An Inspector Calls

Question 1

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

Answer 1

Sheila, Act 1(socialist and sympathetic)

Question 2

“ I know I’m to blame and I’m desperately sorry”

Answer 2

Shows guilt, honestly with herself proves her maturity. Ironic as Sheila’s one of the youngest characters

Question 3

“Oh, how horrible”

Answer 3

Sheila, the only one that reacts the first time Eva’s death is announced, empathetic, caring, sensitive

Question 4

“Mummy” “Daddy”

Answer 4

Sheila shown as childish

Question 5

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

Answer 5

Naive, oblivious, higher class, innocent(first set of stage directions, first introduction to Sheila)

Question 6

“I didn’t even remember- that’s the hellish part. Oh my god!”

Answer 6

Eric feels ashamed, proves he feels responsible

Question 7

“You see? Then I’m staying”

Answer 7

Sheila, act 2- knows her own mind, assertive and becoming more dominant

Question 8

“We often do on the young ones. They’re more impressionable”

Answer 8

Act 2 Inspector, faith in the younger generation, intuitive and able to adapt, less stubborn

Question 9

“Yes, she’s dead”

Answer 9

Inspector, hard line, to the point

Question 10

“You gave yourself away at once”

Answer 10

Inspector, rude, dominance asserted over the family

Question 11

“I only did what any employer might have done”

Answer 11

Birling, unable to take responsibility, has to involve other people and try to diffuse the blame- sees it as completely normal

Question 12

“Sheila, don’t talk nonsense”

Answer 12

Mrs Birling undermining Sheila and trying to get her to stop talking, she doesn’t want the mouth of honesty(Sheila) to get out. She wants to protect their status and stay superior

Question 13

“Sheila, I simply don’t understand your attitude”

Answer 13

Mrs Birling not only cant take any responsibility but can’t even understand why anyone would. Closed minded

Question 14

“These days you’d think that everyone has to look after everyone else”

Answer 14

Birling, capitalist, hard headed, unsympathetic, only cares for himself/if anything benefits him

Question 15

“I accept no blame for it”

Answer 15

Mrs Birling defusing responsibility, older generation, stubborn , denial, selfish

Question 16

“Justified in turning her away”

Answer 16

Mrs Birling, defensive, no remorse,

Question 17

“What about War?”

Answer 17

Eric- curiosity, awareness,

Question 18

“There will be no war” “unsinkable”

Answer 18

Birling- dramatic irony, ignorance, fool, arrogance, assumptions, made a laughing stock because Priestly didn’t like capitalists

Question 19

“You know, of course, that my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago and that he’s still a magistrate?”

Answer 19

Rude rhetorical question, abusing social power, intimidate, stereotypical rich Edwardian capitalist family, hierarchy, status

Question 20

“We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for eachother”

Answer 20

Inspector- power available unity, togetherness, Priestly’s socialist mouthpiece, stronger as a team(power through responsibility)

Question 21

“Now listen, darling-“

Answer 21

Gerald using terms of endearment to butter up Sheila, calm her down(condescending)

Question 22

“So-for gods sake-don’t say anything to the inspector”

Answer 22

Gerald attempting to shut up Sheila’s truth. Manipulating her out of fear not to tell inspector anything, attempting to control her

Question 23

“Women of the town-“

Answer 23

Gerald tries to sugar coat the fact he used prostitutes while with Sheila

Question 24

“We’ve no profit was the same photograph and therefore no proof it was the same girl”

Answer 24

Gerald let’s the audience down, they hope he changes but immediately after the inspectors gone he acts like nothing happened

Question 25

“I speak as a hard-headed business man”

Answer 25

Mr Birling exerting power of business and is proud and wants to show off the fact he owns a business. He thinks this means he knows everything about business

Question 26

“I can’t accept any responsibility”

Answer 26

Mr Birling refuses to take responsibility

Question 27

“It’s my duty to keep labour costs down”

Answer 27

Mr Birling feels he’s responsible for keeping other people staying in their inferior status and benefit off of their struggle