An Inspector Calls Quotations

‘Giving us the port, Edna?’ – Mr Birling. (Act 1, Part 1 - Celebrating The Engagement)

(class) Port is a posh drink.

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‘Yes – except for all last summer, which you never came near me, and I wondered what had happened to you’ – Sheila. (Act 1, Part 1 - Celebrating The Engagement)

(love) What was Gerald doing that summer?

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'When you’re married you’ll realize that men have important work to do’ – Mrs Birling. (Act 1, Part 1 - Celebrating The Engagement)

(wealth, power and influence) She dismissed it by saying he is an important man with a lot of work to do.

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‘You’re squiffy’ – Sheila. (Act 1, Part 1 - Celebrating The Engagement)

(class) Middle-class slang for drunk.

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‘You’re just the kind of son-in-law I always wanted. Your father and I have been friendly rivals in business from some time now – though Crofts Limited is both older and bigger than Birling and Company – and now you’ve brought us together’ – Mr B

(class) Gerald marrying Sheila will merge their two businesses together - Crofts Limited is more successful and older than Birling and Co.

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‘I have an idea that your mother – Lady Croft – while she doesn’t object to my girl – feels you might have done better for yourself socially’ – Mr Birling. (Act 1, Part 2 - A Confidential Chat)

(class) Mr Birling feels inferior to Gerald's mother.

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‘Don’t get into the police court or start a scandal – eh?’ – Mr Birling. (Act 1, Part 2 - A Confidential Chat)

(blame and responsibility) He is joking about something potentially destroying their image.

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‘I left ‘em talking about clothes again’ – Eric. (Act 1, Part 2 - A Confidential Chat)

(gender) They think clothes are more important to women than men.

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‘Not just something to wear – and not only something to make ‘em look prettier – but – well, a sort of sign or token of their self-respect’ – Mr Birling. (Act 1, Part 2 - A Confidential Chat)

(gender) They think clothes are more important to women than men.

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‘Because she’d swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant/ Burnt her insides out of course’ – Inspector. (Act 1, Part 3 - An Inspector Interrupts)

(blame and responsibility) We don't know why she committed suicide yet.

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‘My God!’ – Eric. (Act 1, Part 3 - An Inspector Interrupts)

(blame and responsibility) Eric is shocked.

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‘This young woman, Eva Smith, was a bit out of the ordinary’ – Inspector. (Act 1, Part 3 - An Inspector Interrupts)

(class) Even though she was in the lower class, she stood up for her rights.

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‘It’s a perfectly straightforward case, and as it happened more than eighteen months ago – nearly two years ago – obviously it has nothing to do with this wretched girl’s suicide’ – Mr Birling. (Act 1, Part 3 - An Inspector Interrupts)

(wealth, power and responsibility) The events leading up to her suicide started from Mr Birling dismissing her.

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‘A chain of events’ – Inspector. (Act 1, Part 3 - An Inspector Interrupts)

(wealth, power and responsibility) The events leading up to her suicide started from Mr Birling dismissing her.

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‘He could have kept her on instead of throwing her out. I call it tough work’ – Eric. (Act 1, Part 3 - An Inspector Interrupts)

(blame and responsibility) This is all Mr Birling's fault - they deserved a higher pay.

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‘Look here, Inspector. I consider this uncalled for and officious’ – Mr Birling. (Act 1, Part 4 - Sheila's Involvement)

(blame and responsibility) He doesn't think their actions should have mattered to her.

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‘But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people’ – Sheila. (Act 1, Part 4 - Sheila's Involvement)

(wealth, power and responsibility) She understands that lower-class women are human beings too.

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‘All she knew was – that a customer complained about her – and so she had to go’ – Inspector. (Act 1, Part 4 - Sheila's Involvement)

(blame and responsibility) The next bad event is Sheila's fault.

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‘Why the devil do you want to go upsetting the child like that?’ – Mr Birling. (Act 1, Part 4 - Sheila's Involvement)

(age) He doesn't think Sheila should be made to feel bad for her actions, as she is young.

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‘Look here, I’ve had enough of this’ – Eric. (Act 1, Part 5 - Sheila's Confession)

(blame and responsibility) He doesn't want to take responsibility.

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‘I dare say’ – Inspector. (Act 1, Part 5 - Sheila's Confession)

(blame and responsibility) But the Inspector does want him to take responsibility.

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‘I went to the manager at Milwards and I told him that if they didn’t get rid of that girl, I’d never go near that place again and I’d persuade mother to close our account with them’ – Sheila. (Act 1, Part 5 - Sheila's Confession)

(wealth, power and influence) Sheila finally explains what she did.

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‘It was my own fault’ – Sheila. (Act 1, Part 5 - Sheila's Confession)

(blame and responsibility) Unlike Mr Birling, Sheila sees the errors in her actions.

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‘I think Miss Birling ought to be excused from any more of this questioning’ – Gerald. (Act 2, Part 1 - Guilty Feelings)

(blame and responsibility) Gerald wants all the blame not to be put on Sheila.

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‘You see? Then I’m staying’ – Sheila. (Act 2, Part 1 - Guilty Feelings)

(blame and responsibility) She doesn't want to feel like the only one responsible.

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‘She feels responsible. And if she leaves us now and doesn’t hear any more, then she’ll feel entirely to blame’ – Inspector. (Act 2, Part 1 - Guilty Feelings)

(blame and responsibility) She doesn't want to feel like the only one responsible.

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‘We’ll have to share her guilt’ – Inspector. (Act 2, Part 1 - Guilty Feelings)

(blame and responsibility) She doesn't want to feel like the only one responsible.

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‘You seem to have made a great impression on this child, Inspector’ – Mrs Birling. (Act 2, Part 2 - Enter Mrs Birling)

(age) Mrs Birling thinks she feels bad because of her age not because of what she has done.

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‘Mother, please don’t. For your own sake, as well as ours, you mustn’t’ – Sheila. (Act 2, Part 2 - Enter Mrs Birling)

(wealth, power and influence) Mrs Birling keeps trying to impress and interrupt the Inspector but nobody is having it.

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‘You know of course that my husband was a Lord Mayor only two years ago and that he’s still a magistrate’ – Mrs Birling. (Act 2, Part 2 - Enter Mrs Birling)

(wealth, power and influence) Mrs Birling keeps trying to impress and interrupt the Inspector but nobody is having it.

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‘I don’t want to get past poor Eric into trouble. He’s probably in enough trouble already. But we must really stop these silly pretences’ – Sheila. (Act 2, Part 2 - Enter Mrs Birling)

(blame and responsibility) They don't want Eric to get into trouble.

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‘I don’t like your town nor the way you’re handling this enquiry’ – Mr Birling. (Act 2, Part 3 - Gerald's Revelations)

(blame and responsibility) He thinks it's unfair that they should be responsible for their actions.

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‘No he’s giving us the rope – so that we will hang ourselves’ – Sheila. (Act 2, Part 3 - Gerald's Revelations)

(blame and responsibility) Taking responsibility is needed but it may destroy their reputation.

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‘Over-excited. And she refuses to go’ – Mrs Birling. (Act 2, Part 3 - Gerald's Revelations)

(age) He thinks Sheila wants to stay because she's young and not because she wants to hear anybody else responsible.

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‘Where did you get the idea that I did know her?’ – Gerald. (Act 2, Part 3 - Gerald's Revelations)

(love and marriage) Gerald is denying that he knew her.

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‘I met her first, some-time in March last year, in the stalls bar at the Palace Music Hall in Brumley’ – Gerald. (Act 2, Part 3 - Gerald's Revelations)

(blame and responsibility|) Gerald opens up.

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‘I didn’t install her there so I could make love to her’ – Gerald. (Act 2, Part 3 - Gerald's Revelations)

(love and marriage) He just wanted her to be his mistress.

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‘It’s hard to say. I didn’t feel about her as she felt about me’ – Gerald. (Act 2, Part 3 - Gerald's Revelations)

(love and marriage) He liked her more than she liked him.

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‘That’s probably the best thing you’ve said tonight. At least it’s honest’ – Sheila. (Act 2, Part 3 - Gerald's Revelations)

(blame and responsibility) He takes responsibility and admits everything - Sheila respects him for that.

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‘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’ve ever done before’ – Sheila. (Act 2, Part 3 - Gerald's Revelations)

(blame and responsibility) He takes responsibility and admits everything - Sheila respects him for that.

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‘You mean you don’t choose to do, Mrs Birling’ – Inspector. (Act 2, Part 4 - Sheila Opposes Her Mother)

(blame and responsibility) She still refuses to take responsibility.

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‘Look here, I’m not going to have this, Inspector. You’ll apologize at once’ – Mr Birling. (Act 2, Part 4 - Sheila Opposes Her Mother)

(blame and responsibility) He still refuses to take responsibility.

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‘Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges’ – Inspector. (Act 2, Part 4 - Sheila Opposes Her Mother)

(class) Public men have a responsibility for the people around them.

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‘Unless your son has just gone out’ – Inspector. (Act 2, Part 4 - Sheila Opposes Her Mother)

(time) Gerald actually leaves, but they think it's Eric.

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‘Yes. We’ve done a great deal of useful work in helping deserving cases’ – Mrs Birling. (Act 2, Part 5 - Mrs Birling's Idea of Charity)

(wealth, power and influence) She is trying to impress him again.

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‘First she called herself Mrs Birling’ – Mrs Birling. (Act 2, Part 5 - Mrs Birling's Idea of Charity)

(blame and responsibility) She didn't give her help from her women's charity and that was her excuse. She called herself Mrs Birling after she was made pregnant by Eric.

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‘And naturally that was one of the things that prejudiced me against her case’ – Mrs Birling. (Act 2, Part 5 - Mrs Birling's Idea of Charity)

(blame and responsibility) She didn't give her help from her women's charity and that was her excuse. She called herself Mrs Birling after she was made pregnant by Eric.

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‘Just remember that this girl was going to have a child’ – Inspector. (Act 2, Part 5 - Mrs Birling's Idea of Charity)

(time) She was pregnant - and broke...

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‘Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility’ – Mrs Birling. (Act 2, Part 5 - Mrs Birling's Idea of Charity)

(blame and responsibility) She deflects responsibility - the father of the child turns out to be Eric...

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‘When this comes out of the inquest, it isn’t going to do us as much good’ – Mrs Birling. (Act 2, Part 5 - Mrs Birling's Idea of Charity)

(blame and responsibility) He only cares about how it will make them look)

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‘So she’d come to you for assistance because she didn’t want to take stolen money?’ – Inspector. (Act 2, Part 5 - Mrs Birling's Idea of Charity)

(blame and responsibility) She was a moral person.

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‘You haven’t made it any easier for me, have you, mother?’ – Eric. (Act 3, Part 1 - Eric's Link in the Chain)

(time) Eric turned out to be the father.

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‘But I didn’t know it was you – I never dreamt’ – Mrs Birling. (Act 3, Part 1 - Eric's Link in the Chain)

(time) Eric turned out to be the father.

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‘I was a bit squiffy’ – Eric. (Act 3, Part 1 - Eric's Link in the Chain)

(class) More middle-class slang, and he could go out and get drunk, because he doesn't need a job.

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‘You went with her to the lodgings that night?’ – Inspector. (Act 3, Part 1 - Eric's Link in the Chain)

(time) This occurred over two occasions.

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‘Fifty pounds – on top of drinking and going round the town! Where did you get fifty pounds from?’ – Mr Birling. (Act 3, Part 2 - Almost a Father)

(wealth) He stole fifty pounds to support her, but she refused to accept stolen money. Mr Birling was more bothered about the money being stolen than how they all treated Eva Smith.

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‘I got it – from the office’ – Eric. (Act 3, Part 2 - Almost a Father)

(blame and responsibility) Eric owning up to what he has done.

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‘Eric! You stole money?’ – Mrs Birling. (Act 3, Part 3 - The Inspector's Heartfelt Words)

(blame and responsibility) Mrs Birling cares more about the money too.

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‘No, not really. I intended to pay it back’ – Eric. (Act 3, Part 3 - The Inspector's Heartfelt Words)

(blame and responsibility) The money wasn't important to him.

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‘I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can – why didn’t you come up to me when you found yourself in this mess’ – Mr Birling. (Act 3, Part 3 - The Inspector's Heartfelt Words)

(blame and responsibility) Mr Birling isn't taking responsibility - he is only trying to stop a scandal from arising.

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‘Because you’re not the kind of father a chap would go to when he’s in trouble – that’s why’ – Eric. (Act 3, Part 3 - The Inspector's Heartfelt Words)

(age) Mr Birling rarely listens to him.

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‘You don’t understand anything. You never did. You never even tried’ – Eric. (Act 3, Part 3 - The Inspector's Heartfelt Words)

(age) Mr Birling rarely listens to him.

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‘There are 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. (3,3)

(class) We all need to be treated equally and paid fairly.

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‘I should think not, Eric. I’m absolutely ashamed of you’ – Mrs Birling. (Act 3, Part 4 - Raking Over the Remains)

(blame and responsibility) A scandal may arise.

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‘Well I don’t blame you. But don’t forget I’m ashamed of both of you as well – yes both of you’ – Eric. (Act 3, Part 4 - Raking Over the Remains)

(age) He is ashamed of his parents for not taking responsibility for their actions, but the younger generation is...

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‘It doesn’t matter much now, of course – but was he really a police Inspector?' - Sheila.(Act 3, Part 4 - Raking Over the Remains)