Quotes by Character

Question 1

Quotes from Mr Birling

Answer 1

• “fiddlesticks”
• “Hard-headed business man”
• “Wretched girl’s suicide”
• “Got herself into trouble”
• “can’t accept any responsibility”
• “community and all that nonsense”
• “A man has to mind his own business and look after himself”
• “they’ll soon be asking for the Earth”
• “I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can”
• “public scandal”

Question 2

Quotes from Mrs Birling

Answer 2

• “I didn’t like her manner”
• “I did nothing I’m ashamed of”
• “perfectly justified”
• “a trifle impertinent”
• “Women of the town?”
• “I consider I did my duty”
• “I accept no blame”
• “[the father] ought to be dealt with very severely”
• “there must be some mistake”

Question 3

Quotes from Eric

Answer 3

• “half shy, half assertive”
• “in that state when a chap easily turns nasty”
• “I’m ashamed of you as well”
• “I think it’s a damn shame”
• “pretty and a good sport”
• “you killed her”
• “you don’t understand anything”
• “I’m never likely to forget”
• “the girl’s still dead”

Question 4

Quotes from Sheila

Answer 4

• “Mummy” -> “Mother”
• “these girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people”
• “furious temper”
• “he’s giving us the rope - so that we’ll hang ourselves”
• “And probably between us we killed her”
• “You were the wonderful Fairy Prince”
• “You’re pretending everything’s just as it was before”
• “It’s you two who are being childish”

Question 5

Quotes from Gerald

Answer 5

• “nice well-behaved family”
• “It’s bound to be unpleasant and disturbing”
• “I hate those hard-eyed dough-faced women”
• “it wasn’t disgusting”
• “I didn’t feel about her as she felt about me”
• “What about this ring?”

Question 6

Quotes from Inspector

Answer 6

• “Public men… have responsibilities as well as privileges”
• “It’s better to ask for the Earth than to take it.”
• “Your daughter’s not living on the moon”
• “The girl’s dead though.”
• “One line of enquiry at a time”
• “You think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things?”
• “as if she was an animal”
• “Don’t stammer and yammer at me, man”
• “We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”
• “If men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.”

Question 7

Quotes about Dramatic Irony

Answer 7

• “Nobody wants war”
• “There’ll be peace and prosperity”
• “absolutely unsinkable”

Question 8

Quotes about Class

Answer 8

• “Girls of that sort”
• “elaborate fine feelings… simply absurd for a girl in her position”
• “these girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people”

Question 9

Quotes about Capitalism vs Socialism

Answer 9

• “my duty to keep labour costs down”
• “community and all that nonsense”
• “like bees in a hive”
• “We don’t live alone”
• “We are members of one body”