J.B.Priestley wrote this play to deliver a moral message to the audience. He uses the Inspector Goole as a cipher to allow him to do this. He also uses the Inspector to play on all of the characters' guilt to bring across to the audience the feelings of responsibility and culpability. In a way, the Inspector could be a representation of Priestley, passing on his principles. As the play was first performed in 1945 …showed first 75 words of 430 total…

…showed last 75 words of 430 total…only interested in expanding his business, and is not worried whether Gerald is the right man for Sheila. We get the impression that Mrs.Birling thinks very highly of herself and her family. She refers to Eva Smith as "Girls like her", indicating that she thinks people of a lower class are almost like a different breed and are not worthy of many of the privileges afforded to a family of the Birlings' social standing.