An Inspector Calls Key Character Quotes

MR BIRLING

Act One

• "Lower costs and higher prices"
• "You're just the kind of son-in-law I always wanted"
• "A man has to make his own way"
• "The way some of these cranks talk, you'd think everybody has to look after everybody else"
• "I refused of course"
• “war impossible” “unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable”
• “community and all that nonsense”
• “[rather impatiently] Yes, yes. Horrible business.”
• “I can’t accept any responsibility”

Act Two

• "I don't propose to give you much more rope"
• "You weren't asked to come here to talk to me about my responsibilities"

Act Three

• “I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can”
• “[excitedly] By Jingo! A fake!”
• "There's every excuse for what both your mother and I did"
• "You allowed yourselves to be bluffed"
• "Just remember your position young man"
• "Probably a Socialist or some sort of crank"
• "The famous younger generation who know it all"

MRS BIRLING

Act One

Mrs Birling has very few lines in Act One.

• "I think Sheila and I had better go to the drawing room and leave you men-"

Act Two

• "You seem to have made a great impression on this child, Inspector"
• "You know my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago"
• "No of course not, he's only a boy" when asked if Eric is used to drinking.
• "Over excited"
• "I must say, we are learning something tonight"
• “Though naturally I don’t know anything about this girl.”
• "I did nothing I'm ashamed of"
• “deserving cases”
• “prejudiced me against her case”
• "I used my influence to have it refused"
• "If he refused to marry her (...) then he must at least support her"
• "As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!"
• "If the girl's death is due to anybody, it's due to him"
• “perfectly justified”

Act Three

• "No -Eric - please - I didn't know - I didn't understand-"
• "Eric, I'm completely ashamed of you"
• "the way you children talk”.
• "Just be quiet so your father can decide what we ought to do"
• "I didn't give in to him"
• "They're over-tired. In the morning they’ll be as amused as we are.”

GERALD CROFT

Act One

• “I insist upon being one of the family now”
• "You couldn't have done anything else"
• "And we can't help you there because we don't know"
• "There's nothing to settle as far as I'm concerned”
• "We're respectable citizens and not criminals"
• "I don't come into this suicide business [...] neither of us does"
• “[startled] What?”
• “Now listen, darling- “

Act Two

• "She's had a long and exciting day"
• "It's bound to be unpleasant and disturbing"
• "You've been through it- and now you want to see someone else put through it"

• "I've suddenly realised [...] that she's dead"
• "Got him out of the way"
• "She also told me she'd had a job in one of the works [...] and had had to leave after a strike"
• "I don't think so" this line is in response to Mrs Birling suggesting that they are nearly finished.
• “Nothing less…