Inspector Flashcards
“We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”
Central message of the play.
Reflects Priestley’s socialist ideology.
Strong moral tone — contrasts sharply with Birling’s views.
“There are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us.”
Eva represents the whole working class.
Reinforces the play’s broader social message.
The repetition emphasizes scale and urgency of the issue.
Inspector adjectives:
Mysterious, authoritative, moral, socialist, passionate
Inspector’s role in play
Catalyst, moral voice, Represents Priestley’s socialist ideals, challenges the status quo, delivers the message.represents moral authority
Themes linked to the Inspector
Social Responsibility
Collective Guilt
Morality and Justice
Supernatural
Inspector’s development
He remains calm, focused, and delivers Priestley’s moral message with increasing urgency. He forces each character to confront their actions
Priestley’s Message through the Inspector
The Inspector is a mouthpiece for Priestley’s socialist views. His final speech (“We are members of one body…”) is the core message: society must care for everyone, not just the privileged.
Stage directions: he creates at once an impression of massiveness
- No necessary physically big but makes a big impression right away
- Shows his authority despite the Birling’s being upper class
“We have to share something. If there’s nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt”
- Social responsibility
“We are members of one body… if men will not learn that lesson then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish”
- Directly contrasts to Mr Birling’s first speech
- Polysyndeton (repetition of and)- consequences are emphasised
- Semantic field of hell