An Inspector Calls Quotes

Act one

"It's the way I like to go to work. One person and one line of inquiry at a time. Otherwise there's a muddle."

"She wasn't pretty when I saw her today, but she had been pretty - very pretty."

Act Two

(To Gerald)

"I can tell you why Miss Birling wants to stay on and why she says it might be better for her if she did. A girl died tonight. A pretty, lively sort of girl, who never did anybody any harm. But she died in misery and agony - hating life - "

Mrs B: "You seem to have made a great impression on this child, Inspector."

Inspector: "We often do on the young ones. They're more impressionable."

"No he's a young man. And some young men drink far too much."

Act 3:

"But just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone - but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and say and do. We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish."

Act One:

"All right, Enda. Show him in here. Give us some more light."

"Still I can't accept responsibility. If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we'd had anything to do with, it would be very awkward, wouldn't it?"

"Nothing to do with you, Sheil. Run along."

"Why the devil do you want to go upsetting the shild like that?"

Act Two:

"Now, Sheila, I'm not defending him. But you must understand that a lot of young men - "

Act Three:

"Yes, and you don't realize yet all you've done. Most of this is bound to come out. They'll be a public scandal."

"No, not you, my dear. But these two. That fellow obviously didn't like us. He was prejudiced from the start. Probably a Socialist or some sort of crank - he talked like one. And then, instead of standing up to him, you let him bluff you into talking about your private affairs. You ought to have stood up to him."

"You'll stay here long enough to give me an account of that money you stole - yes, and to pay it back too."

"Now look at the pair of them - the famous younger generation who know it all. And they can't even take a joke -" 

Act Two

"Sheila, don't tlak nonsense."

Mrs Birling was so shocked to find out that Gerald had a mistress, "What?"   "I don't think we want any further details of this disgusting affair -"

"First, she called herself Mrs Birling-"

"I'll tell you what I told her. Go and look for the father of the child. It's his responsibility." 

"She said that the father was only a youngster - silly and wild and drinking too much. There couldn't be any question of marrying him - it would be wrong for them both. He had given her money but she didn;t want to take any more money from him." 

"Oh - she had some fancy reason. As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!"

"First, the girl herself... Secondly, I blame the young man who was the father of the child she was going to have. It, as she said, he didn't belong to her class, and was some drunken young idler, then that's all the more reason why he shouldn't escape. He should be made an example of. If the girl's death is due to anybody, then it's due to him."

Act Three:

"Oh - Eric - how could you?"

"Eric! You stole money?"

"No - Eric - please - I didn't know - I didn't understand -"

"I should think not. Eric, I'm absolutely ashamed of you."

"Don't be childish, Sheila."

"I was the only one of you who didn't give in to him. And now I say we must discuss this busines quietly and sensibly and decide if there's anything to be done about it."

"And I must say, Gerald, you've argued this very cleverly, and I'm most grateful."

"They're over-tired. In the morning they'll be as amused as we are." 

Act One:

"No I mean about this girl - Eva Smith. Why shouldn't they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices. And I don't see why she should have been sacked just because she'd a bit more spirit than the others. You said yourself she was a good worker. I'd have let her stay."

Act Three:

"You know, don't you?" "Could I have a drink first?"

"Yes. And the next time - or the time after that - she told me she thought she was going to have a baby."

"No. She didn't want me to marry her. Said I didn't love her - and all that. In a way, she treated me - as if I were a kid. Though I was nearly as old as she was."

"Well, she hadn't a job - and didn't feel like trying again for one - and she'd no money left - so I insisted on giving her enough money to keep her going - until she refused to take any more -"

"about fifty pounds" "I got it - from the office -"

"Then - you killed her. She came to you to protect me - and you turned her away- yes, and you killed her - and the child she'd have had too - my child - your own grandchild - you killed them both"

(In response to his mother) "Well, I don't blame you. But don't forget I'm ashamed of you as well - yes both of you.""And I say the girl's dead and we all helped to kill her - and that's what matters -"

"And I agree with Sheila. It frightens me too.

"We're respectable citizens and not criminals."

"She was young and pretty..."

"I didn't feel about her as she felt about me."

"I've suddenly realised - taken it in properly - that she's dead."

"What girl? There were probably four or five different girls."

"Everything's alright now Sheila. What about this ring?"

Act one:

"Oh - sorry. I don't know. Mummy sent me in to ask you why you didn't come along to the drawing-room."

"You knew it was me all the time, didn't you?"

"When I was looking at myself in the mirror I caught sight of her smiling at the assistant, and I was furious with her. I'd been in a bad temper anyhow."

"She was a very pretty girl too ... I caught sight of this girl similing at miss Francis - as if to say: "Doesn't she look awful" - and I was absolutely furious. 

"I know, I know. It's the only time I've ever done anything like that, and I'll never, never do it again to anybody. I've noticed them giving me a sort of look sometimes at Milwards - I noticed it even this afternon - and I suppose some of them remember. I feel now I can never go there again. Oh - why had this to happen?"

(To Gerald) Oh don't be stupid. We haven't much time. You gave yourself away as soon as he mentioned her other name."

Act Two:

"Yes, that's it. And I know I'm to blame - and I'm desperately sorry - but I can't believe - I won't beleive. It's simply my fault that in the end she - she committed suicide. That would be too horrible - "

(To Mrs Birling) "You see, I feel you're beginning all wrong. And I'm afraid you'll say something or do something that you'll be sorry for afterwards." 

"Mother, I couldn't possibly go. Nothing could be worse for me. We've settled all that. I'm staying here until I know why that girl killed herself."

"I don't want to get poor Eric into trouble. He's probably in enough trouble already."

"But you're forgetting I'm supposed to be engaged to the hero of it"  "But just in case you forget - or decide not to come back, Gerald, I think you'd better take this with you." (She hands back the ring)  

"I don't dislike you as I did half an hour ago, Gerald. In fact, in some odd way, I rather respect you more than I'ver ever done before... You and I aren't the same people who sat down to dinner here. We'd have to start all over again, getting to know each other -"

"Mother I think it was cruel and vile."          "Mother - stop - stop!"

Act Three:

"She told mother."   "Well, he has to know."

"All right. But it doesn't make any real difference, y'know."

"Oh - Mother!"

"And Eric's absolutely right. And it's the best thing any one of us has said tonight and it makes me feel a bit less ashamed of us. You're just beginning to pretend all over again."

"But that won't bring Eva Smith back to life, will it?"

"The worse part is. But you're forgetting one thing I can't forget. Everything we said had happened really had happened. If it didn't end tragically than that's lucky for us. But it might have done."