'An Inspector Calls' Quotes by Theme

Social Responsibility

"I can't accept any responsibility. If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we'd had anything to do with, it would be very awkward" - Mr Birling, A1
"So I'm really responsible?", "It was my own fault" - Sheila, A1
"she'll be alone with her responsibility, the rest of tonight, all tomorrow, all the next night" - Inspector, A2
"I know I'm to blame- and I'm desperately sorry" - Sheila, A2
"Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges." - Inspector, A2
"You weren't asked to come here to talk to me about my responsibilities." - Mr Birling, A2
"I think she only had herself to blame.", "I've done nothing wrong", "I accept no blame for it at all", "He should be made an example of... he'd be entirely responsible... he ought to be dealt with very severely-" - Mrs Birling, A2
"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", "there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths", "We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.", "if men do not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish."- Inspector, A3
"Between us we drove that girl to suicide." - Sheila, A3

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"Nothing to do with you... run along" - Mr Birling, A1
"I think Miss Birling ought to be excused... she's had a long, exciting and tiring day... she's obviously had about as much as she can stand." - Gerald, A2
"you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things?" - Inspector, A2
"I protest against the way my daughter, a young unmarried girl, is being dragged into this-" - Mr Birling, A2

2 of 8

"When you're married you'll realise that men with important work to do have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business. You'll get used to that, just as I had." - Mrs Birling, A1
"I'm not defending him. But you must understand that a lot of young men-" - Mr Birling, A2
"I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty", "she was pretty and a good sport" - Eric, A3

3 of 8

"For lower costs and higher prices.", "You'll be marrying at a very good time.", "I'm talking as a hard-headed, practical man of business.", "I refused, of course." - Mr Birling, A1
"These girls aren't cheap labour- they're people." - Sheila, A1
"You mustn't try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl." - Sheila, A2
"Is there any reason why my wife should answer questions from you, Inspector?" - Mr Birling, A2
"Edna'll go." - Mrs Birling, A3

4 of 8

"The Germans don't want war. Nobody wants war" - Mr Birling, A1
"Was it an accident?", "I've been so happy tonight. Oh, I wish you hadn't told me." - Sheila, A1
"You know of course my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago", "I'm afraid he may have had rather too much to drink tonight.", "He's only a boy.", "It isn't true... Gerald... you're a man- you must know it isn't true", "Women of the town?", "surely you don't mean Alderman Meggarty?", "we are learning something tonight.", "Be quiet, Sheila!", "find this young man and then make sure he's compelled to confess in public his responsibility", "I don't believe it. I won't believe it..." - Mrs Birling, A2
"We've no excuse now for putting up airs and that if we've any sense we won't try... can't you see, both of you, you're making it worse?" - Sheila, A2
"you're not trying to tell us that- that my boy- is mixed up in this-?" - Mr Birling, A2
"I didn't know it was you- I never dreamt. Besides, you're not the type- you don't get drunk-" - Mrs Birling, A3

5 of 8

"They'd be all broke- if I know them." - Gerald, A1
"Girls of that class-", "naturally that was one of the things that prejudiced me against her case.", "I didn't like her manner", "As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!" - Mrs Birling, A2
"He never talked like one. He never even looked like one." - Mrs Birling, A3

6 of 8

"So long as we behave ourselves, don't get into the police court or start a scandal- eh?" - Mr Birling, A1
"We're respectable citizens and not criminals" - Gerald, A1
"Let's leave offence out of it, shall we?" - Inspector, A2
"When this comes out at the inquest, it isn't going to do us much good. The Press might easily take it up-" - Mr Birling, A2
"I've got to cover this up as soon as I can", "Most of this is bound to come out. There'll be a public scandal.", "it matters a devil a lot. Makes all the difference.", "you allowed yourselves to be bluffed." - Mr Birling, A3
"not whether a man is a police inspector or not.", "I suppose we're all nice people now.", "he inspected us all right.", "you're forgetting one thing I still can't forget. Everything we said had happened really happened.", "You're pretending everything's just as it was before... and it frightens me the way you talk" - Sheila, A3
"Sheila's right. It doesn't.", "It's what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters." - Eric, A3

7 of 8

"Really the things you girls pick up these days!" - Mrs Birling, A1
"You don't know what some of these boys get up to nowadays.", "That's something this public-school-and-Varsity life you've had doesn't seem to teach you." - Mr Birling, A1
"I think you ought to go to bed... you'll feel better in the morning", "It would be much better if Shelia didn't listen to this story", "Silly boy!" - Mrs Birling, A2
"impertinent is such a silly word", "I'm not a child, don't forget." - Sheila, A2
"he was in one of his excitable queer moods, and even though we don't need him here-" - Mr Birling, A2
"I'd have managed somehow", "You're not the kind of father a chap can go to when he's in trouble" - Eric, A3
"from the way you children talk, you might be wanting to help him instead of us.", "be quiet so your father can decide what we ought to do." - Mrs Birling, A3
"Now look at the pair of them- the famous younger generation who know it all. And they can't even take a joke-" - Mr Birling, A3

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