The Inspector

• The Inspector


  • He's from a different world
  • He doesn't share Arthur Birling's interests or values
  • He talks about taboo subjects like sex and politics
  • He interrupts "very sharply, repeats questions and pauses in ways which were not the norm in middle-class prewar England
  • He doesn't follow etiquette (normal rules of social behaviour)
• The Inspector


  • He seems to come from outside the class system that the Birlings live in, making him 'classless'
  • He doesn't recognise any of the Birlings' ideas about class, treating everyone the same
  • He says "We are members of one body" so classes shouldn't ignore each other's needs
• Priestley has set his play in the Birlings' dining room, which in 1912 only well-off households would have, making it a symbol of the middle-class lifestyle
• The Inspector


  • He stands outside the class system of the Birlings' social world, as an outsider in the play
  • He's not neutral, he's on Eva/Daisy's side and tells the Birlings what he thinks of them
  • Priestley's own views are reflected in the opinions of the Inspector, who is Priestley's 'mouthpiece'
  • The Inspector's final speech could be Priestley's speech direct to the play's audience
  • The Inspector's job is to deliver the play's (and Priestley's) strong message about looking after one another
• At the end of the play the audience aren't sure who or what the Inspector is
• The Inspector claims he found a rough sort of diary kept by Eva/Daisy, but her identity isn't certain and the audience aren't sure she ever existed, so the diary might be a neat ploy to stop anyone asking him any questions
• Why the Inspector has so much knowledge and power is never properly explained, he could be a ghost or represent the spirit of a religious or moral figure
• The Inspector


  • He represents the police and the courts, tracking down the truth like in a murder mystery
  • Because he's not a police officer, Mr and Mrs Birling don't think he has the authority to tell them off
  • Eric and Sheila realise his moral judgement is just as important as his legal power
  • He has the attitude of a philosopher and social commentator, and the knowledge of a ghost delivering a prophecy
• The Inspector's unsettling presence might just be down to confidence, as he knows how to create an air of uncertainty and reel everyone in
• The Inspector makes sure everyone recognises that he's in charge, taking control and leading the events, cutting into the dialogue "with authority"
• The Inspector's authority makes people take him more seriously and makes everything he says sound more important
• It's significant that Priestley uses a police inspector, rather than an overtly legal figure, to judge the Birlings, as this unsettles them since he claims to occupy a position of authority in their world, giving him power as a potential threat to their social status
• Impression of the Inspector


  • Intimidating and has a large presence
  • United and has a common goal of educating through their actions
• The Inspector


  Stays dominant throughout the whole process
• Mr. Birling: '"I don't play golf"'
• "I don't play golf"


  Shows that the Inspector is not involved with capitalism as rich capitalists played with each other
• The Inspector


  Is not afraid to threaten people of lower class by pressing his moral superiority
• The Inspector's presence


  • Massively interrupts and controls the conversation
  • Large and confident
• The Inspector's presence


  Creates an unsettling air
• "worth audhandy"


  Denotes that the Inspector has the authority to control and lead the conversation
• The Inspector: '"They wouth be taught in fire anda blood and will be lought"'
• The Inspector's warning of impending anguish and hellish consequences creates a sense of foreboding and religious prophetic presence