Mr Birling is desperate to keep any scandals from coming out especially now that he is on the honours list for a possible knighthood, social status is of great importance to Mr Birling and a knighthood would put him and his family on an even par with the Crofts (Gerald’s family) ‘So-well-I gather there’s a very good chance of a knighthood-so long as we behave ourselves, don’t get into the police courts or start a scandal-eh? (laughs complacently.)’. He even goes on to joke that it would be Eric (his son) who would cause a scandal if anyone where to, this is in fact dramatic irony as we later learn that every single member of the family has done something that, if got out, would cause a scandal and loose Mr Birling the knighthood, ‘Sure to be. Unless Eric’s been up to something. And that would be awkward, wouldn’t it?’.
Priestley describes the Inspector as ‘need not being a big man but he creates an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness’ this symbolises that he is an important figure in the play and not someone to be messed with. ‘Dressed in a plain darkish suit of the period. He speaks carefully, weightily…’ The fact that is he is dressed in a ‘darkish suite of the period’ gives us no clue to what social class he belongs to, we can only guess that he is of middle to middle-higher status, this could also be a deliberate act on the part of Priestley, to show that the Inspector abstains from social classing but also makes the inspector seem more intense and mysterious, drawing the readers attention in.
His ‘disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before speaking’ gives the impression that he sees through surface appearances to the real person beneath. It also gives him a thoughtfulness that contrasts with the thoughtless actions of each of the characters and their treatment of the young girl. His role in the play is not simply to confront each character with the truth, but to force each character to admit the truth they already know. He works methodically through the characters taking them one at a time, partly because he is aware that ‘otherwise, there’s a muddle’ and partly because he realises that the other characters are all quick to defend each other, or to call upon outside help from characters such as Colonel Roberts by Mr Birling, in order to avoid accepting the consequences of his selfish and tight-fisted actions.
Even the Inspectors name, Goole, adds dramatic interest, as Goole could very well be mistaken for ghoul, meaning ‘evil spirit’ and this is exactly what the Inspector is to the Birling family, he is an evil spirit that haunts and confronts the family until they are forced to admit the truth that they already know deep down. Even the stage directions in the beginning of the play add a powerful sense of atmosphere ‘pink until the Inspector arrives and then it should be brighter and harder’. The pink atmosphere highlights the families rose tinted view of the world from their ‘dolls house’, the white atmosphere the Inspector brings with him symbolises truth and the way nobody can hide from it, the light hits all corners of the room with out exception just like truth hits all members and guests of the house.
The Inspector uses a photograph of the girl that he found amongst her things to trigger the characters memory of the girl. He uses this photograph to create tension between the characters as he controls who is allowed to see the picture and who is not. Mr Birling for instance is allowed to see the photograph however Eric and Gerald are excluded from seeing the photograph which causes Gerald to become agitated,
‘Inspector takes a photograph, about postcard size, out of his pocket and goes to Birling. Both Gerald and Eric rise to have alook at the photograph, but the inspector interposes himself between them and the photograph. They are surprised and rather annoyed. Birling stares hard, and with recognition, at the photograph, which the Inspector replaces in his pocket.’ Gerald: (showing annoyance) ‘Any particular reason why I shouldn’t see this girls photograph, Inspector?’ Inspector: (coolly, looking hard at him)
There might be. Eric: And the same applies to me, I suppose? Inspector: Yes. Gerald: I can’t imagine what it could be. This causes Mr Birling to remember the girl and how and why he dismissed her from his factory but also causes tension as Gerald and Eric begin to get annoyed by the Inspectors investigation tactics and the way they are being pushed out and ignored. Later when Sheila (Mr Birling daughter) enters the room, the Inspector begins to investigate Sheila’s part in the girl’s suicide and shows her the picture. ‘If you’ll come over here, ill show you. He moves nearer the light and she crosses to him. He produces the photograph. She looks at it closely, recognizes it with a little cry, gives a half stifled sob, and then runs out’
This outburst from Sheila causes tension and curiosity levels to rise once again as the audience and characters begin to wonder what part Sheila has to play in the girl’s death. Birling: ‘What’s the matter with her? Eric: ‘She recognized her from the photograph, didn’t she?’ Mr Birling then begins to get angry that the Inspector has upset his daughter and the Inspector in his usual cool and held back tone denies upsetting her. This outburst of anger after Sheila’s outburst draws the reader further into the family and the circumstances surrounding the girl’s death.
Birling: (angrily) ‘Why the devil do you want to go upsetting the child like that? Inspector: ‘I didn’t do it. She’s upsetting herself.’ Birling: ‘Well-why-why?’ Inspector: ‘I don’t know-yet. That’s something I have to find out.’ Birling: (still angrily) ‘Well- if you don’t mind- I’ll find out first’ The outburst from Sheila and the anger that the Inspector has upset Sheila only fuels Gerald’s annoyance that he has been excluded from seeing this photograph. It also increases the audients curiosity about what this photograph shows and what and who else will turn out to have link with the girl’s death.
Gerald: ‘Id like to have a look at that photograph now, Inspector.’ Inspector: ‘All in good time’ Gerald: ‘I don’t see why-‘ Inspector: (cutting in massively): you herd what I said before, Mr Croft. …’ The Inspectors tone, secretiveness over the photograph and the way he has disturbed their little party, topped with the amount of alcohol Eric has drunk makes Eric suddenly outburst with: Eric: (suddenly bursting out): ‘Look here, I’ve had enough of this.’ Inspector: (dryly) ‘I dare say you have’ Eric: )uneasily) ‘I’ sorry- but you see- we were having a little party- and I’ve had a few drinks, including rather a lot of champagne- and ive got a headache- and as I’m only in the way here- I think id better turn in.
Inspector: And I think you’d better stay here.’ This shocks Eric as he has had quite enough of the Inspectors investigation, in addition with the amount he has drunk and the fact that he has been excluded from seeing the photograph making him and the audience think that he is nothing to do with this girl and her death. So the use of the photograph in the Inspectors investigation has aided in the remembrance of the girl, added to the tension with the excluding of some characters from seeing the photograph, resulting in anger, an outburst of tears and upset from Sheila and an added atmosphere of unease when Eric is told he is need ed in the investigation even though he has not been allowed to see the photograph. Towards the end of the play, when Mrs Birling enters to see what is going on he admits that.
Inspector: ‘No it wasn’t necessary. And I thought it better not to’ When talking about the showing of the photograph to Gerald, yet insists that Mrs Birling must see the photograph. Mrs Birling: ‘You have a photograph of this girl?’ Inspector: ‘Yes. I think you’d better look at it.’ Mrs Birling: ‘I don’t see any particular reason why I should-‘ Inspector: ‘Probably not. But you’d better look at it’ This adds to the tension and makes the audience think that not only is Mr Birling, Sheila and Gerald involved in this girls life but maybe Mrs Birling is too. At first Mrs Birling denies knowing the girl and the Inspector accuses her of lying, causing an uprising of anger from Mr Birling that the Inspector should insult his wife in such a way.
Inspector: ‘Your not telling the truth.’ Mrs Birling: ‘I beg your pardon!’Birling: (angrily to Inspector) ‘Look here, I’m not going to have this, Inspector. You’ll apologise at once.’ The use of the photograph is a clever one, it aids Mr and Mrs Birling in remembering the girl, creates tension and anger between characters that aren’t allowed to see the photograph, causes Sheila to run off upset and distressed and anger that the inspector has upset her and then later anger when Mrs Birling tries to lie about recognising the girl.
The Inspector also uses graphic detail as a shock tactic to shock the Birlings and Gerald into admitting their guilt and their involvement in the girls suicide. From the very first moment the Inspector enters the Birling house, he puts this tactic into action. After first introducing himself he reveals the shocking revelation that a young girl has just died, Inspector: ‘Id like some information, if you don’t mind, Mr Birling. Two hours ago a young woman died in the Infirmary. She’d been taken there this afternoon because she’d swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant. Burnt her inside out of course’
