Social Responsilbity Flashcards
All right Gerald, you needn’t look at me like that. At least I’m trying to tell the truth. I expect you’ve done things you’re ashamed of too
Sheila takes responsibility for her actions and tells the truth. Gerald is being judgemental of her even though he has not yet taken responsibility for his own actions.
If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we’d had anything to do with, it would be very awkward, wouldn’t it?
Mr Birling dismisses the idea that we should be responsible for each other, a key socialist ideal
I don’t see much nonsense about it when a girl goes and kills herself. You lot may be letting yourselves out nicely, but I can’t. Nor can mother. We did her in all right
Eric clearly shows that he has a sense of social responsibility. Whilst Gerald and Eric’s parents are enjoying being in the clear, Eric still takes the matter of Eva’s death very seriously. He is even brave enough to tell his mother that she should feel responsible too.
I should think not. Eric, I’m absolutely ashamed of you
In telling Eric that she is ashamed of him she shows that she has learned nothing from the Inspector’s investigation. The audience would know that she is in no position to be questioning the behaviour of anyone else given her own treatment of Eva Smith and lack of social responsibility.
It’s better to ask for the earth than to take it
Here the Inspector is suggesting that it is socially irresponsible to be greedy and ‘take’ things without permission.
Oh shut up, Eric. I know, I know. It’s the only time I’ve ever done anything like that, and I’ll never, never do it again to anybody.
Sheila feels social responsibility and she is filled with guilt. She knows that what she did was wrong but instead of trying to deny her actions, she takes responsibility for them. The repetition of ‘I know’ and ‘never’ truly emphasises her guilt and social responsibility as she has learnt from her actions and will not do something like this again.
I know I’m to blame - and I’m desperately sorry - but I can’t believe - I won’t believe - it’s simply my fault that in the end she - she committed suicide.
In this quote Shelia is clearly taking social responsibility for her actions but (quite rightly) will not entirely take the blame. The use of dashes reveals how guilty Shelia feels as she can barley string a sentence. The word ‘desperately’ emphasises this and the repetition of ‘she’ shows how she may be on the verge of tears.
I’m very sorry. But I thin she had only herself to blame
Even when Mrs Birling had heard of her own and the rest of her families involvement with the suicide of Eva Smith, she still insists that Eva Smith put herself in such a difficult situation. At the time, it was a common view that those of a working-class chose to make their lives difficult. However, it was because of people like Mr and Mrs Birling that their lives were made difficult and harder to improve.
You’re the one I blame for this.
Mr Birling too refuses to take responsibility for his actions. He is willing to pass the blame on to anyone else including his own son. Although Eric may have pushed Eva over the edge, he still accepted responsibility and felt remorseful.
I suppose we’re all nice people now
After the Birling’s find out that the Inspector may have not been a real Inspector, they seem relieved and act as if what they have done is no longer relevant or something they have to worry about. However, Shelia doesn’t feel this way and so makes this comment which to the audience would come across as sarcastic and bitter.
I want to get out of this. It frightens me the way you talk.
Shelia is ashamed of herself as well as her family. She had accepted what she has done and knows it was wrong. However, she is literally frightened that her parents and Gerald are talking as if they have done nothing wrong.
