the girls story, Mrs.Birling comments “She was giving herself ridiculous airs. She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position.” Mrs.Birling persists in her lack of involvement and tries to find a scapegoat, “…I accept no blame for it all… blame the young man who was the father of the child she was going to have, if, as she said didn’t belong t her class, and was some drunken young idler, then that’s all the more reason why he shouldn’t escape. He should be made an example of. If the girl’s death is due to anybody, then it’s due to him.” However, Mrs.Birling has no idea that the father of the child was her son, Eric. Ironically, when it is her own son involved, she begins to take notice of the trouble they have caused between them.
When Mr and Mrs Birling ultimately realise that Inspector Goole is not infact a real inspector, Mrs.Birling expresses her distaste by saying what an awful hoax it was with such bad taste. She pretends she was never once drawn in by it, “I was the only one who didn’t give in to him.” This leads her to reject everything she had begun to learn. Just as it started to sink in that the Birling family, no matter how many airs or how good a glossy visage they put on, they are not secure from the consequences of their actions, these left with the inspector. In the end, Inspector Goole’s visit caused no change in the way Mr and Mrs Birling think.
However, Inspector Goole’s visit had a much different effect on the younger generation of Sheila and Eric.
Sheila has led a sheltered childhood and has never had to face or deal with anything unpleasant in the past. Sheila from the moment she hears of the horrid tale of Eva’s suicide feels guilty and responsible. From when Sheila enters the room and hears of the news her instinctive reaction is at first shocked and sympathetic, and she goes on to become rather distressed and upset about the ordeal the more she learns. She even exclaims against her father’s actions “But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people!” Inspector Goole even tells her not too feel too bad, as it was not only her at fault here. Sheila tries hard to get her family to open their eyes from their fixation with social status and reputation and to take responsibility for their actions too. She is shocked and disgusted at how her mother and father both reject any involvement, and blindly refuse to listen to anything the Inspector has had to say, when they quite obviously are also very much to blame.
After the Inspector leaves, Sheila goes on to say how Mr and Mrs Birling jut go back to the same old views and unjust prejudices “..I suppose we’re all nice people now..” And she feels the Inspector’s visit hasn’t made any difference. Following Eric’s credible words as he says “The money’s not the important thing. It’s what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters. And I still feel the same about it, and that’s why I don’t like sitting down and having a nice cosy talk.” Sheila supports him by saying “..It’s the best thing any of us has said tonight and it makes me feel a bit less ashamed of us. You’re just beginning to pretend all over again.”
The visit has really made Sheila open her eyes and take notice of what really matters. Any prejudices that her parents may have passed down seem to be discarded as Sheila confronts them, “You began to learn something. And now you’ve stopped. You’re ready to go on in the same old way.”
Ironically, with the way the play ends, as the real police turn up at the Birling residence, the members of the family who learnt the first time round, from Inspector Goole may not have such a difficult time in the real enquiry as those members who failed to change their prejudices.
Eric too also from the beginning was prepared to take responsibility. Eric is unhappy with his family life and feels isolated at home as he cannot confide in his parents. His reaction to the tragic news of Eva’s death was “my god!” Eric sees equality in people, standing up to his father about why such people like Eva have every right to protest for higher wages “Well I think it’s a damn shame. Why shouldn’t she try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices. And I don’t see why she should have been sacked just because she’d a bit more spirit than the others. I’d have let her stay.” Eric shows genuine sympathy, even in Act 3 where he explains his involvement with Eva, and when inspector Goole leaves, Eric has taken on board the message Goole aimed to deliver. Eric realises that he must consider the effects our actions have on other people, and supports Sheila in her disgust at their parent’s sustained ignorance. As the tale unfolds and the truths unveiled, we see the once naïve Sheila and Eric grow up and mature to quite an extent.
Gerald on the other hand is affected in a variety of different ways. He is in-between the younger generation of Eric and Sheila and the older generation of Mr and Mrs Birling. Gerald was genuinely very moved by the news of Eva’s death, but at the same time he does not want to dwell on the matter. Gerald in all honesty was the only one who treated her with some decency and respect, when we hear that it was with him that was “the happiest time she had.” He did ultimately finish relations with her in a selfish way, but he did try and do a lot to help her.
However, in Act 3, Gerald shows his older side, more like Mr ad Mrs Birling, as he is describes as a “man on business”, which Sheila and Eric have not experiences. There is some doubt as to whether Gerald will truly change his way of thinking, as Sheila may influence him, or he may carry on like Mr and Mrs Birling.
The Inspectors final speech was that “we are all 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 in fire, blood and anguish.” The Inspector represents the voice of Priestly. He believes in socialism, and community, and that if we don't work together then disaster is inevitable. Priestly's main aim in the play was to show what would happen if we didn't work together as a community. With the Inspector’s call effectively highlighting the problems of class divide, Priestly wanted his audiences to learn something from his plays.
I think that the audience would react very unsympathetically to the effect on Mr and Mrs Birling. The audience, like Eric and Sheila, would be shocked at the easy rejection of what Goole was trying to get them to understand. Mr.Birling from the beginning was sexist and insensitive, “She’d had a lot to say – far too much – so she had to go,” was his account of Eva Smith.
A modern day audience may be familiar with the knowledge that in the past, there was a large social class divide, and a lot on unfair happening occurred which caused a lot of suffering, and I think such a contemporary audience would find the attitude of Mr and Mrs.Birling quite disturbing.
However, I think that despite the initial wrong doings of Eric and Sheila, and the mistakes they made previous to Eva’s death, the audience is understanding and are pleased at how some good has come of the whole ordeal. Eric and Sheila have seen what small-minded views their parents harbour and have learnt that all actions make consequences, as so when making decisions, you must think how they might effect other people.
In conclusion, we can say that Priestly hints to the audience that the Birling’s will have to take on board, and that they will, have to listen, or there will be lots of difficulty and pain to follow. The play finishes with an extraordinary ending where a real police officer turns up at the door, leaving the ultimate ending open for the individual to conclude.
