Gcse English literature inspector calls

•          Self centred: ‘A man has to make his own way.’

•           Obsessed with status.

•           ‘Hard-headed practical man of business.’

•           Has a high opinion of himself, Takes himself and family name seriously.

•           Stands for tradition and authority.

•           Irritable and impatient.

• At the start of the play Arthur is in control- in charge of everything, even the port.
• As the play continues he slowly loses his power.
• This starts when he cannot get the Inspector to respect him for his status- refuses the port, is not interested in golf or in Arthur’s career history.
• He enters into a battle of wills against the Inspector and loses.
• Arthur has a shallow response to a deep issue-focus is on his name not being ruined. Does notlearn from his experience. 

• Act One- Perfect daughter:‘very pleased with life andrather excited.’
• Spoilt, emotional, excitable.
• Vain and jealous = Eva fired.
• Moral, honest, accepts responsibility- has a conscience.
• Different from the rest of her family ‘between us we killed her’.
• Changes because of the Inspector- hands the ring back.
• Becomes the Inspector- questions Gerald, forces him to tell the truth.
• Similar to the Inspector, has knowledge/ suspicions which she keeps to herself- where Gerald was last summer.
• Shows herself to be wise and not naïve, challenges her parents’ expectations and knowledge of her.
• Throughout the play we watch her change from a child into an adult.
• Appears genuinely remorseful and has learnt a lesson: ‘between us we killed her.’

• Has a good future, is a good match for Sheila.
• Tries to make himself out to be a victim of circumstance.
• Insensitive, emotionally shallow and does not learn anything-similar to the parents.
• Is on Arthur’s side- a younger generation version of Arthur.
• Takes action against Inspector Goole, asks the passing police- man.
• The Inspector is not as hard on Gerald as he is on the others-Gerald ‘had some affection for her and made her happy for a time.’
• Daisy/ Eva did not blame him- ‘She didn’t blame me at all’ – allows the audience to feel the same?
• It’s unclear why Gerald broke off his fling with Daisy friend returning from Canada after 6 months? Bored?
• Similar to Arthur and Sybil-does not learn anything,expects to return back to normal- hands the ring back to Sheila.

• Snob- lower classes are inferior.
• Successful wife- loyal to Arthur.
• Failure as a mother- does not know her children.
• Obsessed with etiquette.
• Negative, stubborn and cold- hearted- has to be persuaded to drink port to toast Shelia.
• Shows no remorse: ‘I did nothing I’m ashamed of.’
• Uncooperative with the Inspector- sees him as ‘rude' and ‘impertinent’-he has interrupted a social occasion which she was managing.
• She is easily trapped by the Inspector- plays on her obsession with rules and standards.
• At the end of the play she is left unchanged, she only regrets not being able to ask the Inspector ‘a few questions.’
• She has not listened and she has not learnt.

• Ambiguous character from the start- ‘not quite at ease’, ‘half shy.’
• Guilty secrets- drinking, pregnant,stolen money.
• Irresponsible.
• No one really knows him/ helps him/ loves him- father calls him ‘boy’, mother is ashamed of him,Sheila pities him, even Daisy treated him as a ‘kid’.
• Puts family reputation at stake.
• Is both villain and victim in the play-does not seem to have any friends, is isolated and unsupported.
• Is the product of a narrow-minded, middle class family.
• Gains the audience’s sympathy because he recognises his mistakes and takes responsibility for them. ‘You lot may be letting yourselves out nicely.’
• Asserts himself: ‘You don’t understand anything. You never did. You never even tried.’
• Parents care more about there not being a scandal than about Eric.

• Did she exist? Were they the same person?
• All her jobs were taken from her.
• Is a portrait of an ordinary, working class girl- ‘Smith’, common name.
• Pretty- looks were her downfall, they got her noticed.
• Has feelings and morals, these also get her noticed- Suicide, the ultimate sacrifice to her feelings?
• Never seeks revenge- most moral of all characters.
• The Inspector inflicts pain on the villains of her story for her- why he has been seen to be the spirit/ ghost of her child.
• Inspector forces them to share the responsibility and guilt for her death.
• Unanswered questions surround her- Was she real? was she the same girl? Did she die at the start of the play, or is she the dead girl at the end of the play?

• Controls the rate at which the revelations come out.
• Creates an atmosphere of uncertainty-plays a power game which causes chaos.
• Does not conform, exists outside of class boundaries. Behaves as though he is from a different world- no etiquette or taboo subjects.
• Treats everyone the same- does not use class terms, calls Eva the ‘young woman.’
• ‘Calls’ describes the Inspector’s visit- inaccurate,not casual or spontaneous, but single minded and calculating.
• Passes judgement and reveals crimes- is both the judge and the police.
• Uses language cleverly- answers his own questions/repeats a question if he does not like the answer.
• Persistent- questions and then asks follow up questions.
• Uses emotive language- Eva died in ‘misery and agony’ ‘burnt- out inside on a slab.’
• Is an Inspector, philosopher and a social commentator.