An Inspector Calls - Quotes

An Inspector Calls - Quotes

1. Sheila Birling

   • '[bitterly] I suppose we are all nice people now"
     • They should listen to the Inspector to become better people
     • She say in retaliation to Gerold cause it doesn't matterwhat evidence there is
   • "It frightens me the way you talk"
   • "All last summer when you hardly ever came near me"
     • Trying to trick Gerald
   • shelia calls her parents mummy and daddy
   • sybil and shelia leave the party to leave the men to talk buissness (this shows there is no gender equality)
   • 'And Im you'll say something or do something that you'll be sorry for afterwards'
   • 'And if you relly loved me you wouldn't have said that'

2. Eric Birling

   • "It's still the same rotten story"
   • "We did her in all right"
   • "Why shouldn't they try for higher wages?"
     • Eric is becoming a socialist instead of listening to the capitalist views of his mother and father
   • 'You're not the kind of father a chap could go to when he's in trouble
   • 'Well I didnt notice youstanding up to him'
     • standing up to mr birling for mrs birling.
     • less childish, grown up and can stand up for himlef
   • Gerold says ' Even then, that may have all been nonsence' Eric replies ' I don't see much nonsense about it when a girl goes and kill herself'

3. Mrs Birling

   • "Girls of that class"
     • Showing capitalist views of how they are better than everyone else
   • "Her husband's social superior"
   • "I did nothing I'm ashamed of"
     • Trying not to take blame for what is done
   • 'You're looking tired, dear. I think you ought to go to bed - and forget about this absurb business
   • 'really, from the way you children talk, you mightbe wanting to hel hime (the inspector) insteadof us'
   • 'He certainly didn't make me confess asyou call it. I told him quite plainly I had done no more then my duty'
     • Hasn't changed much or notice how it isall therefault, she isn't taking even part of the blame

4. Inspector Goole

   • "Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges"
     • Trying to make Mr Birling realise what he has done and take responsibility
   • "Fire and blood and anguish"
     • Telling the Birlings and the audience that if they do not look after each other and take responsibility then there will be chaos
   • "One line of inquiry at a time"
   • 'And you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasent and disturbing things' (how can any of that family be protected from unpleasent things when they cause it)
   • '[turning on him sharply] why should you do any protesting? It was you who turned the girl out in the first place'
   • 'We are responsible for each other' (showing social responsibility)
   • Mr Goole is a homophone to Ghoul which at the time this play was set has the two deffinitions of an evil spirit or phantom or a person morbidly interested in death or disaster.

5. Mr Birling

   • "The titanic is Unsinkable"
     • Shows dramatic irony, which is used to make Mr Birling look like a fool. He can't see what is to come in the future where s the younger people can (e.g Eric, forseeing ww1)
   • "You're the one i blame for all this...there'll be a public scandal"
     • worried about his reputation more than the death of Eva Smith (Capitalist views)
   • "Lower costs and higher prices"
   • 'I don't popose to give you much rope' (not going to give him much more information)
   • 'I should think so! Pamned impudence!'
   • 'I'd give thousands - yes thousands...'
     • he would give thousands if it would mean Eva was still alive because it would mean him andhis buisness would be clean.
   • '[triumphantly] There you are! Proof posotive. The whole story is just a lot of moonshine'
     • Metaphore. he is relief and you can tell because his sentence varriation in length has reduced significantly compared to at the start of the play whenhe was talking to gerold and Eric

6. Gerald Croft

   • "What about this ring then?"
   • "We've been had"
     • Still trying to get out of situation
   • "You seem like a nice well behaved family"
   • 'Why should you its bound to be disturbing and unpleseant'
   • shelia says ' we drove that girl to suiicide', Gerold replies 'Did we? who says? because I say there's no more real evidence we did than there was that chap was a police inspector'
     • When he went out for a walk he didn't spend any time reflecting on whats happened or on guilt, but instead he went looking for a way to get out of the mess