An Inspector Calls

Question 1

What does this phrase from the opening stage directions tell you about Mr Birling:

‘A heavy looking rather portentous man in his early fifties with fairly easy manners but rather provincial in his speech’

Answer 1

Heavy looking - Mr Birling has a round large figure- a sign of wealth
Portentous man - A very solemn, well pronounced and significant man
Provincial in his speech - Often speaks out of turn

Question 2

What does this phrase about the titanic, from the opening scene, tell you about Mr Birling:

‘Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable’

Answer 2

This phrase tells the audience that Mr Birling is clueless and arrogant because we know that he is wrong.

Question 3

What does this phrase from the stage directions in the opening scene tell you about Mrs Birling:

‘Reproachfully’(To Mr B)

Answer 3

This tells me that Mrs B values her social status and believes that she should not thank lower class.

Question 4

What does this phrase from the opening scene tell you about Gerald Croft:

‘I insist upon being one of the family now’

Answer 4

This tells us that Gerald feels a sense of belonging and placement within their family and longs to be part of it.

Question 5

What does this phrase from the opening scene tell you about Sheila Birling:

‘Don’t be an ass Eric’

Answer 5

Sheila Birling, unlike her mother, isn’t so worried about social status and will use more common and lower class words such as ass. This word can be offensive but Sheila shows that she isn’t afraid to use such words.

Question 6

What does this phrase from the opening scene tell you about Eric Birling:

‘Good old Sheila’

Answer 6

Eric uses a quite sardonic tone and causes the reader to think that he can be quite sly and often sarcastic

Question 7

“… … … … … … … … … … … and the Birlings … … … …”

Answer 7

”Perhaps we may look forward to a time when the Crofts and the Birlings are no longer competing” (Act 1 Mr Birling)

Question 8

“Sheila’s a … …”

Answer 8

“Sheila’s a lucky girl” (Act 1 Birling)

Question 9

“… wants …”

Answer 9

“Nobody wants war” (Act 1 Birling)

Question 10

“Absolutely …”

Answer 10

“Absolutely unsinkable” (Act 1 Birling)

Question 11

“…-… business man”

Answer 11

“Hard-headed business man” (Act 1 Birling)

Question 12

“Half … half …”

Answer 12

“Half playful, half serious” (Act 1 Sheila)

Question 13

“… … … feel …”

Answer 13

“Now I really feel engaged” (Act 1 Sheila)

Question 14

“Oh I wish … … … …”

Answer 14

“Oh I wish you hadn’t told me” (Act 1 Sheila)

Question 15

“But … … … … …, they’re …”

Answer 15

“But these girls aren’t cheap labour, they’re people” (Act 1 Sheila)

Question 16

“I couldn’t … … … …”

Answer 16

“I couldn’t be sorry for her” (Act 1 Sheila)

Question 17

“I’ll …, … … … again … …”

Answer 17

“I’ll never, never do it again to anybody” (Act 1 Sheila)

Question 18

“… nothing …”

Answer 18

“There’s nothing else” (Act 1 Birling)

Question 19

“Did you … …”

Answer 19

“Did you say why” (Act 1 Birling)

Question 20

“R.. “ To Mr B

Answer 20

“Reproachfully” To Mr B (Act 1 Sybil)

Question 21

“When you’re married … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …”

Answer 21

“When you’re married you’ll realise that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend all their time and energy of business” (Act 1 Sybil)

Question 22

“I think … … … … … … … … … … business”

Answer 22

“I think we’ve just about come to an end of this wretched business” (Act 2 Sybil)

Question 23

“(angrily) I … … … …”

Answer 23

“(angrily) I meant what I said” (Act 2 Sybil)

Question 24

“… … …, y’know”

Answer 24

“I’m Mrs Birling, y’know” (Act 2 Sybil)

Question 25

“Girls … … …”

Answer 25

“Girls of that class” (Act 2 Sybil)

Question 26

“… … … … … impertinent”

Answer 26

“That I consider a trifle impertinent” (Act 2 Sybil)

Question 27

“I blame … … … … … … … … … …”

Answer 27

“I blame the young man who was the father of the child”

Act 2 Sybil

Question 28

‘I knew there was something … … … … . … … … … … … …’

Answer 28

‘I knew there was something fishy about that time. And now at least you’ve been honest’

Question 29

“… … Sheila”

Answer 29

“Good old Sheila” (Act 1 Eric)

Question 30

“She was a … … …”

Answer 30

“She was a pretty good sport” (Act 3 Eric)

Question 31

“Because you’re not … … … … … … … … … … … … …”

Answer 31

“Because you’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble” (Act 3 Eric)

Question 32

“You … … …”

Answer 32

“You killed them both” (Act 3 Eric)

Question 33

“I insist … … … … … … …”

Answer 33

“I insist upon being one of the family now” (Act 1 Gerald)

Question 34

“Where did … … … … … … … … …”

Answer 34

“Where did you get the idea that I did know her” (Act 2 Gerald)

Question 35

“I want you to understand … … … … … … … … … … … …”

Answer 35

“I want you to understand that I didn’t install her there so I could make love to her” (Act 2 Gerald)

Question 36

“I’m rather more … … … … … … … … …”

Answer 36

“I’m rather more upset by this business than I appear to be”

(Act 2 Gerald)

Question 37

“A..”

Answer 37

“Assertively” (Act 3 Inspector Google)

Question 38

“But there … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …”

Answer 38

“But there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us” (Act 3 Inspector Goole)

Question 39

“We are … … … …”

Answer 39

“We are responsible for each other” (Act 3 Inspector Goole)

Question 40

“(… charge …)”

Answer 40

“(Taking charge masterfully)” (Act 3 Inspector Goole)

Question 41

‘You and I aren’t the same people … … … … … …’

Answer 41

‘You and I aren’t the same people who sat down to dinner here’

Question 42

‘in some odd way, I … … … … … … …’

Answer 42

‘in some odd way, I rather respect you more than I’ve ever done before’

Question 43

Act 1 Summary

Answer 43

Act 1:

• The family are celebrating Gerald and Sheila’s engagement
• An inspector arrives and tells the news of the dead girl
• Mr B is found to have had an involvement as the girls former employer
• Sheila got the girl fired from Milwarsa for her apparent behavior

Question 44

Act 2 Summary

Answer 44

Act 2:

• Gerald’s involvement is uncovered: he maid Daisy Renton his mistress and they had an affair
• Mrs B refused to help the girl when she asked for charity after using the name ‘Mrs Birling’
• The girl was pregnant - Mrs Birling refused her help
• Eric is hinted at being the father of the child

Question 45

Act 3 Summary

Answer 45

Act 3:

• Eric is revealed to be the father of the girls’ unborn child
• The Inspector talks about responsibility and cause and effect
• Gerald returns and they learn the Inspector was a fake and there was no suicide
• The phone rings and they are told an Inspector is coming to ask questions about a girl who has recently died

Question 46

“We don’t … …”

Answer 46

“We don’t live alone”