GCSE English Literature- Inspector's calls quotes

Sheila Birling stage direction quotes

“A pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited”

Analysis on the quote “A pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited” (SD)

• Felt a sense of jealousy in intial interaction with Eva

• Believes she is the only one who can feel joy and happiness- Edwardian social attitudes of superiority

Sheila Birling beginning quote

“But these girls aren’t cheap labour- they’re people.” 

Analysis on the quote “But these girls aren’t cheap labour- they’re people.” 

• Rejects metaphor. Interrupts and disagrees with Birling. 

• Use of contractions = colloquial language – foreshadows change

• references to lower class- subversion of upper class language and beliefs

Sheila Birling middle quotes

“You mustn’t try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl. If you do, the Inspector will just break it down.”

Analysis on the quote “You mustn’t try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl. If you do, the Inspector will just break it down.”

• Recognises the need for accountability and responsibility.

• “Wall”- physical separation of societal class through their grand buildings

• “Break down”- ref. Inspector Goole breaking down their “wall” of lies

• “That girl”- superior undertones

Arthur Birling stage direction quote

“A heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties with fairly easy manners but rather provincial in his speech”

Analysis on quote “A heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties with fairly easy manners but rather provincial in his speech” (SD)

• Looks to impress others through materials

• Speech different to ‘blue-blood’ upper class

• Infer not established in upper class “provincial”- link to knighthood

Arthur Birling beginning quote (hubris)

“The Titanic – she sails next week…and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.”

Analysis on quote “The Titanic – she sails next week…and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.”

• Repetition “unsinkable”- irony of the titanic sinking- rep. of himself

• Obnoxious, and entitled, reflects WWI – men who fought so they could rule the world creating chaos

Arthur Birling beginning quote (justification)

“If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth.”

Analysis on the quote “If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth.”

• Hyperbole- Considers the poor separate from the rich. 

• Ironic: considers them greedy.

• “Come down”- foreshadow his downfall

• “Ask for the world”- comp. to Goole “one body”

• “These people”- indirect address, superiority on one hand, but fear on the other

• Justification- rep. Actions of the upper class, a microcosm of the upper class 

• symbolism “earth”- the earth as one, inspector “we are one”

Arthur Birling beginning quote (bees)

“you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense.”

Analysis on the quote “you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense.”

• shows he is against socialism

• simile- compares humans to bees- symbolic, bees being a community

• doesn’t want to be associated or help others from different classes

• symbolism “bees”- bees symbolising the working class which later ‘sting’ him

Gerald Croft stage direction quote

“Rather too manly to be a dandy but very much the well-bred young man-about-town”

Analysis on the quote “Rather too manly to be a dandy but very much the well-bred young man-about-town” (SD)

• Respected by many- leader of father’s business

• “Dandy”- upholds father’s legacy- contrast Eric B. and example for Arthur B. to Eric B. 

• Reflection of Edwardian upper class education and behaviours- typical businessman

Gerald Croft middle quote

“Everything’s all right now Sheila. What about this ring?”

Analysis on the quote “Everything’s all right now Sheila. What about this ring?”

• Gerald tries to return Sheila to the patriarchy.

• Materialistic- Shows he doesn’t care about Eva or what he’s done

• Distraction

• “Ring”- symbol of an agreement, but broken

Gerald Croft end quote

“We’re respectable citizens and not criminals.”

Analysis on the quote “We’re respectable citizens and not criminals.”

• Defensive tone

• irony “respectable citizens”- after the actions of Birlings

• “not criminals”- refer to how the haven’t broken a law but are morally wrong, and attempt to justify it.

Sybil Birling stage direction quote

“A rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior” (SD)

Analysis on the quote “A rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior”

• Cruel and cold attitude

• From a higher social class than Arthur B. 

• Subverted social hierarchy system- marry within class own maintain wealth 

• Subverted patriarchal society- married a man with lower social position

Sybil Birling middle quote

“She was giving herself ridiculous airs…claiming elaborate fine feelings…that were simply absurd for a girl in her position.”

Analysis on the quote “She was giving herself ridiculous airs…claiming elaborate fine feelings…that were simply absurd for a girl in her position.”

• Thinks poor people lack humanity. 

• Adjectives = reductive towards the poor

• “simply absurd”- ironic as the child was her grandchild

• lexical field of ridicule

• “girl”- belittling by avoiding her name

Sybil Birling end quote

“I’m sorry she should have come to such a horrible end. But I accept no blame at all”

Analysis on quote “I’m sorry she should have come to such a horrible end. But I accept no blame at all”

• Impervious to any sense of responsibility

• Considers the poor inhuman and rich beyond scrutiny.

• juxtaposition “sorry” to blame”- sentence begins with an apologetic tone and ends with a selfish tone

• “accepts”- reflects her continuous rejection of her moral duties as a blue-blooded wealthy woman

• almost sarcastic- shows extent of avoidance of responsibility

Eric Birling stage direction quote

“Not quite at easy, half shy, half assertive”

Analysis on quote “Not quite at easy, half shy, half assertive”

• Confused about position- subverts typical male stereotype of the time

• Unable to place himself in the same social class as Crofts

• Males typically seen as dominant and powerful

Eric Birling middle quote

“And that’s when it happened. And I don’t even remember- that’s the hellish thing.”

Analysis on the quote “And that’s when it happened. And I don’t even remember- that’s the hellish thing.”

• Eric admits it happened, but deflects: “it” and considers hellish thing is not remembering, rather than raping her. 

• Priestley shows the damage of drinking culture, and how the wealthy avoid criminal responsibility

• biblical allusion “hellish”- references his punishment in hell

• repetition of “and”- shows his inability to process and express thoughts, immense regret but cannot show

Eric Birling end quote

“I say the girl’s dead and we all helped to kill her- and that’s what Matters-”

Analysis on the quote “I say the girl’s dead and we all helped to kill her- and that’s what Matters-”

• Rejects family’s avoidance of responsibility.

• “We” inclusive noun, collective responsibility

• “What matters” criticism of family as a whole

• “matter’s”- critical of the family’s priorities

• “the girl”- still does not call her by name as he almost fears it

• “helped”- suggests he feels a sense of guilt as well

Inspector Goole stage direction quote

“An impression of massiveness, solidity and purpose" (SD)

Analysis on the quote “An impression of massiveness, solidity and purpose" (SD)

• lexical field of usefulness- emphasises his purpose to teach a lesson to the Birlings

• adj. “massive”- imposing and authoritative presence- used to disrupt the complacency of the Birlings and force them to confront their actions

• adj “solidity”- inspector is grounded and resolute- firm sense of purpose and mission- contrasts with uncertainty of Birlings

• adj “purpose”- Inspector’s mission and determination to seek truth

Inpsector Goole beginning quote “Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges”

• Plosive “p” = anger, aggression, calls Birling to account. 

• How wealthy use position of power purely out of self-interest

• Name “Mr Birling”- address in middle of sentence amplifies personal frustrations

• “public men”- referencing the upper class men

• juxtaposition of “responsibility” and “privilege”, highlights contrast between the Eva’s life and the Birlings

Inspector Goole end quote (we don’t live alone)

“We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other”

Analysis on the quote “We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other”

• Rep. of inclusive noun “we”- indicates how it is the upper class’ responsibility as a whole- diatribe

• Lexical field of oneness

• “we don’t live alone”- suggests presence of supernatural- add. to Goole name

• “members”- puts into the vocabulary of the Birlings, as they mention “member” of the “Brumley’s woman’s charity association”

• “each other”- criticises the selfishness of the Birlings

Inspector Goole end quote (fire, blood)

“if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.”

Analysis on the quote “if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.”

• refers to WWI- wealthy ruling class create damage/chaos across the country

• Lexical field “fire”, “blood” and “anguish”- ref. To hell

• Biblical imagery “fire”, “blood” and “anguish”- ref. To punishment in afterlife

• “fire” and “blood”- emphasises the punishments they would receive

• “anguish”- the emotional guilt they will carry

• “blood”- reference the 2 world wars

• microcosm “lesson”- summarises speech

• syndetic listing- list with conjunctions, slows pace to make audience realise the punishments

Inspector Goole end quote (eva smiths and john smiths)

“there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us”

Analysis on the quote “there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us”

• repetition “millions”- emphasises the sheer amount of poverty, exploitation of working class

• patronymic name “eva smith” and “john smith”- represents ordinary people and the widespread societal problems

• “left with us”- emphasises social responsibility and call to action

• timeless message- relevant today

Eric Birling middle quote (prices)

“Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices.”

Analysis on the quote “Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices.”

• question- suggests moment of realisation against A.Birling

• transformation- reflection of socialism in post-war youth

• inclusive noun “we”- attempts to change views of family

• repetition “high”- shows the extortion of workers