Inspector Calls

What is the role of the Inspector in the play?

The Inspectors role in the play is to show the capitalists are completely and morally wrong by challenging a rich upper-class family, the “Birlings.” Being written after the Second World War it is a time when there was socialists control so most of the audience would be in favour of the socialist views and despise the capitalist views J.B Priestleys job is to show what early 20th century England was like. The play shows what the country was like under the capitalist regime by showing the audience the case of the death of Eva Smith. The play is set in 1912 a time when there wasn’t a welfare state in control and to show the audience what the rich did to the poor as it is written in 1945.

Birling is already showing people his arrogance at the start when he says to Gerald “The world’s developing so fast that it’ll make war impossible” At the start the arrogance of the capitalists is shown as J.B Priestley highlights the irony of Birlings speech(As two wars happen straight after)emphasising the capitalist arrogance. The inspector rings the bell straight after Birling’ speech as if to show that he is challenging Birlings authority.

Birling tries to keep his authority by offering the Inspector a drink, the Inspector firmly rejects showing the audience he doesn’t have time for “small talk.” The Inspectors name is very ominous as it relates to “Ghoul” which would hint something supernatural about him.

The Inspector keeps on asking Birling questions as he doesn’t like the way Birling thinks and his arrogance, eventually Inspector becomes main man as he has all the authority. Birlings pride and arrogance gets the better of him as he grows impatient with the inspector implying that B...

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...th would have felt.

Overall J.B Priestley uses the Inspector to publicise his socialist views across the country and shows how badly the poor were treated by the rich. The Inspectors last speech is to address the audience as well as the characters in the play, he tells the audience “One Eva Smith has gone there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths” indicating that there are many more people suffering this way. J.B Priestley creates a mystery as he seems to know everything that happened before it actually does happen “be tonight in fire, blood and anguish.” The Inspector leaves a big impression on Eric and Sheila paving way to a new generation. It relates to the modern day as there is now a welfare state which never existed in 1912 and there is a free health service. JB Priestley gives us an image of how the poor suffered under the capitalists