How Does Priestley Present The Role Of Goole In An Inspector Calls

English coursework

Explore the ways in which Priestley presents the role of Goole in ‘An Inspector Calls’

J. B Priestley, the author of ‘An Inspector Calls,’ had survived WW1 and endured several gas attacks that endangered his life. With this knowledge of the author, the tone of the play has already been set: Priestley has acknowledged that he is lucky to be alive and consequently his experiences led him to never be complacent. The play was first performed in 1946, just after the end of WW2. The play is set on ‘an evening in spring, 1912’ this allows Priestley to use dramatic irony and voice the complacency of the public through the dominant character: Birling.

Goole acts a caesura for the Birlings just as WW1 was a caesura for complacency

in post - 1914 Britain. Goole is presented in a very explosive way by Priestley: he is a metaphor for an incendiary bomb; he explodes and disrupts everyone's life and then slowly burns so that it can't be repaired. Incendiary bombs would have caused unpleasant memories for the audience at the time as they had just experienced WW2.

Once bombs have exploded they prevent one from returning to their formal livelihood; Goole represents this by disrupting the Birling family’s lives so that they cannot return to the former, complacent, ways.

Goole is presented, by Priestley, as an intrusion. Birling initially has a sense of foolish optimism. Birling refers to the Titanic as ‘absolutely unsinkable.’ This single quote highlights Birling’s complacency and ignorance as the play was first performed in 1946 and so the audience know the outcome of the Titanic: due to complacency the captain abandoned the ships bow to take a drink in a bar whilst letting the glorious steamer power into an iceberg. Birling’s foolishness is reiterated when he refers to the, future, great war

as ‘silly pessimistic talk.’ The 'sharp ring of a door bell' represents an intrusion in the Birling's life. Intrusion infers an unwanted visitor or someone who has forcefully broken in. However, Birling seems to be complacent when the inspector arrives and seems to think that the inspector is there for him to sign a warrant, which, we assume, he does on a regular basis as he is expecting that to be the case: ‘some trouble about a warrant?’ However, what is to come is something that is completely unexpected for Birling. Before this Birling had given a speech on his experience in life: ‘we’ve had experience - and we know.’ However, he is totally inexperienced for what is to come. The bell that is rung by Goole is a metaphor for the 'death' of the Birling's complacency. Birling is smug in wanting the inspector ‘to have the benefit of [his] experience.’ When Edna first opens the door, she uses the indefinite article ‘an’ which although specifies what he is it does not specify who he is and thus leaves the inspector with an air of mystery. Goole’s timeliness is essential. Just after Birling has said ‘community and all that nonsense’ and ‘a man should mind his own business’ Goole enters with a ‘sharp ring of the doorbell.’ It is as if Goole has arrived just to prove Birling wrong. This is the first perspective we get of Goole’s lack of social knowledge: during a meal time is not the correct etiquette for the middle class in the 1900s. Once Goole has entered he is described to have an ‘impression of massiveness’ as if he is a supernatural being or object. This is reiterated in the stage directions: the lighting changes from ‘pink and intimate’ to show the peaceful, happy, loving atmosphere to ‘brighter and harder.’ It is as if the lighting is representing Goole’s interrogation; creating a spotlight upon the Birling’s initial happiness.
Goole is also presented as a Demonic, ghoulish, type of character. A ghoul is a supernatural being wth an unusual interest in death. This is apparent in Goole as he has an unusual interest in the death of Eva Smith: ‘Burnt her inside out of, of course.’ The inspector shows an unhealthy interest in Eva Smith by describing her death so vividly. Goole wears a ‘plain darkish suit’ which suits his ominous manner. Goole is described to have a ‘severe gaze.’ As if he is looking through people and into their secret lives – a useful quality for an inspector. Goole seems to know an increasingly suspicious amount about suicide: he suggests that selfish behaviour can lead to lonely, even suicidal reflection, ‘daily, hourly – causing sleepless nights.’ Goole also depicts the death of Eva smith vividly to position the reader. Goole describes the area in which Eva Smith is lying: ‘the cold, marble slab.’ The use of the adjective ‘cold’ negatively depicts the morgue and the way in which Eva died. The reader feels a sense of empathy towards Eva and so unintentionally a negative sense towards the Birling family.
Goole is presented as Priestley’s mouthpiece or in Birling’s terms: a ‘socialist or some sort of crank.’ Priestley was indefinitely a socialist who wanted equality and fairness for society. This is shown through Goole who refers to community being the heart of society: ‘We don’t live alone. We are members of one body.’ The play was first performed just after the end of World War 1 and so Britain was ready for Attlee’s socialist government who introduced nationalised railways, coal mines and nation health service.
Goole is presented as a social prophet within in the play and also for the audience watching. A prophet is someone who warns for the future and calls people to change and repent. The quote ‘I rather respect you more than I’ve ever done before…at least you’ve been honest…this has made a difference. You and I aren’t the same people who sat down to dinner here.’ This phrase is didactic for Priestley’s audience. Priestley is inferring that the younger generation should learn from their mistakes and of their parents. Goole’s final speech is almost spiritual, as if he is a prophet or God guiding his people. Goole victimises the ‘Eva Smiths’ by using negative verbs such as ‘their hopes and fears, and chance of happiness.’ His like speech is almost like a sermon, as if trying to preach to the Birling family, once again a God-like figurehead; Goole specifically mirrors a communion service. The last line of Goole’s speech: ‘then they will be taught in fire and blood and anguish.’ This is quote refers to the future of possible was which Birling dismissed as ‘silly pessimistic talk’ earlier in the play. The three nouns are all associated with hell. Priestley is presenting Goole as a supernatural being, specifically the devil. The speech suggests that if the Birling’s do not consider their own fault and carry on with their own complacent lives then they are destined for hell. It also implies that if the same mistakes are made then it will result in a kind of apocalypse. The quote is proleptic for the Great War to come which was an apocalyptic event – in which Priestly fought. The two world wars, (that Priestley refers too) were a mark in social development as society changed irrevocably. Social classes were removed as all classes fought together in the trenches and sheltered together in the air raids. All became equal.

There is symmetry between Goole’s departing speech and Birling’s dinner speech. In Arthur Birling’s original speech, he is very confident that the future is bright and that nothing could go wrong in the foreseeable future. Birling makes comments such as the Titanic is ‘absolutely unsinkable’ and that talk of war is just ‘silly [and] pessimistic.’ Both comments are quickly recognised by the audience as foolishly optimistic and naïve. Goole’s departing speech is quite on the contrary: Goole predicts the misfortunes of the future: ‘if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.’ Evidently, men did not learn that lesson which resulted in two world wars; killing over twenty million people. There I significant contrast between the two opening and closing speeches: Birling is naively optimistic and, contrasting this, Goole is extensively pessimistic. However, the reader has been positioned to favour Goole as the more intelligent one as Birling’s earlier comments have rendered him naïve and foolish.
In conclusion, Goole is presented as a kind of divine inquisitor.

Goole is able to interrogate the family so that eventually they turn on one another. Take Mrs Birling for example, before she discovers that her son had impregnated a young girl she is disgusted with the fact that this could happen: ‘If he refused to marry her – and in my opinion, he ought to be compelled to – then he must at least support her.’ Although once it is revealed Mrs Birling’s tone changes completely: ‘But I didn’t know it was you – I never dreamt.’ Once Goole has uncovered the truths he can relax and watch the family bicker among themselves: Once Mrs Birling has been so judgemental, implicitly, of Eric, Eric turns to blame his mother: ‘You killed her - she came to you to protect me and you turned her away - yes, you killed her - and the child she would've had too - my child - your own grandchild - you killed them both - damn you." This shows Mrs Birlings lack of interaction that she has with her own children: ‘you’re not the

type.’