Guilt Quotes

Question 1

‘I’ll never, never do it again to anybody’

Shelia

Answer 1

-Repetition of ‘never’ puts emphasis on how certain Shelia is/proves her feeling of guilt.

Shelia represents the younger and regrets and feels bad for what she did. Owns up to her actions and takes responsibility.

Shelia feels guilty in contrast to her parents who don’t. Throughout the play we see guilt have a big impact on Shelia as she starts to be negative towards herself and it changes how Shelia thinks and behaves.

Question 2

‘I think she only had herself to blame’

Mrs Birling Act 2

Answer 2

• Mrs Birling feels no guilt even after learning what happened to Eva she still doesn’t feel bad and feel that she’s responsible in any way for Eva’s death in contrast to Shelia who blamed herself.
• ‘she only had herself to blame’- puts all the blame on Eva and takes no guilt.
• As Mrs Birling doesn’t feel guilty it proves she’s arrogant and the event doesn’t change her behaviour.

Question 3

‘She didn’t blame me at all. I wish to God she had now’

Gerald Act 2

Answer 3

• Gerald feels bad for the way that he treated Eva.
• ‘I wish to God she had now’- this implies how Gerald knows he had a part and responsibility in Eva’s suicide. Because he wishes she had partly blamed him proves he knows he was in the wrong and emphasises the guilt which he is feeling.

Question 4

‘You don’t seem to have learnt anything’

Shelia Act 3

Answer 4

-Whilst Shelia has learnt a lesson and felt guilt due to knowing what she did to Eva and her part in her suicide her parents haven’t.

GUILT has a big impact on the younger generation but no impact on the older generation!

Question 5

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

Eric Act 3

Answer 5

• Links to GUILT as ‘we all helped to kill her’ is Eric realising and accepting responsibility as he feels guilty because he knows they all had their own part in Eva’s death.
• (Shouting)- proves Eric’s anger and frustration with himself and his family for what they did to Eva.
• Eric’s confused and frustrated with the older generation for not accepting responsibility.

Question 6

‘You’re going to spend the rest of your life regretting it’

Inspector to Mrs Birling Act 2

Answer 6

• Mrs Birling cannot change the past. Although Mr and Mrs Birling want to deny and forget the past the Inspector is telling them they will never forget what they did and the consequences it had on Eva.
• The Inspector is implying that the past will haunt the characters with guilt.
• Later on in the play Mrs Birling learns what Eric did to Eva which she does regret and will never forget.