An Inspector Calls quotes

Question 1

Sheila’s take on capitalism

Answer 1

‘But these girls aren’t cheap labour- they’re people’

Question 2

Mr Birling simile for community

Answer 2

‘like bees in a hive’

Question 3

Mr Birling on community

Answer 3

‘community and all that nonsense’

Question 4

Mr Birling’s responsibility

Answer 4

‘it’s my duty to keep labour costs down’

Question 5

Inspector and the balance of responsibility and wealth

Answer 5

‘Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges’

Question 6

Mrs Birling’s lack of responsibility

Answer 6

‘I accept no blame for it at all’

Question 7

Inspector final speech quotes (2)

Answer 7

‘millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths’

‘We are members of one body. We are responsible for eachother’

Question 8

Mr B speaking for Sheila

Answer 8

‘Sheila’s a lucky girl’

Question 9

Mr Birling to women

Answer 9

‘after all I don’t often make speeches at you’

Question 10

Mr B misogynistic ideas

Answer 10

‘clothes mean something quite different to a woman’

Question 11

Gerald about Sheila

Answer 11

‘She’s had a long, exciting and tiring day’

Question 12

Mrs B being anti-women

Answer 12

‘your father can decide what we ought to do’

Question 13

Mr B work morals and importance in the marriage

Answer 13

‘for lower costs and higher prices’

Question 14

Eric and capitalism v socialism

Answer 14

‘It’s what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters’

Question 15

Mr B’s only concern

Answer 15

‘The press might easily’

‘there’ll be a public scandal’

Question 16

Sheila’ take on lack of guilt

Answer 16

‘I suppose we’re all nice people now’

Question 17

Eric’s take on lack of guilt

Answer 17

‘It’s still the same rotten story’

Question 18

Stage directions on social class

Answer 18

‘her husband’s social superior’

Question 19

Mr B dramatic irony

Answer 19

‘I say there isn’t a chance of war’

Question 20

Mr B to Gerald on social class

Answer 20

‘feels you might have done better for yourself socially’

Question 21

Mr B and how he responds to the working class

Answer 21

‘If you don’t come down sharply[…] they’d soon be asking for the earth’

Question 22

Mr B assumptions about Eva

Answer 22

‘Get into trouble? Go on the streets?’

Question 23

Mrs B about Eva (2)

Answer 23

‘girls of that class’

‘as if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money’

Question 24

Mr B power in business

Answer 24

‘how I choose to run my business’

Question 25

Sheila’s use of power

Answer 25

‘so you used your power[…] to punish the girl’

Question 26

Sheila about Gerald and power

Answer 26

‘You were the wonderful fairy prince’

Question 27

Gerald’s use of power over Eva

Answer 27

‘she’d lived very economically on what I’d allowed her’

Question 28

Inspector to Mrs B on power

Answer 28

‘you had in your power to grant her’

Question 29

Mr B excuses

Answer 29

‘there’s every excuse for what both your mother and I did’

Question 30

Eric’s first impressions on Eva story

Answer 30

‘It isn’t if you can’t go and work somewhere else’

Question 31

Sheila’s response to her dads actions

Answer 31

‘I think it was a mean thing to do’

Question 32

Sheila’s remorse

Answer 32

‘I know I’m to blame- and I’m desperately sorry’

Question 33

Inspector about the younger generation

Answer 33

‘They’re more impressionable’

Question 34

Mr B on the younger generation

Answer 34

‘the famous younger generation who know it all’

Question 35

Mrs B’s take on marriage

Answer 35

‘When you’re married you’ll realise that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their businesses’

Question 36

Sheila and materialistic love

Answer 36

‘Now I really feel engaged’

Question 37

Mr B to Sheila on love at the end

Answer 37

‘you’d better ask Gerald for that ring you gave back to him’

Question 38

Gerald product of his father

Answer 38

I think my father would agree to that

Question 39

Setting description

Answer 39

Heavily comfortable but not cosy and homelike

Question 40

Gerald outside of family

Answer 40

You seem to be a nice well behaved family