AIC CHARACTER QUOTES

The Inspector

Mr Birling

Mrs Birling

Sheila

Gerald

Eric

[Eric suddenly guffaws]… “Suddenly I felt I just had to laugh.” - Eric (very early on/intro to Eric)
[Rather noisily] - Eric (very early on/intro to Eric)
→ Eric is an unstable presence in AIC and presents the dangers of the products of a capitalist society
→ uses alcohol to hide his unhappiness

“People say that war’s inevitable. And to that I say - fiddlesticks!” - Mr B “Yes, I know but still-” - Eric (very early on/intro to Eric)
“And as you were saying, Dad, a man has to look after himself-” - Eric (when Birling’s denying responsibility to the Inspector early on) → trying to cause problems, shows his want to defy his father but he’s unable to properly take initiative as he’s “half shy, half assertive” and is treated like a child
“Why shouldn’t they try for the highest wages? We try for the highest possible prices.” - Eric (when Birling’s denying responsibility to the Inspector early on)
→ Eric questioning Birling shows the younger generation beginning to make changes to the world + questioning how things are ‘done’

“I was in that state where a chap easily turns nasty

Eva Smith