Inspector Calls Quotes Flashcards
Practical man of business
“I’m talking as a hard-headed practical man of business”
Mr Birling
The inevitability of war is nonsense
‘you’ll hear some people say war is Inevitable … fiddlesticks!’
Mr Birling
References the Titanic being unsinkable
‘The Titanic – she sails next week…and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.’
Mr Birling
A very good chance at a knighthood
“I gather there’s a very good chance of a knighthood”
Mr Birling
Every man for himself and his family
“A man has to make his own way – has to look after himself – and his family too, of course”
Mr Birling
Social superior
“About fifty, a rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior”
Sybil Birling
Girls of a certain class
“girls of that class”
Sybil Birling
Apologetic, but blames her
‘I’m very sorry. But I think she only had herself to blame’
Sybil Birling
Denial, they apparently know it
“I’ve done nothing wrong – and you know it.”
Sybil Birling
Placing responsibility on the father
“Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.”
Sybil Birling
Looks coming before how she feels.
“A pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited”
Sheila
Childish behaviour
“Yes, go on, Mummy”
Sheila
Voice of the inspector coming out about labour
“But these girls aren’t cheap labour- they’re people.”
Sheila
Regret and remorse for her actions
“And if I could help her now, I would-”
Sheila
Truly sorry for her actions and feels regretful, and will never do it again. Repition of ‘never’
“I’ll never, never do it again to anybody…I feel now I can never go there again
Sheila
Unsure of what he wants to do with his life, shy but also assertive.
“In his early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive”
Eric
Another voice of the inspector, talking about highest possible prices.
“Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices
Eric
You can’t work anywhere else
“it isn’t as if you can go and work somewhere else.”
Eric
Could of kept her instead, but tough luck
“He could have kept her on instead of throwing her out. I call it tough luck.”
Eric
Only liked her because of her looks
“I wasn’t in love with her or anything- but I liked her- she was pretty and a good sport-”
Eric
Backing up Birling when sacking Eva
“You couldn’t have done anything else” (sacking Eva Smith)
Gerald
Foreshadowing about criminals
“After all, y’know, we’re respectable citizens and not criminals”
Gerald
Justifying his actions as a cry for help
‘[Daisy] gave me a glance that was nothing less than a cry for help”
Gerald
She was happiest with him
“She told me she’d been happier than she’d ever been before”
Gerald
Trying to comfort Sheila, talks about material possessions
“Everything’s all right now Sheila. What about this ring?”
Gerald
Better to ask than take
“it’s better to ask for the Earth than to take it”
Inspector
Sharing our guilt
“If there’s nothing else we have to share our guilt”
Inspector
Responsibilites and privleges are given to public men
“Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges”
Inspector
Dying after several hours of agony
“…and died, after several hours of agony…”
Inspector
She gave herself ridiculous names, and attempted to use her feelings to get an advantage
“She was giving herself ridiculous airs…claiming elaborate fine feelings…that were simply absurd in a girl in her position.”
Sybil Birling
Idea that it was a drunken event, she was used like an animal, not a person.
“Just used her for the end of a stupid drunken evening, as if she was an animal, a thing, not a person.”
Sheila
Obediance to her superiors.
“Yes Ma’am”
Edna
Introducing the inspector
“Please, sir, an inspector’s called”
Edna
Beginning of when the inspector comes, light changes
“All right, Edna. Show him in here. Give us some more light.”
Mr Birling
The inspector questions Gerald, if he thinks women should be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things.
(To Gerald) “And you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things?”
Inspector
Description of the Inspector
“Need not be a big man but he creates at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness.”
Inspector
Mr Birling talks about how he thinks people believe that they (society) should look out for eachother like bees, but Mr Birling believes its nonsense.
“you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense.”
Mr Birling
Mr Birling refers to business in a tragic/horrid event. Doesn’t understand something
“(rather impatiently) Horrid business. But I don’t understand why you should come here.”
Mr Birling
