Inspector Goole in An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley

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