Quotes - AIC

Question 1

Dramatic irony showing Mr Birling’s inadequacy (Titanic).

Answer 1

Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable

Question 2

Shows Mr Birling’s arrogance and helps introduce the idea that capitalism is majorly flawed (bees).

Answer 2

Like bees in a hive - community and all that nonsense

Question 3

Dramatic irony showing Mr Birling’s inadequacy (war).

Answer 3

Nobody wants war

Question 4

Sets the mood for the Inspector’s interrogation (lights).

Answer 4

Pink and intimate… brighter and harder

Question 5

The Inspector interrupting Mr Birling’s heavily capitalist speech.

Answer 5

The sharp ring of a door bell

Question 6

Mr Birling’s description.

Answer 6

A heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties, rather provincial in his speech

Question 7

Mrs Birling’s description.

Answer 7

A rather cold woman

Question 8

Sheila’s description.

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Eric’s description.

Answer 9

Half shy, half assertive

Question 10

Gerald’s description.

Answer 10

Well-bred young man-about-town

Question 11

Mr Birling’s description of himself that the audience knows is overstated.

Answer 11

A hard-headed, practical man of business

Question 12

Mr Birling criticising the younger generation and the Inspector’s message.

Answer 12

The famous younger generation who know it all

Question 13

Mr Birling demonstrating capitalism’s problems (lower…).

Answer 13

Lower costs and higher prices

Question 14

Mr Birling dismissing the Inspector’s message by saying he guessed everything.

Answer 14

A few smart guesses/hoaxed

Question 15

Demonstrating how low women are in society by saying their clothes are a major part of who they are.

Answer 15

A token of their self-respect

Question 16

Mr Birling saying socialists are cranks.

Answer 16

Socialist or some sort of crank

Question 17

A word used by Gerald (multiple times), Eric, Sheila and the Inspector to describe Eva Smith.

Answer 17

Pretty

Question 18

Words used by Gerald to describe and objectify Eva Smith.

Answer 18

‘Pretty’, ‘young’, ‘fresh’, ‘charming’

Question 19

Mrs Birling dismissing the lower classes as unimportant.

Answer 19

Girls of that class

Question 20

Mrs Birling shouldering the blame to anybody but her.

Answer 20

I accept no blame for it at all

Question 21

Mrs Birling showing gender inequality by saying only men have important work.

Answer 21

Men with important work to do

Question 22

Mrs Birling assuming control over Sheila and leaving the men to discuss business.

Answer 22

Sheila and I had better go into the drawing-room and leave you men

Question 23

Sheila going against the status quo to show sympathy for the proletariats.

Answer 23

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

Question 24

Sheila trying to make her parents understand the Inspector’s message.

Answer 24

The point is, you don’t seem to have learnt anything

Question 25

Sheila showing her immaturity early in the play in her way of addressing her parents.

Answer 25

Mummy/Daddy

Question 26

Sheila telling Gerald that the Inspectors knows everything, and not to hide anything.

Answer 26

Why - you fool - he knows

Question 27

Sheila being submissive to Gerald offering her the ring.

Answer 27

Is it the one you wanted me to have

Question 28

Eric going against the capitalist philosophy: ‘lower costs and higher prices’.

Answer 28

Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages

Question 29

Eric telling Mr Birling how judgemental he is about anything he doesn’t like.

Answer 29

You’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble

Question 30

Eric telling the audience Priestley’s socialist message, repeated twice.

Answer 30

We all helped to kill her

Question 31

Gerald trying to prove that the Inspector was a hoax.

Answer 31

But how do you know it’s the same girl

Question 32

The Inspector using graphic imagery to describe Eva Smith’s death.

Answer 32

Burnt her inside out

Question 33

The Inspector telling Mr Birling how he is worse than Eva was when she asked for higher wages.

Answer 33

It’s better to ask for the earth than to take it

Question 34

The Inspector telling the Birlings that if they don’t stop their capitalist ways, they will go to hell.

Answer 34

If men will not learn that lesson then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish

Question 35

The Inspector telling the Birlings how there are many people living like how he described Eva’s life.

Answer 35

There are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths

Question 36

The Inspector’s description.

Answer 36

An impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness

Question 37

Gerald assuming his opinion is always right.

Answer 37

Nothing less than a cry for help

Question 38

Mrs Birling admonishing Mr Birling for not sticking to the status quo.

Answer 38

Arthur, you’re not supposed to say such things

Question 39

Mr Birling saying how Sheila is lucky being engaged to Gerald.

Answer 39

Sheila’s a lucky girl

Question 40

Mr Birling advocating capitalism through suggesting a dog-eat-dog world.

Answer 40

A man has to make his own way

Question 41

Mr Birling telling Sheila to leave in a carefree way.

Answer 41

Run along

Question 42

Sheila telling her father to not interfere.

Answer 42

Don’t interfere please, Father