Character Analysis — The Inspector & Sheila

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.

---

Inspector Goole

Who Is He?

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's Methods

The Inspector does not behave like a normal policeman:

• He interrogates one person at a time — methodical, controlled
• He shows the photograph to only one person at a time — preventing the family from collaborating
• He already seems to know the answers before he asks the questions
• He uses silence, pauses, and staring to create discomfort
• He is unimpressed by status — he does not defer to Birling's wealth or Mrs Birling's social position

"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")

Key Inspector Goole Quotes

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 as Priestley's Mouthpiece

The Inspector speaks for Priestley. His final speech is essentially a political manifesto:

• "millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths" — Eva is not one individual but a representative of the entire exploited working class
• "We are members of one body" — an echo of Christian teaching and socialist philosophy; society is interconnected
• "fire and blood and anguish" — a direct reference to the two World Wars, which the 1945 audience had just experienced

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.

The Inspector's Name

"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 Birling

Sheila's Arc

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)

Stage 1: Naive and Sheltered (Act 1 Opening)

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:

• She is described as "a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited" (stage direction)
• She admires Gerald's engagement ring: "Is it the one you wanted me to have?" (Act 1)
• She is playful and affectionate — "Oh — it's wonderful!" (Act 1)

At this stage, Sheila is not cruel — but she is unaware of the world beyond her comfortable bubble.

Stage 2: Guilt and Recognition (Act 1)

When the Inspector reveals Sheila's role in Eva's dismissal from Milwards, Sheila is immediately struck with genuine remorse: