An Inspector Calls: Key Quotes

An Inspector Calls: Key Quotes

“pleased with themselves” (the family)

“except for all last summer when you never came near me” (Sheila about Gerald, creates suspicion)

“men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business” (Mrs Birling to Sheila)

“you’re just the kind of son-in law I always wanted” (rmember Gerald earlier was described as easy, well-bred man about town, Mr Birling to Gerald)

“There is a fair chance that I might be on my way to honours list” (birling to Gerald)

“I was lord mayor for 2 years” (birling to Gerald)

“A man has to mind his own business” (birling to Eric and Gerald)

“Clothes mean.. A token of self-respect” (birling to Eric and Gerald)

Protest against the way my daughter is young unmarried girl: being dragged in to this. (Birling)

“Better than I thought she was very gallant-bout it” (Gerald)

“With irony: that was nice for you” (Sheila)

“It doesn’t much matter now, of course- but was he really a police inspector” (Sheila to family)

“That fellow obviously didn’t like us. He was prejudice from the start” (Birling to Mrs Birling)

“Each of you helped to kill her” - Inspector

“One Eva Smith is gone… millions of Eva Smith’s and John Smith’s are still with us”

“There’s every excuse for what… mother and I did” –Mr Birling

“You sack a girl called Eva Smith and you’ve forgotten, but he shows you a photograph… and you remember” –Gerald

“I don’t think we need to discuss it”. (Mrs Birling to Inspector) Shows how Mrs Birling is trying to get away from the truth and she enjoys giving orders.

“I’ve done nothing wrong” – Mrs Birling never thinks she does anything wrong and remains resolute in her refusal to take any responsibility.

“So I told her it was her business”- Mrs Birling is selfish and would do anything to protect herself. Also it highlights her total coldness even on a feminine level, she shows no maternal nature towards Eva in her pregnant condition.

“Inspector Goole…a new man” – the name is a homophone for ghoul. Ghoul meaning person with morbid interests. He is interested in the death of Eva and exploring the darker side of the Birling family, he brings no joy, only judgement and harsh reality.  The new man element of his description suggests a new way of looking at things, and he certainly opens up a new start for Sheila and Eric in their lives by the end of his encounter with them.

“I was a bit squiffy” (Eric)… word choice of squiffy has suggestions of upper class.

“I wasn’t in love with her or anything- but I liked her –she was pretty and a good sport”. (Eric on Eva)

“You’ll be able to divide the responsibility between you when I’m gone” (Goole to the family) sadly of course they don’t as some refuse to accept any responsibility.

“I respect you more than I’ve ever done before” (Sheila to Eric)

“You’re quite wrong to suppose I shall regret what I did” (Mrs Birling)

“I accept no blame for it” (Mrs Birling)

“If you’d had any sense of loyalty” (Birling to Sheila)

“There’s no Inspector Goole on the police…this makes a difference y’know in fact it makes all the difference” (Goole represents a moral conscience, sadly when Mr Birling realises he is a fake, this allows him to disregard any responsibility or guilt)

“(bitterly) I suppose we’re all nice people now” (Sheila)

“I was the only one of you who didn’t give in to him” (Mrs Birling)

“The fact remains that I did what I did. And Mother did what she did. And the rest of you did what you did to her…the money’s not the important thing. It’s what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters.” (Eric to the family, taking responsibility)

“Nothing but an elaborate sell” (Mr Birling)

“I want to get out of this. It frightens me the way you talk” (Sheila)

“while we’re by ourselves…I have an idea that your mother – Lady Croft –while she doesn’t object to my girl – feels you might have done better for yourself socially” (Mr Birling to Gerald) (class system, snobbery)

“so long as we behave ourselves, don’t get into the police court or start a scandal eh” (Mr Birling)

“you think everybody has to look after everybody else…community and all that nonsense” (Mr Birling to Eric and Gerald)

“have a glass of port or a little whisky” port is mentioned frequently throughout the play and the family is keen to sink into it rather than the community they are in. It is a stiff, old fashioned drink, much like the family themselves.

“I was an alderman for years, and lord mayor two years ago – I’m still on the bench so – so I know the Brumly police officers really well” (Mr Birling to Goole) (highlights the issues with the class system and that the upper classes control the authorities and have influence. Society is corrupt.

“they’re over-tired, in the morning they will be as amused as we are”. (Mrs Birling to MR Birling)