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The Inspector and Sheila are the two most important characters for understanding Priestley's message. The Inspector is the moral voice of the play — Priestley's mouthpiece. Sheila is the character who changes the most — she represents hope for the younger generation. This lesson analyses both characters in depth, with key quotes and examiner guidance.
This is one of the great questions of the play — and Priestley deliberately leaves it unanswered. Inspector Goole might be:
| Interpretation | Evidence |
|---|---|
| A real police inspector | He knows detailed facts about Eva's life |
| A supernatural being / ghost | His name "Goole" sounds like "ghoul"; he knows the future |
| A time traveller | He knows about the death before it happens |
| The characters' collective conscience | He forces each one to confront their own guilt |
| A manifestation of social justice | He represents the moral reckoning that society faces |
| Priestley's mouthpiece | His speeches articulate Priestley's socialist beliefs directly |
Examiner's tip: The best approach is to acknowledge the ambiguity. You could write: "Priestley deliberately leaves the Inspector's identity unresolved because his function matters more than his identity — he exists to force the Birlings (and the audience) to examine their moral responsibility."
The Inspector does not behave like a normal policeman:
"I don't need to know any more. Neither do you. All I know is that she's dead, and we all helped to kill her — and that's what matters." (Stage direction: "massively")
| Quote | Act | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| "I'd like some information, if you don't mind" | 1 | Polite on the surface but commanding — he controls the conversation |
| "It's my duty to ask questions" | 1 | Positions himself as a moral authority, not just legal |
| "One person and one line of inquiry at a time. Otherwise there's a muddle" | 1 | Methodical approach — prevents the family from deflecting |
| "We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other" | 3 | The play's central moral message — collective responsibility |
| "if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish" | 3 | Prophetic warning — refers to both World Wars |
The Inspector speaks for Priestley. His final speech is essentially a political manifesto:
Examiner's tip: When analysing the Inspector, always connect his words to Priestley's purpose. The Inspector is not just a character — he is Priestley's dramatic device for delivering his message directly to the audience.
"Goole" is a homophone of "ghoul" — a spirit or phantom associated with death. This reinforces the supernatural interpretation. It also connects to the Lincolnshire port town of Goole, perhaps suggesting an outsider from beyond the Birlings' comfortable world.
Sheila undergoes the most significant character development in the play:
Naive and Sheltered → Guilt and Recognition → Moral Awakening → Voice of Conscience
(Act 1 opening) (Act 1 end) (Act 2) (Act 3)
At the start of the play, Sheila is a typical upper-middle-class young woman of 1912 — sheltered, excited about her engagement, and preoccupied with consumer pleasures:
At this stage, Sheila is not cruel — but she is unaware of the world beyond her comfortable bubble.
When the Inspector reveals Sheila's role in Eva's dismissal from Milwards, Sheila is immediately struck with genuine remorse:
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