An Inspector Calls (quotes)

Question 1

Mr Birling act 1:
‘In 1940 […] you’ll be…
‘There’ll be…

Answer 1

…living in a world that’ll have forgotten all these Capital versus Labour agitations and all these silly little war scares.’
…peace and prosperity and rapid progress everywhere’

Question 2

Mr Birling act 1:

‘The way some of these cranks talk and write nowadays…

Answer 2

…you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive - community and all that nonsense.’

Question 3

Mr Birling act 1:

‘She’d had a lot to say -

Answer 3

far too much - so she had to go.’

Question 4

Mr Birling act 3:

‘Come on, Sheila,

Answer 4

…don’t look like that. All over now.’

Question 5

Mr Birling act 3:

‘The famous…

Answer 5

…younger generation who can’t even take a joke’

Question 6

Mr Birling description:

‘Birling is a … rather … man in his early …’

Answer 6

‘Birling is a heavy, rather portentous man in his early fifties.’

Question 7

Sheila act 1:

‘except for…

Answer 7

…all last summer, when you never came near me’

Question 8

Sheila act 2:

‘Oh it’s wonderful! …

Answer 8

… Look mummy isn’t it a beauty’

Question 9

Act 1 Sheila’s response to her father sacking Eva Smith

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Act 2 Sheila to her mother’s defensive and non compliant attitude

Answer 10

‘You mustn’t try and build up a kind of wall between us and that girl.’

Question 11

Sheila act 3:

‘it’s you two…

Answer 11

…who are being childish - trying not to face the facts’

Question 12

Sheila description:

‘A … girl in her early …, very pleased with life and rather …’

Answer 12

‘A pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited.’

Question 13

Mrs Birling act 2:

‘You seem to…

Answer 13

…have made a great impression on this child’

Question 14

Mrs Birling act 2:

‘I think…

Answer 14

… she only had herself to blame’

Question 15

Mrs Birling act 2:

‘I’ll tell you what I told her…

Answer 15

…Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.’

Question 16

Mrs Birling act 2:

‘I accept…

Answer 16

…no responsibility at all’

Question 17

Mrs Birling description:

‘About …, a rather … woman and her husband’s … …’

Answer 17

‘About fifty, a rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior.’

Question 18

Eric act 2:

‘Because you’re not…

Answer 18

…the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble’

Question 19

Eric act 3:

‘Then–you killed her. She came to you to protect me – and you turned her away…

Answer 19

– yes, and you killed her –and the child she’d have had too – my child – your own grandchild –you killed them both –damn you, damn you.’

Question 20

Eric act 3:

‘You’re beginning to…

Answer 20

…pretend now that nothing’s really happened at all’

Question 21

Eric act 3:

‘And I say…

Answer 21

…the girl’s dead and we all helped to kill her’

Question 22

Eric act 3:

‘I don’t see much nonsense about it…

Answer 22

…when a girl kills herself. You lot may be letting yourselves out nicely, but I can’t.’

Question 23

Eric description:

‘in his early …, not quite at …, half …, half …’

Answer 23

‘in his early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive’

Question 24

Gerald act 2:

‘I became at once…

Answer 24

…the most important person in her life’

Question 25

Gerald act 2:

‘I did [enjoy the attention]…

Answer 25

…for a time. Nearly any man would have’

Question 26

Gerald description:

‘An … chap about …, rather too … to be a dandy but very much the easy … man-about-town’

Answer 26

‘An attractive chap about thirty, rather too manly to be a dandy but very much the easy well-bred man-about-town’

Question 27

Inspector act 1:

‘It’s better to…

Answer 27

…ask for the world than to take it’

Question 28

Inspector’s final speech quote:
‘One Eva Smith has gone – but there are … of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their …, their … and …, their … and … … …, all intertwined with our lives, with what we … and … and ….’

Answer 28

‘One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, with what we think and say and do.’

Question 29

Inspector’s final speech quote:
‘We … … …. We are … of … …. We are … for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in … and … and … . … ….’

Answer 29

‘We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish. Good night.’

Question 30

Act 1 Birling’s Capitalist and naïve views about war:

Answer 30

‘The Germans don’t want war. Everything to lose and nothing to gain by war.’

Question 31

Act 1 Birling’s Capitalist view:

Answer 31

‘A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own.’

Question 32

Act 1 Gerald when confessing his affair with Daisy Renton:

Answer 32

‘I don’t come into this suicide business.’

Question 33

Act 2 Sheila to Gerald after him being honest about his affair and she hands back the engagement ring:

Answer 33

‘I rather respect you more than I’ve ever done before’

Question 34

Act 2 Mrs Birling when asked by Inspector Goole who is to blame:

Answer 34

‘I blame the young man who was the father of the child she was going to have. If, as she said, he didn’t belong to her class, and was some drunken young idler, then that’s all the more reason why he shouldn’t escape. He should be made an example of. If the girl’s death is due to anybody, then it’s due to him.’

Question 35

Act 3 Birling about Inspector Goole:

Answer 35

‘Probably a socialist or some sort of crank.’

Question 36

Inspector Goole description:

‘The Inspector need not be…

Answer 36

…a big man but he creates at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purpose’

Question 37

Act 3 Sheila collective comment

Answer 37

‘Between us we drove that girl to commit suicide.’