Inspector Goole

“The lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives, and then it should be
brighter and harder” – Pink suggests a luxurious and comfortable way of living or that the
inspector intends to shine a light on the way that the behave.

“She’d swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant. Burnt her inside out, of course” – Eva’s
suffering is made explicit with “a lot” highlighting her desire to due. “Burnt her inside out”
could be compared to Mr Birlings working conditions and that burning herself is better than
the pain she has already suffered.

“A nice little promising life there, I thought, and a nasty mess somebody’s made of it” –
“little” shows her insignificance to society. “A” suggests that Eva is not the only working-class
person who has been destroyed by families like the Birlings. “Somebody” could imply that
people of the upper class hide behind their status meaning they will not take responsibility
for their actions

“And you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant and disturbing
things?” – The inspector highlights the hypocrisy of Gerald when he tries to protect Sheila as
she is a “young woman”, yet he clearly does not do the same for Eva. The inspector is
showing how he has double standards. “Young” emphasises Eva’s vulnerability where the
question shows the upper class being treated differently to the working class.

“A girl died tonight. A pretty, lively sort of girl, who never did anybody harm. But she died in
misery and agony – hating life” – his use of “pretty” and “lively” juxtapose to the Birlings
repetitive use of that “sort of girl”. “She” emphasises her lack of identity and how little
people cared. The short sentence of “a girl died tonight” is clear and brutal, showing how
oblivious the Birlings are to responsibility.

“Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges” – The statement is

delivered as a fact that Mr Birling cannot argue with. His reply of “possibly” shows that Mr
Birling knows the inspector is correct. Juxtaposition of “responsibilities” and “privileges”
emphasises the difference between the inspector and the Birlings.

“She was alone, friendless, almost penniless, desperate. She needed not only money but
advice, sympathy, friendliness. Tricolon shows the extent of her suffering. Her sufferings are
juxtaposed with solutions that cost nothing showing how simple it was to help her.
“Needed” is very emotive in this case, Eva did not want or hope for support it was a
necessity.

Mr Birling
“I’m talking as a hard-headed, practical man of business” – alliteration of “h” has a harsh
sound much like his harshness towards his workers. “Headed” suggests that he views things
with his head rather than heart. In a speech about his daughter’s engagement, he does not
identify himself as a father.
“Lady Croft – while she doesn’t object to my girl – feels you might have done better for
yourself socially” – “My girl” could be a sense of pride or ownership. “Socially” could show
that he has no interest in love or compassion but public appearance instead.

“I was lord mayor here two years ago when royalty visited us. And I’ve always been regarded
as a sound, useful party ma. So – well – I gather there’s a very good chance of a knighthood”
– he does not focus on Sheila’s value as a person instead, listing things more political.

“Everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in
a hive – community and all that nonsense” – With the play being set before WW2, the
audience knows the importance placed on community. “Bees” links to capitalism where
there are many working bees with one queen bee. Being “mixed up” would alter the class
system that protects the family, his patronising tone in describing it as “nonsense” is only to
protect himself.

“Just used her for the end of a stupid drunken evening, as if she was an animal, a thing, not a
person. No, you won’t forget” – Senseless adjectives express how the Birlings have been to
Eva. Her dehumanisation seems to be directed at Eric suggesting although he seems to care;
there has been no real change to his thoughts.

“There are millions and millions and millions of Evan Smiths ad John Smiths still left with us,
with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness” –
polysyndeton shows the sheer scale of the issue facing society. Male “John Smiths” shows
that this isn’t a matter about gender, but an issue for all of the lower class. A chance of
happiness is all that can be brought, implying that this issue is so large that it is impossible to
definitely cure it.

“What we think and say and do. We don’t live alone. We are all members of one body. We
are responsible for each other” – The Birlings commonly use pronouns such as I, My… while
the inspector uses we, our… “Are” is a very certain, there is no argument against
responsibility.

“I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will
be taught in fire and blood and anguish” – tri colon suggests suffering will destroy everything
(landscape, community and emotion). The dramatic irony is evident to the audience. Mr
Birling’s predictions are incorrect while the inspector’s prediction is accurate.

“Now look at the pair of them – the famous younger generation who know it all. And they
can’t even take a joke” – Mr Birling’s patronising claim that they “know it all” is ironic where
he predicts everything wrong showing his blindness to everything. The “pair of them” is
infantilising in an attempt to regain power which he clearly feels the need to have.
Sheila
“But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people” – While this does show the first Birling
beginning to understand the pain of the working class, Sheila is still naïve about it; “these
girls” being plural almost implies that Sheila still does think that they are machines and that
there appears to be a disconnect, maybe because she has been conditioned. “People”
associates with community which is the exact opposite of what Mr Birling was saying to her
previously.

“How could I know what would happen afterwards? If she’d been some miserable plain little
creature, I don’t suppose I’d have done it” – Sheila blames Eva for being too pretty.
“creature” further creates that disconnect as if she sees the working class as a whole new
species. However, the tone of her question shows that she has begun to realise that her
behaviour has consequences.

“I’m to blame – and I’m desperately sorry – but I can’t believe – I won’t believe – it’s simply
my fault that in the end she – committed suicide” – The repetition of personal pronouns
could show how she still focusses on herself. Rather than controlled speech, this is
juxtaposed to the speeches in the engagement party, potentially linking back to how she has
been conditioned by her family.

Sybil Birling
“I don’t suppose for a moment that we can understand why the girl committed suicide. Girls
of that class” – “That class” is highly dismissive suggesting that all of the lower class is the
same. “We” doesn’t mean society in this case; it is a separation between the classes as if it is
us and them. Mrs Birling doesn’t think about it for a “moment” showing how blind she is in
helping people which is ironic where her charity is made to help “girls of that class”.

Gerald
“Old Joe Meggarty, half-drunk and goggle-eyed, had wedged ger into a corner with that
obscene fat carcass of his” – Gerald depicts the true nature of these supposedly respectful
gentlemen. This shows how the upper class hide behind their titles where Meggarty is
nothing more than a drunk old man. “wedged” suggests that Eva is prey and unable to
escape, much like her experience in life. The list of socially unacceptable behaviours presents
them as normal in the world of the upper class.

“I suppose it was inevitable. She was young and pretty and warm hearted – and intensely
grateful” – Gerald actually seems to have some affection for Eva however, this could only be
to show how little care he has for the lower classes. The polysyndeton makes her qualities
almost seem endless. Her character juxtaposes with Sheila who is described as young and
pretty but certainly not warm-hearted. Inevitable suggests that if the upper class wants
something, they get it.
Eric
“Well, I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty – and I threatened to make a row” –
Eric describes himself as a “chap” which has friendly associations; this suggests that he does
not see his wrongdoing. Moreover, “nasty” is a fairly light adjective in describing his actions.
“Easily” implies that this is a common occurrence that even though he knows it’s wrong; he
will carry on.

“You killed her. She came to you to protect me – and you turned her away – yes, and you
killed her – and the child she’d have had too – my child – your own grandchild – you killed
them both – damn you, damn you” – The repetition of “child” conveys the death of
innocence. Eric has to show that these consequences are personal to just to even attempt to
get a reaction from Mr and Mrs Birling. Eric does not speak to them with respect, the
stuttering sentences show how Eric is struggling with the consequences of his families
actions.

“You’re beginning to pretend now that nothing’s really happened at all. And I can’t see it like
that. This girl’s still dead, isn’t she?” – the divide between him and his parents is seen in
“you” and “I”. “Pretend” refers to how the upper class behaves, they act in a certain way and
then pretend that is acceptable.