Inspector

key words

omniscient, composed, unperturbed, virtuous, objective, austere, enigmatic, mysterious, ambiguous, mystifying

enigmatic and austere appearance

Analysis

Context

Intentions

[plain darkish suit]

“need not be a big man”

• carries an air of mystery as he is dressed in a simplistic and modest way which does not suggest him belonging to a particular social class - enigmatic

• suggesting that the Inspector has no interest in attracting interest to himself;

• other characters are defined by their class

• Priestley leaves the Inspector’s physical appearance as vague

  and, to some extent, unimportant due to his message of social

  responsibility being more important than his appearance.

• foil - This modest appearance is in direct contrast with Mr Birling, who is “heavy looking” and “portentous” with a “substantial” house.

• The purpose of Mr Birling is to allow the Inspector to bepresented in a favourable light. Mr Birling’s reliability is destroyed by Priestley’s use of dramatic irony. Therefore, his opinions and values bear no value or weight.

• Through the juxtaposition of these two

  characters, Priestley demonstrates the strength of the Inspector’s values of socialism are stronger than Birlings’ views of capitalism. This is why the Inspector doesn’t need to reinforce his views with an impressive appearance.

foil to Mr Birling

Analysis

Context

Intentions

• the inspector, the embodiment of socialism, is presented as the antithesis to Mr Birling, the embodiment of capitalism

• Mr Birling finds the inspector’s composure and unkown social status insufferable. he measures an individual’s worth by their social ranking as this is unkown about the inspector, paired with the inspector being disinterested in his pompous boast that he was “an alderman for years”. Mr Birling is both dumbfounded and aggravated as he is not used to intracting with someone unphased by flaunting of social class

• the inspector is intolerant to Mr Birling’s petentious and supercillios ways. He breaks Birling’s egoistical dramatic monologue where he expresses self proclaimed omniscience about the titanic being “unsinkable”. When the inspector arrives, Mr Birling’s monologues are shortened through the inspector’s interruption of [cutting through, massively]. the inspector’s speech is short and conscise, yet his few purposeful words cause Mr Birling’s speech to shorten - suggests he has shifted the power imbalance despite not being from an established social class. this elucidates that social status (symbolised through Mr Birling), is weak in the face of morality (symbolised by the inspector)

need for collective social responsibility

Analysis

Context

Intentions

“it’s better to ask for the earth than to toke it” ACT 1

• introduces privotal socialist ideals in ACT 1

• implicit regarding shared collective responsibility

• shares poignant message crtiquing birling directly

• syntax highlighs the order of importance that is required for society to be collectively responsible

• must ask and share opposed to the capitalist ideas of taking to benefit oneself

• take connotes stealing - scorned in the bible - mortal sin

• ask - consent - foreshadowing erics infedelity and rape of eva

• edwardian era highly religious - religious teachings integral to society - capitalist ideals completely dismiss these teachings

• socialism could be seen to be bringing society back to its moral foundations

affirmative when propagating responsibility

Analysis

Context

Intentions

he speaks “[sternly to both of them”]

“[cutting in with authority"]”

"“[severely]” - ACT 2

• affirmative nature is clear throughout act 2

• he does not allow sheila’s docile expectations as a woman nor gerald’s untouchable higher status to prohibit him from harshly delivering the message of responsibility

• in society, both would typically be exempt from full responsibilty or serious consequences for those actions

• stage directions are indicative of his power and affirmative nature

• his intolerant and brutal demeanour is used by priestley to ironically show how it is the upper and middle class members of society who require people to “come down harshly” on them (Mr B, ACT 1)

• their willfull ignorance and obliviousness can only be shattered by forcing them to face the bleakness of reality

Inspector’s minute impact on the indoctrinated capitalists

Analysis

Context

Intentions

“I beg your pardon!” - Mrs B

“[rather hot, bothered]” - Mr B

ACT 2

• the inspector is used to examine each character’s intrinsic morality and innate sense of guilt

• exposes through ceaseless investigation that how indoctrinated an individual is by capitalism is synonymous with how resistant they are to change and how much they lack morality and guilt

• this is highlighted through Mr Birling, Mrs Birling and Gerald

• gerald’s narrow world views are engrained into him, not allowing him to develop an intrinsic sense of morality - deeply grounded in the upper echlon of society

• Mrs Birling is defensive and opposing towards the inspector when he questions her on her lying. the exclamatory sentence reinforces how mrs birling is astounded that her morality and guilt is even being questioned, to her, in her warped views, this whole matter can be easily overcome by wealth and status which she possesses

• despite mr birling being physically distressed by the inspector’s investigation,, he proceeds to still try to be ignorant to his family’s complete immorality. he is entrenched in his capitalist indoctrination which causes him to value his “public image” over his morality and shows no remorse or concern for eva.

• priestley cleverly crafts the capitalists to remain stagnant and obstinate to demonstrate ironically that capitalism prohibits revolutionary change and reform, especially to those fully exposed and indoctrinated by it as they belive change is equivalent to a loss of their power.

• priestley shows the irony of this as birling praises the “titanic” so much - warped idea of what is revolutionary

• this microcosm for capitalism proves to be anything but as the audience know that it sank

dramatic vehicle and priestley’s mouthpiece

“as if she was an animal, a thing, not a person” - ACT 3

• the zoomorphism on “animal” creates a reductive image which highlights their blatant disregard of her humanity through their dehumanising and exploitative treatment

• neglectful verb “thing” intensifies how, as she belonged to a lower class, she was not regarded with any form of compassion as a living being

• this is could be an allusion to birling’s remark of “like bees in a hive” - capitalism as intrinsicaly dehumanising and reductive of the working class and their role

• priestley makes the inspector comment on how she was seen as a “thing” to produce a strong disgusted reaction from the audience at the capitalists inhumane treatment of anyone who does not belong within their exclusive social echelon

• dramatic vehicle to carry his compelling political message of socialism and morality to the audience.

• utilises inspector as a mouthpiece to indict the vast social inequalities that plagued society, the strong barrier between the classes and how this was permitted due to capitalists being in charge.

bringing them back to the foundations of religion

Analysis

Context

Intentions

“if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish”

• religion underpinned morality in the edwardian era and for the birlings to have upheld this pristine public facade, religion would have been integral to upkeeping this.

• their digression from these religious teachings, since they embodied some of the seven deadly sins, greed, envy and lust, means the role of the inspector as a moral agent of God is made even more important

• violent imagery of war and a suggestion that capitalism “will” inevitably trigger war

• he appears prophetic which is further emphasised by the biblical allusions to hell as well as war

• also sounds like the end of the world described by book of revelation - people punished for their sins

• the polysyndedic listing reinforces the sempiternal torture they will face if they continue to part with their responsibilty which is one of the abundance of consequences caused by capitalism

• omiscient, prophetic element makes this message more daunting and important

• directly relays the Biblical teaching that we are “members of his body” in Christ - directly parallels “we are members of one body”. thus, the inspector alike to Jesus, promotes the union of society and togetherness, reinforcing his spreading of foundational Christian teachings.

• final speech - salvation to the birlings

• significantly, as the inspector is presented as God-like, priestley could be illuminating that socialism is what would be most favoured by God

• through this, priestley effectively conveys that capitalism is immoral and also highlights that values such as social responsibilty are beneficial to all as anyone can be harmed by war and subject to the judgement of God regardless of social standing - something that priestley’s audience, having lived through two world wars, must recognise.

catalyses a change in the younger generation

Analysis

Context

Intentions

• he has a profound impact in Sheila and Eric, them being malleable as they belonged to the younger generation - receptive to his message - absorbed the reality of their wrongdoings

• sheila acts as the inspector’s proxy when he leaves, reciting his exact moral teachings of “fire and blood and anguish”. she resents her family’s supercilious airs and graces and tries to catalyse change in them as he did to her

• eric emulates the inspector’s disregard of Mr Birling’s long, pompous speeches. alike to the inspector, he begins [cutting in] when his father speaks. eric is no longer silenced by his father and has learnt from the inspector that morals hold more weight than superficial ideals like social status and wealth - this empowered him

• conversion of Sheila and Eric is emblematic of how regressive capitalist views arw not permanent in all of the individuals they taint

• provides a choice to the 1945 audience - the individuals who are entrenched in capitalist views should either realise the error of this and change while they still can or they will face the consequences of their injurious actions