Inspector Goole Flashcards
Name 5 qualities of the Inspector
Professional
Socialist
A good judge of character
Assertive
Authoritative and imposing
Omniscient - seems to know what the Birlings are going to say before even they do
Relentless and calculating
Sombre presence in contrast to the Birling family’s when he first arrives - he is able to control the mood and atmosphere through his language
Unsettling
Conducts himself in a manner unsuitable for a police inspector
Creates an air of uncertainty
The engine of the play - keeps the inquiry running, forces characters into confessions
How is the Inspector presented by JB Priestly
Priestley's spokesperson - portrays Socialist ideas through the criticism of how the Birling family allow the class system and lack of social responsibility to effect their lives Emotive - emotive language makes the characters feel upset, thus evoking emotions from the audience Harsh tone - unsparing blunt, makes the character he is interrogating feel guilty Shock tactics - puts pressure on characters to force a confession from them Personal - talks about taboo subjects (prostitution, alcoholism) Blunt - forces the characters to answer him Binary opposition to Birling - before the Inspector arrives, the audience already become wary of Birling and his short-sighted opinions and incorrect observations about society (the Titanic sinking, WW1) and so are more inclined to disagree with him and agree with the Inspector, allowing Priestley to promote socialist views
Class and privacy withing the inspector
The Inspector is classless
Promotes Socialist ideology
Most evident in final speech - not just talking to the Birling family, but the audience too
Not impressed by Birling’s ‘connections’
Treats everyone the same
Challenged the privacy of the ‘private sphere’ through his omniscient traits
Brings up actions the family may have conceived as ‘private’
How is the Inspector presented by JB Priestly
Priestley's spokesperson - portrays Socialist ideas through the criticism of how the Birling family allow the class system and lack of social responsibility to effect their lives Emotive - emotive language makes the characters feel upset, thus evoking emotions from the audience Harsh tone - unsparing blunt, makes the character he is interrogating feel guilty Shock tactics - puts pressure on characters to force a confession from them Personal - talks about taboo subjects (prostitution, alcoholism) Blunt - forces the characters to answer him Binary opposition to Birling - before the Inspector arrives, the audience already become wary of Birling and his short-sighted opinions and incorrect observations about society (the Titanic sinking, WW1) and so are more inclined to disagree with him and agree with the Inspector, allowing Priestley to promote socialist views
Class and privacy withing the inspector
The Inspector is classless
Promotes Socialist ideology
Most evident in final speech - not just talking to the Birling family, but the audience too
Not impressed by Birling’s ‘connections’
Treats everyone the same
Challenged the privacy of the ‘private sphere’ through his omniscient traits
Brings up actions the family may have conceived as ‘private’
When the Inspector arrives, the lighting changes from “……….” to “……….”
“pink and intimate” to “brighter and harder”
suggests the Inspector will shine a light on the true nature of the Birling family, shattering the illusion of a ‘perfect’ family and forcing them to ‘see’ more clearly. Reality of how their actions have affected other,less fortunate people.
Class-based prejudice. Inspector criticises Eric because he treats her ….
“as if she was an animal, a thing, not a person”
in contrast, most of the other characters do not show any kindness towards Eva because she is of s lower class.
Mr Birling constantly refers to her as ‘the girl’, as if he cannot bear to mention her name . As is she does not matter as a person. Contrast between the way Mrs Birling and the Inspector talk about Eva, and the Inspectors insistence on treating Eva as a person, makes Mrs Birling appear narrow-minded and shows the audience that it is wrong to look down on the working classes
Promotes Priestley’s socialist message: that we should all take responsibility for one another.
“we are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”
Repetition of 'we are' includes both the other characters and the audience, making it clear that this is how everybody should behave. Contrast directly with Birling''s belief that man has to "look after himself and his own" difference between the 2 characters' views highlights the selfishness and cruelty of some middle-class attitudes at the time
in his final speech the Inspectors language has an almost God-like quality, suggesting that his main role is as a dramatic device to promote a moral message.
“fire and blood and anguish”
Imagery is reminiscent of Hell, implying that the suffering experienced will be particularly painful, and portraying the Inspector as a God-like figure who can judge others. The audience is suppose to view him as a dramatic device, rather than a convincing character. In this way Priestly uses the Inspector as a vessel for his own views, and to represent the main moral of the play.
The Inspector is used by Priestly to show the class-based prejudice of other characters.
Stage directions show his pivotal role in highlighting the Birling family’s flaws, and his compassion contrasts their unkindness. his God-like language in his final speech shows that he used by Priestley to express the play’s key message. makes him the most important character in the play.
