This public confession is often thought to be a deliberate method used by the Inspector to create conflict amongst the Birlings, stripping away the image of a ‘happy, middle-class family’ that was presented at the beginning of the play:
“…You’re not the kind of father a chap could go to…”
This conflict amongst the family members, as well as the knowledge provided by the Inspector allows each of the characters to develop. Mr Birling, for example, becomes more and more irritable as the play progresses, revealing his stubbornness and lack of compassion for others. Sheila on the other hand is not only remorseful, but also becomes much more confident and out spoken:
“Sheila, I simply don’t understand your attitude.”
The character development that occurs throughout the play would not have done so in the same way, had the Inspect not been there. Because of this he is often considered to be an emotional ‘catalyst’ in the play.
However, the Inspector does not simply make the other characters confess to their crimes, but he also judges each of them:
“Public men… have responsibilities as well as privileges.”
These judgements made by the Inspector are often based not only on the characters’ actions but also on their reactions to the death of Eva Smith and their individual roles in it. The Inspector acts as a judge of absolute immorality.
In the final speech, the Inspector effectively sentences the Birlings:
“If men will not learn…then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish”
This quote does not just apply to Gerald and the Birlings however, but to all of the contemporary society. If the Inspector is able to condemn the whole of society, it implies that he is part of a higher power. The phrase ‘fire and blood and anguish’ could be interpreted as a reference to judgement day; suggesting that the Inspector may be some kind of divine messenger.
Whether or not the Inspector’s role is as a religious figure, it is very clear at the end of the play that he is in fact very unlikely to be a Police Inspector. This can be concluded partly by the fact that he is concerned with what is morally right or wrong than what is legally right or wrong. The significance of the difference between legal and moral issues in the play becomes much more apparent after the Inspector has gone, as this is when each of the characters reveal which of the two ethnics are more important to them.
Morality is a very important theme in ‘An Inspector Calls’, and the Inspector voices his issues on the subject very strongly:
“We are all responsible for each other”
Much of what the inspector says indicates a very socialist attitude, and it becomes very clear that many things that the Inspector considers to be morally correct confer with both socialist and communist views. As a result the Inspector is often considered to represent the voice of Priestly, who was a socialist, through whom he could voice his political opinions.
The characters in this play are often interpreted as representing not just individuals, but society itself. While Arthur Birling is thought to represent capitalism and the labour government of the time similarly the Inspector’s role is not just as a socialist, but a representation of socialism itself. In this way the Inspector is used by Priestly to make a political point.
One important aspect of the Inspector’s character is that he reveals Eva Smiths death to the Birlings before it even occurs. In this way he is a very important dramatic tool, as he raises just as many questions as he answers.