An Inspector Calls Character Quotes

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  • Created by: Jessie
  • Created on: 21-04-16 19:58

Mr Birling

‘heavy looking, rather portentous man’

‘a hardheaded practical man of business’

‘Yes, my dear, I know – I’m talking too much.’

‘perhaps we may look forward to a time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together’

‘The Germans don’t want war’

‘unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable’

‘mixed up together like bees in a hive’

‘community and all that nonsense’

‘a man has to mind his own business and look out for himself and his own.’

‘I know the Brumley police officers pretty well’

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Mr Birling

‘This is Gerald Croft, the son of Sir George Croft’

‘the wretched girl’s suicide’

‘she’d had a lot to say – far too much – so she had to go of course.’

(Eric)‘You’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble. That’s why.’

‘I must say Sybil, that when this comes out at the inquest, it isn’t going to do us much good.’

‘The whole story’s just a lot of moonshine.’ 

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Eric

‘I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty.’

(Mrs B) ‘You stole money!’

‘You’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble. That’s why.’

‘You killed her – and the child she’d have had too – my child’

‘You’re beginning to pretend as if nothing’s really happened at all. And I can’t see it like that. The girl’s still dead, isn’t she?’

‘we helped to kill her.’ 

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Sheila

‘except for all last summer when you never came near me.’

‘But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people.’

‘I felt rotten about it at the time and now I feel a lot worse.’

‘She was very pretty and looked like she could take care of herself.’

‘I hate to think how much he knows that we don’t know yet.’

‘I know I’m to blame and I’m desperately sorry.’

‘he’s giving us rope so that we’ll hang ourselves.’
 

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Mrs Birling

(To Sheila) ‘when you’re married, you’ll realise '.

(To Inspector Goole) ‘You know of course that my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago...’

‘Girls of that class.’

(On Eric’s drinking) ‘he’s only a boy.’

‘We’ve done a great deal of useful work in helping deserving causes.’

‘I didn’t like her manner. She impertinently made use of our name.’

‘I did nothing I’m ashamed of.’

‘I blame the young man. He ought to be dealt with very severely.’ 

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Gerald Croft

To Sheila) ‘I hope I can make you as happy as you deserve to be.’

‘I didn’t install her there so I could make love to her.’

‘I didn’t feel about her as she felt about me.’ 

' I wasn't telling you a complete lie'.

'landed people and so forth'

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Inspector Goole

  • "Each of you helped to kill her" 
  • "there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths" 
  • "they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish" 
  • "And you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things?" 
  • "One person and one line of enquiry at a time" 
  • "What happened to her then maybe have determined what happened to her afterwards" 
  • "Few friends, lonely, half-starved" 
  • "It would do us all a bit of good it we [...] put ourselves in the place of these young women" 
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