Inspector Goole Analysis: Identity and Symbolism

Who is the Inspector and What is His Role?

Is he Priestley, God, the voice of conscience, a dream, a time traveler, or a police inspector? There are many options to consider.

The Collective Subconscious

“We do not live alone. We are all members of one body.” Priestley was interested in the ideas of the famous psychologist Carl Jung. He believed that in dreams, we lose our identity and enter the “collective subconscious,” where we all share experiences and the things we dream of have a common significance.

Time Pressure and Knowledge

From the beginning of Act III until his exit, the Inspector is pressured by time. He knows that the news of the suicide will reach the telephone, even though he claims he has limits to his knowledge.

“That’s something I have to find out.” When he shows Sheila the picture, he professes not to know why she is upsetting herself over it.

Physical Description of Inspector Goole

The Inspector creates “an impression of massiveness, solidity, and purposefulness. He is a man in his fifties, dressed in a plain darkish suit. He speaks carefully, weightily, and has a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before actually speaking.”

His Knowledge and Understanding

• “Of course he knows”: Sheila says this to Gerald. He has convinced her that he knows and understands everything.
• “I’m waiting... To do my duty”: He knows what is going to happen, such as Eric’s arrival.
• “I haven’t much time”: He is in a hurry toward the end of the play. Does he know the real inspector is coming?
• “We are responsible for each other”: In his final speech, he leaves this message for the family.
• “Fire and blood and anguish”: He warns the family that this will be the result if they do not pay attention to what he has taught them.

All this mystery suggests that he is not a real person. What is he?

Literary Techniques

Timing: Entrances and exits are crucial. He arrives immediately after Mr. Birling has told Gerald about his impending knighthood and how “a man has to look after himself and his own.”

Stage Directions: The lighting changes every time the Inspector appears, shifting the atmosphere.

The Inspector's Purpose

Inspector Goole talks to each person at the Birling house separately in order to impress upon each one that she or he has a personal responsibility for what has occurred to Eva Smith.

The Final Speech and Social Message

In his final speech, he tries to show that both the First World War and the Second World War were results of attitudes and behaviors such as those held by powerful and wealthy families.