Inspector Goole

Question 1

What is the impression of Inspector Goole?

Answer 1

‘Impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness’ (Act 1)

Question 2

What is Inspector Goole’s duty?

Answer 2

‘It’s my duty to ask questions’

Question 3

What does Sheila warn Mrs. Birling about the Inspector?

Answer 3

‘You musn’t try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl. If you do, then the Inspector will just break it down’ (Act 2)

Question 4

What does the Inspector accuse Sheila of?

Answer 4

‘You used the power you had [.] to punish the girl’ (Act 1)

Question 5

What is Eva Smith’s condition according to the Inspector?

Answer 5

‘[Eva Smith’s] position now is that she lies with a burnt out inside on a slab’ (Act 2)

Question 6

What does the Inspector say about public men?

Answer 6

‘Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges’

Question 7

What does the Inspector mean by ‘Millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths’?

Answer 7

‘Millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths’ (Act 3)

Their hopes and fears, their suffering, and chance of happiness all intertwined with our lives’ (Act 3)

Question 8

What does the Inspector say about collective responsibility?

Answer 8

‘We are members of one body’ (Act 3)

Question 9

What phrase does the Inspector use to convey the consequences of actions?

Answer 9

‘Fire and blood and anguish’ (Act 3)

Question 10

What is the central message regarding moral responsibility in the play?

Answer 10

Moral Responsibility as Collective and Unending - The Inspector serves as Priestley’s mouthpiece for the play’s central message: that moral responsibility extends beyond legal obligations.

Question 11

How does the Inspector critique social responsibility?

Answer 11

Social Responsibility and Class Critique - Through the Inspector’s interrogation, Priestley critiques the failure of the upper classes to accept social responsibility for the vulnerable.

Question 12

What does the Inspector reveal about personal responsibility?

Answer 12

Personal Responsibility and the Consequences of Inaction - By dissecting each character’s individual interaction with Eva Smith, the Inspector exposes how everyday choices can have tragic consequences.

Question 13

What is the Inspector’s view on generational responsibility?

Answer 13

Generational Responsibility and the Hope for Change - The Inspector draws a clear moral divide between the older and younger generations.