Inspector Goole in An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley I will be answering the question "What is the importance of the inspector in J. B Preisley's 'An Inspector Calls'". I think the Inspector is the characters guilty conscience. To prove this I will go through every character and comment on how they react to the Inspector and I shall also comment on how the Inspector reacts to the Birlings and Gerald. Inspector Goole makes his entrance in the middle of the Birlings celebration, they are celebrating the engagement of Sheila (their daughter) to Gerald Croft son of sir George Croft of Crofts Limited. At the time the Inspector enters Mrs. Birling and Sheila have left the room so Mr. Birling, Gerald and Eric (his son) are left in the room. Mr. Birling is in the middle of a speech to Eric and Gerald: "a man has to make his own way-has to look after himself-and his family to". He is cut off when the maid Edna tells Mr. Birling that an Inspector is here to see him this might be a secret message by J.B Priestly (the writer of the play) saying that life shouldn't be like people shouldn't just look after their family and friends they should be caring to other people and during the evening the characters learn that lesson because if they had treated Eva Smith well she wouldn't have died. The Inspector first questions Mr. Birling, a proud man who is very old fashioned. The Inspector came down on them straight away saying: "a young girl has just committed suicide by drinking some disinfectant" . Mr. Birling doesn't take him seriously telling the Inspector that it is nothing to do with him even when the Inspector tells him that Eva Smith use to work for him. Mr. Birling still doesn't feel any remorse. The Inspector shows Birling a photograph of Eva Smith and, Birling can remember her now, then Gerald and Eric ask to see the photograph of the girl but in a quiet but firm tone the Inspector replies
This coursework focuses on how each character contributes to the suicide of a poor girl Eva Smith/Daisy Renton.
A Comparison of Characters of Mr. Birling and Inspector Goole in J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls
An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley In the introduction of Act One, we are given a few brief details about
to say for herself she gets the sack. And this is what the author is
"And be quiet for a moment and listen to me. I don't need to know any
talks with. He is a man who has come to the Birling's house to do his
name is read out by the Birlings made Edna and later on is spelt out,
Gerald finds out at the end of the play when he takes a quiet stroll
Inspector Goole in J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls. In the following essay I will explain in detail the character of Inspector Goole in the J.B. Priestley play, "An Inspector Calls". I will use quotes from the play to support the different theories. concerning how the Inspector is supposed to be portrayed.
is searching for him and that he is going to have to encounter him at
seems to get in a bit of trouble now and then. Gerald backs up Mr.
Inspector Goole in J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls After watching and reading ‘an inspector calls’, it is clear to anyone that the inspector is a very special and unusual character. Throughout the play the he questions all of the Birling family and Gerald Croft trying to make them confess the horrible things they have done and making some of them regret their deeds. This shows that J.B priestly represents him as a ‘collective conscience.’ ‘Goole’ the name of the inspector, gives us a clue that the writer intended for him to be thought of as a spirit or ghost (Goole resembling the word ghoul which means an evil spirit.). The inspector is used as a representative of justice, his only purpose is to make the Birling family and Gerald Croft confess their wrong doings and make them feel sorrow for the events that happened.
The function of Priestley’s Inspector is an intriguing and inspirational one. The play was first performed in 1946, just one year after the end of the Second World War. The play is set in the year or 1912 when a harsh figure of a police Inspector joined the capitalist family home for an evening of interrogation and revelation. The Inspector cross-examines all of the Birling family about a young working-class woman who is, surprisingly, connected in some way to them all. He lectures the family about their inconsiderate ways and forces confessions out of them about their role in Eva Smith’s suicide. He preaches to them a socialist message and makes them feel sympathy for the girl, taking responsibility for their actions towards others. The Inspector then leaves the family home with a powerful closing speech of “we are responsible for each other … if men will not learn that lesson, they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish”, thus leaving the family subdued and startled. Priestley also conveys this message to the audience as they will be aware of the consequences of war all too well. The Inspector becomes a dominant socialist mouthpiece for Priestley’s views, influencing the audience as well as the Birlings.
I have decided to stage a section of the play from where Eric says "He
If your messenger find him not there, seek him I' th' other place yourself. But, indeed, if you find him not within this month, you shall nose him as you go up the stairs into the lobby.