What is The Function of the Inspector in the Play?

The title of the play is an Inspector Calls. This to me obviously means a dilemma with crime which the audience may expect the play to be problem with crime because the title is more of a giveaway to the play. In my view the audience may expect “An inspector trying to solve a crime, And him being the culprit in the end. This play in my view is very different in a way to many other plays because shows moral attidudes.The function of the play is when the inspector in the end tries to be something which he’s not. Also How an Inspector is expressing his values and Moralities of what he thinks in his life and follows his morals and attitude in life. So all along throughout the play creates a character in which he really wasn’t .Which shows a twist to the story, So the audience don’t really know what happening, which leaves them confused with thought, This creates a good effect to the story. Priestly uses the character in a way were the character makes a whole new character within himself, Which means Inspector knows all the information about Eva smith but yet to know we don’t know who the real character is within himself. Which I like how priestly has used this technique because shows how he has brought the character out in different ways and how its shows to the audience which creates a completely different affect.

One of the main characters in this play as you might of guessed is the inspector, The name “inspector “Creates more of a dramatic genre to the play this shows that there’s obviously a dilemma to do with crime and the meaning of inspector to me means something in which is instantly solved. But then again creates a Pretty plain effect to the play, It would of been better if the inspector had a name something which was complicated. The air of authority, the reason why I have stated this because it would have gone perfectly well with in what his character does. The inspector’s appearance is always dressed very smart indeed, I think he gives the audience this affect because normally inspectors are always dressed smart, so at the beginning wants to show his character as much as possible. To me while I was reading the play the questions which were playing around in my mind were “He always wants to get to the point, But doesn’t like what other peoples points of views are” e.g. in what he says to Mr Birling and “he Always wants to get thing done but behaves suspiciously, why is that if he’s an inspector. The reason why this was my question was because in one part of the play he states “You see, we have to all share something. If there’s nothing else we have to share our guilt. Which to me I would think what does an inspector have to be guilty for.

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Now we know that Inspector Goole is not a real inspector looking back at the play the way he used to question the characters were more of if you don’t tell me yourself. I am going to find out from someone else in which I don’t want to do. This shows that he’s very eager to find out information about Eva Smith the girl in which who committed a suicidal death which was why the Inspector was trying to make the character feel guilty in each way he possible can. Shelia was one of the people who felt guilty whereas Mrs Birling didn’t feel she had anything to do with Eva Smiths death. Through out the play there were some lines in which were unexpected this was, you see you have to share something, if there’s nothing else we have to share our guilt. Which as I said before thought that line was quite suspicious and unexpected indeed because you would think what does an inspector have to be guilty for? If he’s the person in which is trying to solve the dilemma? My reaction was more of what is the inspector trying to say? Is he feeling sorry for the family or sharing his own thoughts. Towards this part of the play I began to get a bit weary of how the inspector played his roll and what his reaction was toward the character now.

The inspector to me I think is very good in finding out information in which he uses a good technique in questioning. First he tries to make the characters as guilty as possible and asks them question in why it happened gathered with all the evidence in which he has. For e.g. were he says “she (Shelia) feels responsible...and if she leaves us now, and doesn’t hear anymore then she’ll feel she’s entirely to blame, she’ll be all alone with her responsibility. So my way his technique is to make the character feel guilty first before questioning them so they come out with more information in which has been expected and then once they’ve told him everything makes them feel bad to worse “I think you did something terribly wrong-and that your going to spend the rest of your life regretting it. Which just shows that he makes them feel bad to worse which isn’t a very good technique for an inspector which isn’t a real character?

This part of the play you realised in which characters felt guilty for what they had done to Eva/daisy this was Shelia and Gerald. Sheila I think she thinks that she was responsible because she was the one who sacked Eva from the Millwards Department store, just when Shelia was trying on the dress. Which to me was more of a jealousy act? The audience view changes instantly well it did to me anyway, Because I thought it was really wrong what Shelia had done but in the end I thought it was more important that she felt responsible.Eventhough some characters such as Mrs Birling didn’t feel the least amount responsible which shows that she’s an inconsiderate type of character. Because theirs ways of explaining how you feel and as a character she has come cross to me as stuck p and big headed because she couldn’t even admit her mistake. The inspector has made this to happen because as he interrogates each character about Eva he makes them come out with the information in what they feel about the murder of her death. This is the way that Mrs. Birling has come across. This shows the characters all react in a different way and this part of the play I had totally different views of how they react. Which brought out the roll more for e.g. Shelia I wouldn’t have thought she was the one who would have felt guilty? But then again it shows how quickly the tables can turn.

The characters in which I have stated before don’t feel responsible for Eva’s deaths are Mrs Birling and Mr Birling, Well I reacted in a way that they didn’t feel responsible for Eva’s death but then why not let her R.I.P.Because there’s no point in bringing the bad thoughts of a person once there gone. This was one of the reasons why I thought the Birling Family was stuck up especially Mrs Birling. Because she was one of the family members who didn’t feel guilty at all,Eventhough Eva Smiths already dead.Priestlys effect of this has been the inspector to make them feel bad when interrogating them. Which shows to the audience in what thee character feels in which way they feel responsible or not at all and why? Which I think the reason why Mrs Birling doesn’t feel guilty. Which I think is a good effect How Priestly has used this effect because one of the e Inspectors moral attitudes is, “Each of you helped kill her”. “Remember it”. “Never forget that”. One of the reason for Mr Birling cheating on Mrs Birling is I think the day That he got drunk he didn’t know what he was doing, and finds Eva Smith attractive more than Mrs Birling, Which I think was one of the reasons Why Shelia had fired Eva smith Partly also because of her mum.Priestly’s purpose in using the inspector to examine these characters are in showing what the inspector feels and how the author is saying in what he feels but through the inspector, Which is what the author is portraying his moral and attitude’s through the main character which is the main Inspector.

The inspector makes different judgments about each of the characters. For e.g. “Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges”. This quote I think the inspector is trying to get across to the audience is that men have responsibilities as well as privileges. This shows that he’s judging his character in a way of saying responsibilities come first. Also an other way of judgment in which the inspector has done is,” Each of you helped kill her. Remember that. Never Forget it. This is a very big line of judgment because Yes, Shelia does feel guilty but she never helped killed Eva smith which is a totally different view of feeling guilty and feeling responsible for someone’s suicidal death. The most important part of the play is the inspector is giving a long speech toward the end of Act three. The inspector states that there are “Millions and Millions and millions of Eva smith and john smiths left with us. With their lives and what we think, and say we do. We don’t live alone.” This is a very powerful speech in what the inspector portrays a very, very strong message to the audience this mean, that there is not only one person in which this situation has happened to. Everybody is responsible for each one and other in their own way. And what we say doesn’t change much, in how we react to the vulnerable people around us. “We are members of one body. We are responsible for one and other. 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 blood and anguish. Good Night.” Towards the end of the speech priestly is portraying his own view of what he thinks but is using the inspector to portray his message across to the audience. For this part of the play the inspector steps out of his roll, this creates an irony effect to play. The play was created in 1945 just before world war one this shows the play was set in the past just before the war had happend.Which means were the audience which are seeing this play in the present. This is the 1945 but is based in the past. This makes a huge impact to the audience .The reason of this is because the play is being acted as if they where on the future and basing ,due to the same period of world war One. Which is why the Inspectors attitude is different Knowing has portraying this message just before World War one.

The reason why I think Priestly has ended the play in this way is because, to makes the readers think on and leave the play in a cliff-hangers the reader can have their own views in who really did kill Eva Smith?. The inspector has got as much as information as he possibly could from the Birling family, then whilst interrogating them separately as the inspector quoted “One Person and One line of inquiry at a time.Otherwise, there’s a muddle.” This quotes that the inspector was so eager to find out as much information as he could about Eva Smith controls events on stage. Which is because the whole plan is mostly based on what happened Eva Smith and wanted do it very carefully so he could get the right evidence against them to use in the case. This also means while he interrogates each family member one by one, he makes them feel as guilty as possible for the death of Eva smith. So he doesn’t need to be responsible.Eventhough know that we found out that he’s not a real inspector all along. This to me means this play has a lot to do with socialism, Capitalism which therefore sums up the ending The reason of this is because Throughout the play the Inspector uses “Quotes” in what he thinks about the characters of the play Which often why he tells them about what he believes to ensure there is evidence given against them. The reason why I think this play has a lot to do with socialism is because; How the have taken advantage of Eva Smith and How the Inspector is pretending to be someone in which he isn’t.

The dramatic function of the play enables Priestly to bring out the inspectors character more, However towards the end of the play shows that the character in which he is seem isn’t him all along. Which creates more of a dilemma to the play and the character of The Inspector complicates things even more because in the beginning the audience just think has a normal Inspector. But then I think the audience is aware when the inspector has given his moral messages and quoted to the Birling family in a series of events were than the audience starts to get suspicious and has used links with the Birlings .Priestly makes the inspector more of a character in which then stands out because the audience gets confused towards then end whilst he his doing his speech which is linked to capitalism. This part of the play is the dramatic function in which is caused due to Eva death which then is all concluded in what the inspector is trying to say once he comes out of his character to talk to the audience.

I think the inspector does have something to do with Eva Smiths death and therefore, wants to find out as much information as he possibly can. This to me even though he’s not a real inspector has a suspicious reason to find out so much about this one particular girl. My reaction of the inspector is that even though he has found out a lot of information he lives by his morals and sticks to them. This means he’s a smart character because he doesn’t let anyone mess him about and what he asks for he should get. This is how his character of the “Inspector” had come across to me. The inspector lives by the book and therefore has moral attitudes in the play, which I think he doesn’t want to show much different. Through out this whole play I have learned that within one character there attitudes are all very different, and all come across to e that they have different morals in life which they all stick to especially the “Inspector”. This has been my reaction and my opinion and view through out the play. Which means to me this play is very different because has morals in which are, all included to each of the characters.

By Abdul