AIC general quotes

general quotes for an inspector calls

‘fairly large, suburban house’

shows that the birling are a wealthy family. the use of the adjective ‘suburban’ shows that they are affluent and therefore live far from the businesses that make them their money

‘Decanter of port, cigar box and cigarettes’

shows that the family are around middle class, and are wealthy enough to be drinking port and drinking cigars, items that were expensive at the time the play is set

‘the parlourmaid‘

the family can afford to have servants, meaning they do not do any work around their own house

‘but not cosy and homelike‘

the family do not act like a conventual one would. they act more like a group of people who live together by circumstance. everything in their house is for show, like their relationships

‘heavy looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties with fairly easy manners but rather provincial in his speech‘

said about Mr Birling. he acts important and is shown to have enough money to be overweight. his ‘provincial‘ speech suggests that he has the manners of an upper class gentleman but his speech is slurred. he married into his status

‘a rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior‘

said in stage directions about Mrs Birling. he is emotionless and does not understand empathy (foreshadowing for later on in the play). she was born into a higher class and looks down on others for their status

“a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather exited“

said about Sheila in the stage directions. she is very childlike, although past her childhood. she is spoilt by her parents and is treated like a girl and not a woman. she has no worries and is disconnected from the world

‘an attractive chap about thirty, rather too manly to be dandy but very much the easy well-bread young man-about-town‘

said about Gerald in the stage directions. he is very well odd, he is not a dandy because he is too manly and is of the upper-class

‘is in his early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive‘

said about Eric in the stage directions. he isn’t comfortable in his own skin (foreshadowing for his drinking problem). he is forced to be involved in family events. he wants to hide away but wants to be heard.