An Inspector Calls 2

Question 1

“Yes, go on…”

Answer 1

“…Mummy.”
Sheila, Act One
Spoiled, a little immature, although she’s an adult.

Question 2

“It’s a pity Sir George and…”

Answer 2

“…er-Lady Croft can’t be with us.”
Mr Birling, Act One
Sexism - Birling forgets her name because she’s not involved in business - sees her as unimportant.

Question 3

“And I speak…”

Answer 3

“…as a hard-headed businessman.”
Mr Birling, Act One
Lack of empathy + proud of it.

Question 4

“You’ll hear some people say that…”

Answer 4

“…war’s inevitable. And to that I say - fiddlesticks!”
Mr Birling, Act One
Dramatic irony makes Mr B seem foolish.

Question 5

“Unsinkable…”

Answer 5

“…absolutely unsinkable.”
Mr Birling, Act One
Dramatic irony = fool.

Question 6

“-so long as we behave ourselves, don’t…”

Answer 6

“…get into the police or start a scandal - eh?”
Mr Birling, Act One
Foreshadowing.

Question 7

“As if we were all mixed up together…”

Answer 7

“…like bees in a hive - community and all that nonsense.”
Mr Birling, Act One
Mr B rejects the idea of shared responsibility in society (socialism).

Question 8

“I was an alderman for years - and Lord Mayor two years ago…”

Answer 8

“…and I’m still on the Bench.”
Mr Birling, Act One
Attempts to intimidate.

Question 9

“Yes, yes. Horrid business…”

Answer 9

“…but I don’t understand why you should come here, Inspector.”
Mr Birling, Act One
Total lack of sympathy/empathy.

Question 10

“The wretched…”

Answer 10

“…girl’s suicide.”
Mr Birling, Act One
Lack of sympathy.

Question 11

“Still, I can’t accept any responsibility. If we were all responsible…”

Answer 11

“…for everything that had happened to everybody we’d had anything to do with, it would be very awkward, wouldn’t it?”
Mr Birling, Act One
Rejects responsibility + idea of socialism.

Question 12

“Well it’s my duty…”

Answer 12

“…to keep labour costs down.”
Mr Birling, Act One
Capitalism.

Question 13

“Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages…”

Answer 13

“…we try for the highest possible prices.”
Eric, Act One
Shows Mr B’s hypocrisy - younger generation have more empathy.

Question 14

“It’s about time you learnt to face a few responsibilities…”

Answer 14

“…that’s something this public-school-and-Varsity life you’ve had doesn’t seem to teach you.”
Mr Birling, Act One
Irony, this is Mr B’s own fault.

Question 15

“Nothing to do with…”

Answer 15

“…you, Sheila. Run along.”
Mr Birling, Act One
Patronising - keeps Sheila in a bubble.

Question 16

“Oh - how horrible!…”

Answer 16

“…was it an accident.”
Sheila, Act One
Contrast to Mr B - Sheila has sympathy.

Question 17

“Sorry! It’s just that I can’t help thinking about this girl, destroying herself so horribly…”

Answer 17

“…and I’ve been so happy tonight. Oh I wish you hadn’t told me.”
Sheila, Act One
Contrasts Sheila with Eva.

Question 18

“But these girls aren’t cheap labour…”

Answer 18

“…they’re people.”
Sheila, Act One
Contrasts Sheila + Mr Birling, Sheila sees exploitation as wrong.

Question 19

“After all, y’know, we’re respectable citizens…”

Answer 19

“…and not criminals.”
Gerald, Act One
Suggests the way upper-class treat lower-class is a moral crime.

Question 20

“So I’m really…”

Answer 20

“…responsible?”
Sheila, Act One
Accepts her responsibility immediately - contrasts with Mr B.

Question 21

“And so you used the power you had, as a daughter of a good customer…”

Answer 21

“…and also of a man well known in the town, to punish the girl just because she made you feel like that?”
Inspector, Act One
Shows how Sheila has abused her social. power.

Question 22

“She’s had a long, exciting…”

Answer 22

“…and tiring day.”
Gerald, Act Two
Sexism.

Question 23

“Now Miss Birling has just been made to understand…”

Answer 23

“…what she did to this girl. She feels responsible.”
Inspector, Act Two
Sheila/younger generation learning lesson.

Question 24

“You see, we have to share something. If there’s nothing else…”

Answer 24

“…we’ll have to share our guilt.”
Inspector, Act Two
Collective responsibility/socialism.

Question 25

“We all started like that - so confident, so pleased…”

Answer 25

“…with ourselves until he began asking us questions.”
Sheila, Act Two
Originally, metaphor for capitalism.

Question 26

“We often do on the younger ones…”

Answer 26

“…They’re more impressionable.”
Inspector, Act Two
Younger generation more willing to change.

Question 27

“You mustn’t try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl…”

Answer 27

“…If you to, then the Inspector will just break it down. And it’ll be all the worse when he does.”
Sheila, Act Two
Sheila (in contrast to Mr B) feels the classes are connected.

Question 28

“You know of course that my husband was Lord Mayor…”

Answer 28

“…only two years ago and that he’s still a magistrate.”
Mrs Birling, Act Two
Attempting (like Mr B) to intimidate the Inspector (using social status to avoid responsibility).

Question 29

“Yes. I suppose it was inevitable. She was young and pretty and warm-hearted…”

Answer 29

“...-and intensely grateful. I became at once the most important person in her life.”
Sheila, Act Two 
Suggests wealthy men are able to use there power to sexually assault lower-class women.

Question 30

“Your daughter isn’t living on the moon…”

Answer 30

“…She’s living here in Brumley too.”
Inspector, Act Two
Sheila should not be protected as she is a part of society.

Question 31

“It’s hard to say. I didn’t…”

Answer 31

“…feel about her as she felt about me.”
Gerald, Act Two
Unequal relationship that Gerald exploits.

Question 32

“I insisted on a parting gift of enough money - though it wasn’t so very much -…”

Answer 32

“…to see her through to the end of the year.”
Gerald, Act Two
Uses money to escape responsibility.

Question 33

“Public men, Mr Birling…”

Answer 33

“…have responsibilities as well as privileges.”
Inspector, Act Two
Suggests the wealthy should take responsibility for others in society.