Key Quotations - An Inspector calls

1. "You're squiffy"

   Annotations:

   • Shelia says this to Eric. This shows the brother/ sister relationship between them. It is also showing the language of the time period and how Eric drinks too much, which is ironic since later on in the play his father says how he doesn't know that he drank a lot.
2. "We must really stop these silly pretences."

   Annotations:

   • Shelia is saying this to Mrs. Birling. This shows that Shelia understands the Inspectors message and it shows a division growing between Shelia and Mrs. Birling. In this quotation you can tell that Shelia understands the need to stop lying where as her mother doesn't. Shows a division growing between them.
3. "I suppose we're all nice people now."

   Annotations:

   • This quotation shows that Shelia is bitter about her family's reaction and she is appalled how they think that they have done nothing wrong simply because they think that the girl isn't dead. She wants to acknowledge how to have behaved and own up to it.
4. "half playful/ half serious"

   Annotations:

   • This piece of stage direction makes the audience question Gerald's behaviour and their relationship.
5. "I can't help thinking about this girl"

   Annotations:

   • This shows that Shelia is starting to understand the Inspector and this is her first sign of empathy, this is the start of her views changing, she starts off as a naive and shallow and throughout the play she becomes wiser and becomes aware of her responsibilities

1. "You're not the kind of father a chap can go to when he's in trouble."

   Annotations:

   • The Birlings are not hard-hearted toward the working class but also hard-hearted parents. Birling says that his son has been spoilt, and is more concerned about covering up Eric's wrong doings to avoid a social scandal.
2. "That doesn't matter to me."

   Annotations:

   • The theories of innocence that Gerald and Mr. Birling are concocting do not take away the fact that Eric feels guilty for his actions. He is not willing to bury his head in the sand, unlike his father and Gerald, and pretend as if he has done nothing wrong.
3. "If you think that's the best you can do."

   Annotations:

   • This gives the audience the feel that Eric and Shelia's relationship is a typical brother and sister relationship.
4. "...easily turns nasty- and I threatened to make a row"

   Annotations:

   • It is implied that Eric raped Eva, this makes him feel more guilty and Mrs Birling too as she turned her away not knowing what her son had just done to her - Mrs Birling is selfish and only cares about herself and her reputation 

1. "Girls of that class."

   Annotations:

   • Mrs. Birling is saying this to the Inspector. It shows how Mrs. Birling thinks that she is socially and morally superior. It is almost as though the poor, working class are by definition, worthless. the emphasis on the word "that" shows how much she is disgusted by the working class.
2. "Arthur, you're not supposed to say such things"

   Annotations:

   • Shows that she controls her husband since at the beginning of the play she is said to be of a higher class than him. This shows that in them days social class was more important than gender.
3. "I consider I did my duty."

   Annotations:

   • This shows that she is guilt free and isn't upset about what has just happened. You can tell that she is not very good with change because she doesn't really change throughout the whole play.
4. "Well why shouldn't we?"

   Annotations:

   • She thinks that her social class gives her the right to get away with anything. It also shows how guilt free she is and how it doesn't affect her the way it affects her family.
5. "She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd for a girl in her condition.
6. "Go and find the father of the child. it's his responsibility"

   Annotations:

   • This is ironic as Mrs Birling does not become aware that the man responsible is her own son until late on in the play, it could also be dramatic irony as it is implied that Eric is the father before but it is not said. Mrs Birling does feel responsible until it is made aware that Eric is the father, she does not care about others.

Annotations:

• He is arrogant since he makes long speeches about things the audience knows to be wrong. He also makes patronising and old-fashioned views about women, in the way they dressed and the their appearances. As well as this, he has capitalist views about the world. He is a hard-working business man whose main concern is making money. Mr. Birling is possessive because throughout the play he calls things 'his'.

1. "I speak as a hard-headed business man."

   Annotations:

   • The quotation shows that Mr. Birling is hard-hearted and shows pride in his hard-won success, by using the adjective "hard-headed"
2. "Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable."

   Annotations:

   • This is dramatic irony because the audience knows something that the characters don't. The titanic is a metaphor for the family and its privileged position.
3. "Look Inspector, I'd give thousands - yes,thousands -..."

   Annotations:

   • Birling wouldn't pay Eva an extra two shillings and six pence but he now offers thousands. The offer is meaningless as she is already dead and it cannot save her now. It show that Birling thinks that he an solve everything with money.
   • The dashes and repetition show that Mr Birling is nervous and has no control, unlike the inspector. 
4. "Look at the way he spoke to me..."

   Annotations:

   • This shows that Birling thinks that his social class entitles him to different treatment.
5. "By Jingo! A fake!" "How do you know it's the same girl?"

   Annotations:

   • The Birlings are so desperate to believe their own innocence that they are willing to believe a highly unlikely set of coincidences. 
6. "clothes mean something quite different to a women. Not just something to wear - and not only something to make 'em look prettier.

   Annotations:

   • He is quite sexist towards women by suggesting that clothing is more important to men than to women. The fact that he thinks clothes "make 'em look prettier" shows that he objectifys women. 
7. "And I'm talking as an hard-headed, practical man of business. And I say there isn't chance of war. The world's developing so fast that it'll make war impossible.
8. "Lower costs, higher prices"

   Annotations:

   • Mr. Birling thinks business is all about profit and not eople.
9. "You're just the kind of son-in-law I always wanted"

   Annotations:

   • He is obsessed with status and is really happy that Shelia is 'marrying up' because he thinks that it would get him his knighthood quicker.
10. "a public scandal"

    Annotations:

    • Mr Birling is also selfish like his wife, he too only cares about himself and his reputation. It doesn't matter what his family have done as long as he can continue his life in the public eye without any judgement - this is why he doesn't feel guilty as it doesn't 'affect' him

1. "She was very pretty- soft brown hair and big dark eyes."

   Annotations:

   • The language that Gerald uses stresses the difference between Eva and "women of the town" who he calls "hard eyed" and "dough-faced". By stressing the positive aspects of Eva it makes her mistreatment even more cruel.
2. "Everything's all right now, Shelia."

   Annotations:

   • This shows that Gerald has not understood the message that the Inspector gave them. Gerald cannot see that Shelia has been changed by the new revelations. He then offers Shelia the ring, showing how he is completely unaffected by what has happened.
3. "You seem like a nice well-behaved family" Birling: "We think we are."

   Annotations:

   • This is Dramatic irony because the audience know that the Birling family haven't been well-behaved. These two lines also suggest that there is an alliance between Birling and Gerald and that they both have the same values.
4. "oh- I will,I will."

   Annotations:

   • This suggests that Gerald is the only one trying in the relationship.

1. "We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other."

   Annotations:

   • This is the core message of the Inspector and the play. This directly contrasts what Mr. Birling said, "every man for himself". The message applies to all the characters and the audience.
2. "Each of you helped to kill her."

   Annotations:

   • The Inspector sums it up by showing them that the morally neglectful actions of the upper class family have left a working class girl dead. He shows them that none of them are without blame.
3. '(taking charge, masterfully) Stop!'

   Annotations:

   • Unlike Birling, the inspector can take control masterfully with one word. He not only takes control of the family this way but the audience too, this re-enforces his power and makes his message more clear
4. "millions and millions"

   Annotations:

   • This plays off of Birlings speech 'thousands and thousands' and uses word play to prove that Mr Birling is nervous, whereas the inspector is powerful
5. "their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance"

   Annotations:

   • The inspector lists the problems for these people - he lists their suffering, this re-enforces his message and power. He also uses pronouns to reach the audience and switch the focus from the Birlings to the whole of society  
6. "All intertwined with out lives"

   Annotations:

   • All of the inspectors comments completely opposes Mr Birlings views - 'We are all mixed up like bees in a hive... and all that nonsense'
7. "we are responsible for each other'

   Annotations:

   • This simple senate switches the focus from the Birlings to all of society. The use of collective pronouns 'we' and pronouns 'I' directs the message at the audience and shows how the author also views resposibility
8. "in fire and blood and anguish. we don't live alone. good night'

   Annotations:

   • This pays reference to world war one and two, the noun 'anguish' is a reference to the Great Depression. This creates dramatic irony as the audience understands the effects of the war but the Birlings don't. The message is if you thought that was bad wait for what is coming, this could mean the war or the later confusion around the Inspector and the twist at the end of the play
   • Also references to the bible - from 'the worst is yet to come'. During this time religion was very important so again the audience would understand this and this therefore creates dramatic irony. The line we do not live alone also references the the bible quote 'we are members of one body'
   • The Inspectors last words 'good night' create a big dramatic effect, a lot like the the word 'stop' it leaves not only the Birling family but also the audience hanging on his final words and his message