Inspector Calls Quotes P2 Flashcards
“ lower costs and higher prices,”
Birling
“ there isn’t a chance of war,”
Birling
“ unsinkable absolutely unsinkable’l
Birling
“ mixed up together like bees in a hive -community and all that nonsense,”
Birling
“ a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own- and”
Birling
“(Rather impatiently” yes yes. Horrid business. But I don’t understand why you should come here inspector,”
Birling
“ how do you get on with our chief constable, Colonel Robert’s?”
Birling
“(Unhappily) Look, inspector -I’d give thousands yes thousands,”
Birling
“ lighting should be pink and intimate then it should be brighter and harder”
Inspector
“ she swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant. Burnt her inside out of course.”
Inspector
“ she was in great agony,”
Inspector
“ I don’t play golf,”
Inspector
“ each of you helped to kill her,”
Inspector
“(Rather savagely to Birling) you started it.”
Inspector
“ there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smith’s and John Smiths,”
Inspector
“ we don’t live alone,”
Inspector
“ we are members of one body,”
Inspector
“ we are responsible for each other.”
Inspector
“ if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught in fire and blood and anguish”
Inspector
“ a rather cold woman and her husband social superior,”
Stage directions on Mrs Birling
“ I don’t suppose for a moment that we can understand where the girl committed suicide. Girls of that class-“
Mrs. Birling.
“ I did nothing. I’m ashamed of or that won’t bear investigation,”
Mrs Birling
“ I’ll tell you what I told her. go and look for the father of the child. it’s his responsibility
Mrs Birling
“ as if a girl of that sort would refuse money,”
Mrs Birling
“(Very distressed now) no Eric please I didn’t know I didn’t understand”
Mrs Birling
“ I was the only one who didn’t give into him,”
Mrs Birling
“ oh it’s wonderful! Look mummy isn’t it A beauty?”
Sheila
“But these girls aren’t cheap labour theyre people,”
Sheila
“ I’ll never, never do it again,”
Sheila
“ I know I’m to blame and I’m desperately sorry,”
Sheila
(Slowly carefully now) you mustn’t try to build up a kind of war between us and that girl,”
Sheila
“ it’s you two who are being childish trying not to face facts,”
Sheila to her parents
“ it frightens me the way you talk,”
Sheila to her parents
“ Eric is in his early 20s not quite at ease half shy half assertive,”
Stage directions on Eric
“ Eric is in his early 20s not quite at ease half shy half assertive,”
Stage directions on Eric
“Just let me finish Eric. You’ve a lot to learn yet,”
Birling
“ well I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty and I threatened to make a row,”
Eric
“ because you’re not the kind of father chap could go to when he’s in trouble that’s why,”
Eric
“ just used her for the end of a stupid drunken evening as if she were an animal a thing not a person,”
Inspector to Eric
“ whoever that chap was the fact remains that I did what I did,”
Eric
“(Shouting) and I say the girls dead and we all helped to kill her and that’s what matters,”
Eric
“ very much the easy well bread young man about town,”
Stage directions on Gerald
“hear hear!”
Gerald drinking to Birlings call for lower costs and higher prices
“ we’d have done the same thing,”
Gerald agreeing to Birling sacking Eva
“ she knew it couldn’t last hadn’t expected it to last. she didn’t blame me at all,”
Gerald on his relationship with Eva/Daisy
“ as I’m rather more upset by this business then I probably appear to be,”
Gerald on the death of Eva
“ he at least had some affection for her and made her happy for a time.”
Inspector on Gerald to Eva
“ everything is alright now Sheila. (Holds up ring) what about this ring?”
Gerald
“ unsinkable absolutely unsinkable,” quote in depth
Dramatic irony- the audience knows he’s wrong. The tone of it is utterly confident- Priestly creates this tone through the repetition of unsinkable and adverb absolutely. This combined with Burling absolute certainty makes him seem ridiculous and ignorant. This line is used to undermine an audience is respect for Birling opinions and everything that stands for.
“ like bees in a hive- community and all that nonsense,” quote in depth
Burling believes are looking after himself and his family only. The idea about caring for others he describes as nonsense. This means that he just doesn’t agree. He thinks it’s ridiculous. Describes the idea of community of bees in a hive. He means this is an insult these insects rather than intelligent humans. They also have drones which work slavishly and self for the good of the hive. Burling is implying that caring about community is slavish insect like behaviour not worthy of humans. Burling is attacking socialist ideas here. Through this line, Priestly wants to establish Birling’s contempt for socialism and socialist ideas and his selfish view of the word.
“ a man hosting his own business and look after himself and his own -and” quote in depth
It formally establishes Burling view of the world being selfish. We could argue that the entire place set up to expose the consequences of this view. The mistreatment of eva Smith is because all of the Birling share this view to an extent. The dash at the end of the line is to show interruption (when the inspector arrives. This symbolically reinforces the idea that inspector is called to challenge this particular view of the world. By exposing the behaviour of each of the Priestly uses the inspector to build a case against this view.
“Pink and intimate brighter and harder,”
The pink and intimate symbolises the private cosy content comfortable world of the birlings at the start of the play. The lighting changes to brighter and harder when the inspector arrives. Like concise truth as it reveals what is hidden by the darkness the inspector is metaphorically shining the lights on the Burling exposing their hidden morality a bright light together with the context of an investigation also has connotations of an interrogation. The inspector is also shining the light on the suffering of the working class exposing the lack of social justice in society.
“ Swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant. Burnt her inside out,” quote in depth
This is vivid negative imagery. The word burnt has particular connotations of pain while the idea of being burnt inside out seems agonising and horrific. It is a description that is repeated by the inspector throughout the play. The purpose of this description is to make us see the tragedy of Eva Smiths death. We find ourselves asking what could make someone do this to themselves. Ultimately, the inspector suggest that this result of unequal society and the selfish worldview of Mr Birling. Price uses this imagery to make us feel sympathy for Eva.
“We are members of one body,” quote in depth
This is imagery/a metaphor. A body is made up of many parts, e.g. lungs, liver heart et cetera. However, all these individual parts work as a whole for the body as a hole to be healthy parts within it need to be healthy part of the body cells as an impact on the body is a hole, Priestly/the inspector suggesting that the society is like a body as it’s made up with different parts. The metaphor is suggesting that we need to look after all parts of society to be happy. This is a challenge to Burling’s idea that we should look after ourselves and our families.
“Girls of that class,” quote in depth
When Mrs. Birling says this, she is suggesting that it’s impossible to understand Eva Smith’s motives. This is an example of class prejudice as she holds negative views of Ava Smith because of our class. This fails to treat Ava Smith as an individual as she is just lump together with other girls of that class as if they are all the same. Mrs. Burling sees herself as disconnected from the working class- she lives in an ivory tower looking down on others.
“ you mustn’t try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl,” quote in depth
This is imagery. A wall is a barrier that keeps things separate so it has connotations of division and segregation. Arguably, the Burling already had war between themselves and the rest of society. Much about the inspector down the walls have built. This is also significant because it shows how Sheila quickly Sheila adopts the socialist views on the inspector.
“ just use her for the end of the stupid drunken evening as if she went to animal a thing not a person,” quote in depth
We don’t treat animals or things in the same way we treat humans because we don’t value them in the same way. We could say that Eric objectified or dehumanised Ava Smith. This shows the inspector morally judging for his treatment of Ava Smith. We could agree that this treatment is an extension of burning selfish view of the world if we only think about ourselves it’s easy to treat other people like things. This line is also useful in showing that the inspector isn’t just investigating a crime he’s morally judging the Burling too.
“ everything is alright now Sheila. (Holds up the ring) what about this ring?”
This line makes us question the extent to which Gerald has learnt from the inspector visit even though someone might not have died the Burling and Gerald still did what they did. Gerald’s reaction contrasts with Sheila she doesn’t accept the ring as she doesn’t think that everything is alright. Gerald wants to quickly move on from his behaviour. Gerald’s age falls of the older and younger this suggests that you may already be moving beyond the point where he can easily be influenced by new ideas.
