An Inspector calls - Key Quotations
Themes
Hypocrisy
Prejudice
Power
Guilt/Shame
Responsibility
Class
Age
Time
Gender
Mrs Birling
“I’m very sorry. But I think she had only herself to blame”
“Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility”
“I accept no blame at all”
“I blame the young man who was the father of the child”
Mr Birling
"a man has to make his own way – has to look after himself"
“I can’t accept any responsibility”
Shiela
"Between us we drove that girl to suicide”
Eric
“It’s what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters”
Inspector
“We have to share something. If there’s nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt”
Inspector
“Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges”
“You’ll be able to divide the responsibility between you when I’ve gone”
“…each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it”
Eric
“You lot may be letting yourself out nicely, but I can’t… we did her in all right”
Shiela
"And let’s not start dodging and pretending now."
“You’re beginning to pretend all over again that nothing much has happened”
"I feel I can never go there again” - (milward's)
Mrs Birling
"I did nothing I’m ashamed of”
Mr Birling
“I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can”
Mrs Birling
“When you’re married you’ll realise that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business”
Objectification
Mr Birling
"She was a lively good-looking girl"
Gerald
"I hate those Hard eyed, dough-faced women"
"She was very pretty - Soft brown hair and big dark eyes"
Young Fresh and charming
Eric
"She was pretty and a good sport"
Shiela
"But these girls aren't cheap labour - they're people"
‘I think you did something terribly wrong – and that you’re going to spend the rest of your life regretting it’
Mrs Birling
"girls of that class"
“She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position”
Mr Birling
‘the famous younger generation who know it all’
Shiela
“Mother, I think it was cruel and vile”
Inspector
(To Mrs Birling) - "You admit being prejudice against her case"
Inspector
(to Mrs Birling) - "But Mrs Birling spoke to her only two weeks ago"
Mr Birling
"This girl left us nearly two years ago"
Inspector
"Then they will be taught it in fire blood and anguish"
Stage direction: "taking charge Masterfully"
Mrs Birling
"Was it owing to your influence, as the most prominent member of the committee, that help was refused the girl"