An Inspector Calls Quotations

Question 1

“If men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and in blood and in anguish”

Answer 1

The Inspector - conditional sentence and foreshadowing the war that will be coming. The syndetic listing creates a blunt sharp tone where the didactic message of Priestley is conveyed to both the characters and the audience

Question 2

“These girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people”

Answer 2

Sheila - shows her understanding of the impact that capitalist views have on women in society. Alternatively, this could be her own sudden realisation showing her naivety

Question 3

“Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable”

Answer 3

Mr Birling - dramatic irony. Could be symbolic for the Birling family being unsinkable but also demonstrates his ignorance. The adverb “absolutely” creates a certainty which makes this even worse

Question 4

“The Germans don’t want war”

Answer 4

Mr Birling - dramatic irony. A declarative tone that is expressed with a level of certainty - it makes him seem even more foolish and despised by the audience

Question 5

“She was pretty and a good sport”

Answer 5

Eric - his description of Eva Smith shows a conformity to the Patriarchy of the time. She is objectified for her looks and show a traditional passing down of capitalist views

Question 6

“I’m desperately sorry and I’ll never, never do it again to anybody”

Answer 6

Sheila - the repetition of “never” conveys a sense of desperation and passion. The adverb “desperately” gives a sense of her feeling overwhelmed by emotion and her involvement

Question 7

“I don’t play golf”

Answer 7

The Inspector - shows a willingness to stand up to social superiors and distances himself from corrupt establishments and Capitalist business

Question 8

“We are members of one body”

Answer 8

The Inspector - uses this metaphor as a means by which he can convey his hopes for socialist ideals - everyone working together to look after each other

Question 9

“Mixed together like bees in a hive, community and all that nonsense”

Answer 9

Mr Birling - highly dismissive of community, something audiences would criticise. The simile comparing society to bees in a hive is used to be shown as being uncomfortable but alternatively could show productivity

Question 10

“Millions and millions of John and Eva Smiths”

Answer 10

The Inspector - provides a didactic message acting as a microcosm for men and women in society suffering in the same way that Eva Smith did

Question 11

“It frightens me the way you talk”

Answer 11

Sheila - shows her immaturity and childish nature - she is fearful of the way that the truth is presented to her

Question 12

“Pleased with life”

“Passionately”

Answer 12

Stage directions - Sheila - shows the development of her character throughout the play - she starts in a materialistic sense and develops into more of an advocate for others

Question 13

“The lighting is pink and intimate and then becomes brighter and harder as the Inspector arrives”

Answer 13

Stage directions - could be symbolic for the comfort of the family, intimate lighting showing their ability to have warmth, something many others would not have. Becoming brighter could be that as he arrives the family find it harder to see their lives in the way they once did

Question 14

“I’m talking as a hard-headed practical man of business”

Answer 14

Mr Birling - reinforcing and attempting to assert and influence others through his power and status - there is an irony associated with this as audiences would not view this as impressive

Question 15

“A man has to make his own way - to look after himself - and his family too, of course!”

Answer 15

Mr Birling - shows that his priority is self preservation rather than being focused on his family and others -
There is a dismissive nature to looking after his family as if it was an after thought. Reinforces capitalism

Question 16

“Probably a Socialist or some sort of crank”

Answer 16

Mr Birling - provides a criticism for socialists and dismisses their attitudes and ideas - perhaps this is a deliberate tool from Priestley to show how individuals wanted to reject socialism and its values

Question 17

“Now look at the pair of them - the famous younger generation who know it all”

Answer 17

Mr Birling- makes a criticism towards Shiela and Eric and their shifts in attitudes - shows a generational divide in society

Question 18

“Girls of that class”

Answer 18

Mrs Birling - dismisses Eva and women who are in a similar social situation - shows the role class plays in people’s viewpoints and judgements

Question 19

“I’m very sorry but I think she only had herself to blame”

Answer 19

Mrs Birling - attempts to show some sympathy but it feels superficial - she attributes blame solely to Eva and therefore seems driven by class and prejudice

Question 20

“Go look for the father of the child - it’s his responsibility”

Answer 20

Mrs Birling - in a similar way to her attributing blame to Eva Smith, Mrs Birling shifts the blame to the father of her child, without knowing that it is her own son, Eric, therefore could function as dramatic irony.

Question 21

“I accept no blame at all”

Answer 21

Mrs Birling - shows her difference to Sheila and Eric. A stubborn refusal to show any connection to Eva Smith and the suicide.
It is a blunt declarative statement

Question 22

“As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!”

Answer 22

Mrs Birling - exclamations utterance which conveys a sense of shock at the way a girl in a lower class acts - conforms to stereotypes of working class individuals

Question 23

“He certainly didn’t make me confess - I had done no more than my duty”

Answer 23

Mrs Birling - focus on the word “duty” - she feels that her role is to refuse Eva Smith the rights and values that upper class individuals have

Question 24

“She was giving herself ridiculous airs… claiming elaborate fine feelings…that were simply absurd for a girl in her position”

Answer 24

Mrs Birling a “ridiculous airs” gives a sense of class and social hierarchy showing a division of classes. The word “absurd” has a strong and pointed tone that conveys a sense of entitlement and privilege

Question 25

“About fifty, a rather cold woman and her husbands social superior”

Answer 25

Stage directions about Mrs Birling - she is presented as someone without compassion “cold” and there is a reference to the patriarchy as although she is of a higher class, her husband outranks her”

Question 26

“A pretty girl in her early twenties very pleased with life and rather excited”

Answer 26

Stage directions to describe Sheila - she is presented as being materialistic and happy with her capitalist lifestyle. Her excitement is important as is builds into the rest of the play as the focus of her feelings shift

Question 27

“Rather distressed”

Answer 27

Stage directions to describe Sheila - her mood shifts once her involvement is exposed

Question 28

“And if I could help her now, I would”

Answer 28

Sheila - shows remorse and reflection about her actions towards Eva although we might doubt the honesty of this

Question 29

“Why - you fool - he knows”

Answer 29

Sheila to Gerald - shows her astuteness and understanding of the Inspector - she has greater development than other characters but still has a lot to learn

Question 30

“(Bitterly) I suppose we are nice people now”

Answer 30

Sheila - creates undermining comments towards her parents suggesting frustration but not fully owning it

Question 31

“In his early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive”

Answer 31

Stage directions - Eric - juxtaposition between shy and assertive give an indication into his personality - he is not confident potentially due to the way his father treats him. He appears as an outsider

Question 32

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

Answer 32

Eric - questions the motives and attitudes of his parents - shows his social awareness compared to his parents and feeds into generational divide

Question 33

“Well I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty and threatened to make a row”

Answer 33

Eric - shows his level of comfort with his Capitalist upbringing and the patriarchy and their ignorance to others

Question 34

“I don’t even remember - that’s the hellish thing”

Answer 34

Eric - shows his remorse for this actions through the use of the word “hellish” conveying emotions and regret

Question 35

“In a way, she treated me - as if I were a kid”

Answer 35

Eric - the connection to him being seen as a kid makes it appear like he has some built up resentment towards being seen as someone who lacks maturity - this could be as a consequence of his upbringing

Question 36

“You’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble”

Answer 36

Eric - a very direct and pointed utterance towards Mr Birling - shows that they do not have a strong father - son relationship

Question 37

“Then you killed her”

Answer 37

Erin - dysphemistically and directly accuses his parents, in particular Mrs Birling for killing Eva and in turn his unborn child

Question 38

“He was our police inspector all right”

Answer 38

Eric - the collective pronoun “our” gives a sense of shared responsibility that Eric is aware of - he takes on the blame and responsibility for the families actions

Question 39

“(Shouting) and I say the girls dead and we all helped kill her - and that’s what matters”

Answer 39

Eric - the stage direction (shouting) gives a sense of frustration and anger. The accusatory tone that Eric has in a direct way shows the breaking down of the family and the generational divide

Question 40

“An attractive chap about thirty, rather too manly to be a dandy but very much the well-bred young man-about-town”

Answer 40

Stage directions to describe Gerald - a product of his Capitalist upbringing and a symbol of the patriarchy

Question 41

“After all, y’know, we’re respectable citizens and not criminals”

Answer 41

Gerald - dramatic irony - Gerald tries to excuse the actions of the family and foreshadows their inevitable fall from
Grace

Question 42

“[Daisy] gave me a glance that was nothing less than a cry for help”

Answer 42

Gerald - presents himself in a chivalrous manner where he places himself as the hero to save her from her fate

Question 43

“ I didn’t install her there to make love to her… I was sorry for her … I didn’t ask anything in return”

Answer 43

Gerald - tries to excuse his actions for the way he was involved with Eva Smith - the use of the verb “install” is interesting as it gives a sense of intent - this is also left open to the audience to interpret whether they believe him

Question 44

“ I became at once the most important person in her life”

Answer 44

Gerald - Gerald again makes himself seem like a hero and conveys his own role as supporting and helping Eva Smith - audiences would need to take this with a pinch of salt as we are left to work out whether we believe him

Question 45

“But how do you know it’s the same girl?”

Answer 45

Gerald - questions whether the Inspector was honest - Gerald appears to try and find a way out of the situation that they are presented with”

Question 46

“Everything’s alright now Sheila. What about this ring?”

Answer 46

Gerald - appears to have learnt nothing from the investigation - wishes to return back to normal - connects to the theory of eternal occurrence

Question 47

“Need not be a big man but he creates at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness”

Answer 47

Stage Directions - The Inspector - shows his visible importance and omnipotence

Question 48

“A chain of events”

Answer 48

The Inspector - creates the imagery associated with chains which alludes to the links that people have towards blame and responsibility

Question 49

“It’s better to ask for the Earth than to take it”

Answer 49

The Inspector - a subtle criticism placed towards Capitalists and how they treat others and run business

Question 50

“(To Gerald) and you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things?”

Answer 50

The Inspector - questions the way that Gerald views women - this feeds into Patriarchal views and the way society is established

Question 51

“If there’s nothing else we have to share our guilt”

Answer 51

The Inspector - conditional sentence - the collective aspect of this quotation reinforces the socialist views and values that Priestley aims to communicate through this play

Question 52

“(The young ones) are the most impressionable”

Answer 52

The Inspector - provides an indication that the younger generation are more likely to change their behaviour than the older generation

Question 53

“Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges”

Answer 53

The Inspector - tries to remind Mr Birling of how he should act and behave and his treatment of others

Question 54

“But each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it”

Answer 54

The Inspector - there is a shift in his tone here where he becomes more direct and blunt - there is a dysphemistic tone in the way he speaks to them