An Inspector Calls Quotes

Question 1

1 - Capitalist mindset

Answer 1

“A man has to mind his own business” - Mr Birling
Sums up capitalist mindset
Business has two meanings in this

Question 2

2 - Capitalism vs socialism

Answer 2

“These girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people” - Sheila Birling
Contrast between capitalist and socialist mindset
Capitalism dehumanises people

Question 3

3 - Eric using Eva

Answer 3

“She was pretty and a good sport” - Eric
Sport suggests he was playing games with Eva
Openly admits to using Eva casually

Question 4

4 - Collective responsibility and socialism

Answer 4

“We are members of one body” - Inspector
Saying everyone had a part in Eva’s death (collective responsibility)
Socialist views coming out

Question 5

5 - Many working class

Answer 5

“There are millions of Eva Smith’s” - Inspector
Eva is symbolic for working class

Question 6

6 - Judging women

Answer 6

“Clothes mean something quite different to a woman” - Mr Birling
Women judged on appearance whilst men judged on wealth

Question 7

7 - hell

Answer 7

“Taught it in fire blood and anguish” - Inspector
Talking about hell or WW1
Men will be punished for their moral crimes

Question 8

8 - The titanic

Answer 8

“Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable” - Mr Birling
Dramatic irony presenting Birling (capitalist symbol) as wrong

Question 9

9 - Mrs Birling snob

Answer 9

“Girls of that class” - Mrs Birling
Ignorant to how the lower class suffer
She looks down on the lower class

Question 10

10 - Mr Birling lack of compassion

Answer 10

“That wretched girls suicide” - Mr Birling
He isn’t sympathetic to the lower class and doesn’t care