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... contained in house with an astute detective asking them questions. The detective is very important to the audience, setting out the entire story, which on the whole is quite confusing. He is the one who enlightens the members of the family and the audience as to the culprit of every particular crime. This is very important as, one by one, a wide range of people, the young, the old, men and women are held accountable for their past actions. It is also Goole who puts across the main social theme of the play responsibility, with statements such as well have to share our guilt and we are responsible for each other.
At the end of the play it is the Inspector who shows how the actions of all persons present at the party affected the life of one girl and makes an inspirational speech concerning the wrong doings of the Birling's, who could easily represent a large bulk of society. This speech, with stirring declarations such as we are all part of one body is the complete opposite of the speech Mr Birling made at the beginning where he proclaimed that a man has to look after himself and his own. The fact that Mr Birling accepts Goole's speech and even says that hed give thousands to reverse his actions show how even he has changed after being shamed by the Inspector. In the case of the audience this speech could encourage members to take notice of the warning messages in the play about being accountable for others and perhaps even make them change their own ways for the better. I think that the fact that Inspector Goole has such an effect on Mr Birling is because he believes the Inspector to be powerful in the law and although when he finds out that Goole was a fake and changes his opinion, the message that even the most old fashioned people can be made to see how wrong society can be is still portrayed to the audience.
They, like Sheila and Eric (who were born nearer to the time of when the play is shown and so are easier to relate to) have learnt something from the nights events. Nevertheless, the Inspector being such an important character only adds to the argument that the play is a detective story. During the play, the Inspector talks as if he knows the story of Eva Smith (or Daisy Renton), or at least girls like her and gives personal opinions on their living situations and how they are exploited. There are a lot of young women living that sort of existence if they werent the factories wouldnt know where to look for cheap labour. Ask your father. This comment is very suggestive and impolite and would not normally be the sort of thing you expect from a detective inspector, especially one whose boss is an old friend of the man he is interrogating.
As I mentioned before, the Inspector is completely different from the fictional detectives such as Poirot or Sherlock Holmes. They, although both clever like the Inspector, would not make such lecturing comments about social behaviour. However, it is not only the Inspectors personality that is different from the ordinary whodunits. In 2003 I cannot think of one detective show that is anything like An Inspector Calls. Modern detective series such as Jonathan Creek and Midsomer Murders are, like the play, centred around the investigations of one detective. But, these detectives do not have elusive and obscure characteristics that epitomizes Inspector Goole.
In these shows, and also in detective stories from 1945 such as Agatha Christies Miss Marple series, you learn about the detectives private life, past and previous cases. Yet throughout the whole play you learn nothing personal about Inspector Goole. This sets it apart from other detective stories and shows that perhaps it is more of a social critique than a detective story after all and that it could have been perceived as a detective story both in 1945 and today. Another reason that An Inspector Calls is a detective story is taken from the way Inspector Goole conducts his investigation. He has pieces of evidence such as the photo and the diary and the family are all interrogated about their involvement in the life of the girl, sometimes in an aggressive manner, for example when he says to Mrs Birling Youre not telling me the truth! He also sometimes asks them to verify their whereabouts, like when asks Mrs Birling There was a meeting of the interviewing committee two weeks ago?
This form of investigation seems to be common in detective stories from all through the ages and people being reminded of similarities between An Inspector Calls and other crime novels or plays would mean that they would probably view it as a detective story. Overall, it is very difficult to decide whether An Inspector Calls is a social critique or a detective story. The case for detective story is very strong with the main character being a detective inspector and there being many similarities to other detective stories in both 1945 and 2003. However, the social content is very obvious with issues such as social classes and responsibility being clearly put across many times throughout the play. I believe that the social class subject in the play would have been more relevant to audiences in 1945 as back then they had more of a class system, with working classes not being represented in authoritative positions such as parliament. Therefore it may have been more obvious in 1945 that the play is a social critique.
But, for most audience members in 2003 I believe the social content would still have been very obvious as I know that whilst reading the play most of our class picked up on it very quickly. Nevertheless, An Inspector Calls is undoubtedly a detective story. With many similarities to other detective stories through the ages, I believe all audience members, in 1945 and 2003 would view An Inspector Calls as a detective story. The whole play is summed up by Mr Birling who says We were having a nice family celebration tonight.
And a nasty mess youve made of it now, havent you? To which the Inspector sadly points out Tonight when I was in the Infirmary looking at whats left of Eva Smith a nice, promising life, I thought and a nasty mess somebody's made of it. This play, An Inspector Calls is a story of a respectable family whose lives are upset when an Inspector calls to interrogate them about a suspicious death. The play could have been just another ordinary story of a clever detective catching the culprits.
But, it became famous nationwide and has survived nearly sixty decades in print whilst still being as popular today as it was in 1945. If this book was simply a detective story would it have endured this long? I think the reason that this book is so successful is that it portrays many social messages, one of which is almost certain to apply to each audience member, no matter what decade they are living in. In my opinion, JB Priestley used the popular whodunit theme to attract audiences and then, once they were sitting comfortably, he put across relevant social issues to them through the humane but critical Inspector Goole. The importance of this character is unquestionable as it is him who explains and puts across the social issues of responsibility, social classes and the difference between generations.
On the whole, I believe that although the base of the play is a detective story, it is mostly a social critique. Inspector Goole is a great character who makes the play what it is and has shown audiences throughout time that society is not always just. Along with the selfish and thoughtless actions of the Birling family, it is the detective that creates the idea that An Inspector Calls is a social critique as well as a detective story. From 1945 to 2003, I believe that audiences will have recognised that An Inspector Calls is more than a detective story and that what makes it a social critique is mainly the detective.
But then again, through this long time span the question has still lingered, was he even a detective at all?
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Research essay sample on Inspector Goole Inspector Calls
