Inspector Calls Quotes

Question 1

Practical man of business

Answer 1

“I’m talking as a hard-headed practical man of business”

Mr Birling

Question 2

The inevitability of war is nonsense

Answer 2

‘you’ll hear some people say war is Inevitable … fiddlesticks!’

Mr Birling

Question 3

References the Titanic being unsinkable

Answer 3

‘The Titanic – she sails next week…and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.’

Mr Birling

Question 4

A very good chance at a knighthood

Answer 4

“I gather there’s a very good chance of a knighthood”

Mr Birling

Question 5

Every man for himself and his family

Answer 5

“A man has to make his own way – has to look after himself – and his family too, of course”

Mr Birling

Question 6

Social superior

Answer 6

“About fifty, a rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior”

Sybil Birling

Question 7

Girls of a certain class

Answer 7

“girls of that class”

Sybil Birling

Question 8

Apologetic, but blames her

Answer 8

‘I’m very sorry. But I think she only had herself to blame’

Sybil Birling

Question 9

Denial, they apparently know it

Answer 9

“I’ve done nothing wrong – and you know it.”

Sybil Birling

Question 10

Placing responsibility on the father

Answer 10

“Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.”

Sybil Birling

Question 11

Looks coming before how she feels.

Answer 11

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

Sheila

Question 12

Childish behaviour

Answer 12

“Yes, go on, Mummy”

Sheila

Question 13

Voice of the inspector coming out about labour

Answer 13

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

Sheila

Question 14

Regret and remorse for her actions

Answer 14

“And if I could help her now, I would-”

Sheila

Question 15

Truly sorry for her actions and feels regretful, and will never do it again. Repition of ‘never’

Answer 15

“I’ll never, never do it again to anybody…I feel now I can never go there again

Sheila

Question 16

Unsure of what he wants to do with his life, shy but also assertive.

Answer 16

“In his early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive”

Eric

Question 17

Another voice of the inspector, talking about highest possible prices.

Answer 17

“Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices

Eric

Question 18

You can’t work anywhere else

Answer 18

“it isn’t as if you can go and work somewhere else.”

Eric

Question 19

Could of kept her instead, but tough luck

Answer 19

“He could have kept her on instead of throwing her out. I call it tough luck.”

Eric

Question 20

Only liked her because of her looks

Answer 20

“I wasn’t in love with her or anything- but I liked her- she was pretty and a good sport-”

Eric

Question 21

Backing up Birling when sacking Eva

Answer 21

“You couldn’t have done anything else” (sacking Eva Smith)

Gerald

Question 22

Foreshadowing about criminals

Answer 22

“After all, y’know, we’re respectable citizens and not criminals”

Gerald

Question 23

Justifying his actions as a cry for help

Answer 23

‘[Daisy] gave me a glance that was nothing less than a cry for help”

Gerald

Question 24

She was happiest with him

Answer 24

“She told me she’d been happier than she’d ever been before”

Gerald

Question 25

Trying to comfort Sheila, talks about material possessions

Answer 25

“Everything’s all right now Sheila. What about this ring?”

Gerald

Question 26

Better to ask than take

Answer 26

“it’s better to ask for the Earth than to take it”

Inspector

Question 27

Sharing our guilt

Answer 27

“If there’s nothing else we have to share our guilt”

Inspector

Question 28

Responsibilites and privleges are given to public men

Answer 28

“Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges”

Inspector

Question 29

Dying after several hours of agony

Answer 29

“…and died, after several hours of agony…”

Inspector

Question 30

She gave herself ridiculous names, and attempted to use her feelings to get an advantage

Answer 30

“She was giving herself ridiculous airs…claiming elaborate fine feelings…that were simply absurd in a girl in her position.”

Sybil Birling

Question 31

Idea that it was a drunken event, she was used like an animal, not a person.

Answer 31

“Just used her for the end of a stupid drunken evening, as if she was an animal, a thing, not a person.”

Sheila

Question 32

Obediance to her superiors.

Answer 32

“Yes Ma’am”

Edna

Question 33

Introducing the inspector

Answer 33

“Please, sir, an inspector’s called”

Edna

Question 34

Beginning of when the inspector comes, light changes

Answer 34

“All right, Edna. Show him in here. Give us some more light.”

Mr Birling

Question 35

The inspector questions Gerald, if he thinks women should be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things.

Answer 35

(To Gerald) “And you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things?”

Inspector

Question 36

Description of the Inspector

Answer 36

“Need not be a big man but he creates at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness.”

Inspector

Question 37

Mr Birling talks about how he thinks people believe that they (society) should look out for eachother like bees, but Mr Birling believes its nonsense.

Answer 37

“you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense.”

Mr Birling

Question 38

Mr Birling refers to business in a tragic/horrid event. Doesn’t understand something

Answer 38

“(rather impatiently) Horrid business. But I don’t understand why you should come here.”

Mr Birling