An Inspector Calls - J.B Priestley quotes

Wealth,power and influence:STAGE DIRECTIONS -Act 1

A fairly large suburban house belonging to a prosperous manufacturer

Wealth,power and influence:STAGE DIRECTIONS -Act 1

Good solid furniture, evening dress, champagne glasses, cigars, decanter of port

Wealth, Power and Influence: Eric -Act 1

He could.He could have kept her on instead of throwing her out.

Wealth, Power and Influence: Inspector- Act 1

They might. But after all it's better to ask for the earth than to take it.

Wealth, Power and Influence: Mr Birling- Act 1

We may look forward to the time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together - for lower costs and higher prices.

Wealth, Power and Influence: Mrs Birling- Act 2

(With dignity)Yes. We've done a great deal of useful work in helping deserving cases.

Wealth, Power and Influence: Gerald- Act 2

The girl[...]gave me a glance that was nothing less than a cry for help.

Wealth, Power and Influence: Gerald- Act 2

She was young and pretty and warm-hearted-and intensely grateful. I became at once the most important person in her life - you understand?

Wealth, Power and Influence:Eric - Act 3

I insisted on giving her enough money to keep her going.

Public Vs Private Sphere:STAGE DIRECTIONS-Act 1

Substantial and heavily comfortable but not cosy and homelike.

Public Vs Private Sphere:Mr Birling - Act 1

A fair chance that I might find my way into the next Honours List. Just a knighthood, of course.

Public Vs Private Sphere:Mrs Birling - Act 1

You know of course that my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago and that's he's still a magistrate.

Public Vs Private Sphere:Sheila - Act 1

He's been steadily drinking too much for the last two years.

Public Vs Private Sphere: Inspector - Act 3

There'll be plenty of time, when I've gone , for you all to adjust your family relationships.

Public Vs Private Sphere: Mr Birling - Act 3

Look, you'd better ask Gerald for that ring you have back to him, hadn't you? Then you'll feel better.

Public Vs Private Sphere: Mr Birling - Act 3

There'll be a public scandal!

Blame and responsibility: Mr Birling - Act 1

All mixed up likes bees in a hive. Community and all that nonsense

Blame and responsibility: Mr Birling - Act 1

A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own

Blame and responsibility: Sheila - Act 1

It's just that I can't stop thinking about this girl- destroying herself so horribly - and I've been so happy tonight.

Blame and responsibility: Sheila - Act 2

He's giving us the rope - so that we'll hang ourselves.

Blame and responsibility: Mrs Birling - Act 3

Really, from the way you children talk, you might be wanting to help him instead of us. Now just be quiet so that your father can decide what we ought to do

Blame and responsibility: Mr Birling - Act 1

Obviously it has nothing whatever to do with the wretched girl's suicide. Eh,Inspector?

Blame and responsibility: Eric - Act 3

I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty [...] and I didn't even remember, that's the hellish thing.
Oh- my God!

Blame and responsibility: Eric - Act 3

Then - you killed her. She came to you to protect me - [...] yes, and you killed her - and the child she'd
have had too - my child - your own grandchild - you killed them both

Blame and responsibility: Inspector - Act 3

The time will soon come when if men will not learn that lesson, they will be taught it in fire and
blood and anguish.

Social class and status: Mrs Birling - Act 1

Girls of that class.

Social class and status: Inspector - Act 1

I thought that it would do all of us a bit of good if sometimes we tried to put ourselves in the place of
these young women counting their pennies in their dingy little back bedrooms.

Social class and status: Mrs Birling

(reproachfully) Arthur, you're not supposed to say such things -

Social class and status: Mr Birling

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 -

Social class and status: Mr Birling - Act 1

Sheila's a lucky girl - and I think you're a pretty fortunate young man to, Gerald

Social class and status: Mr Birling - Act 1

She'll make you happy, and I'm sure you'll make her happy.

Social class and status: Inspector- Act 2

She was here alone, friendless, almost penniless, desperate. [...] And you slammed the door in her
face.

Morality and Behaviour: Mr Birling - Act 3

But the whole thing's different now [...] And the artful devil knew all the time nobody had died and the whole story was bunkum.

Morality and Behaviour: Mrs Birling - Act 3

Didn't I say I couldn't imagine a real police inspector talking like that to us? [...] I was the only one who didn't give in to him.

Morality and Behaviour: Sheila - Act 3

You began to learn something. And now you've stopped. You're ready to go on the same old way.

Morality and Behaviour: Eric - Act 3

The fact remains that I did what I did. And Mother did what she did. And the rest of you did what you did to her. It's still the same rotten story whether it's been told to a police inspector or to somebody else.

Judgement : Mrs Birling - Act 1

Well, really! Alderman Meggarty! I must say, we are learning something tonight.

Judgement : Mr Birling - Act 1

That's something this public-school-and-Varsity life you've had doesn't seem to teach you.

Judgement : Sheila - Act 1

If she'd been some miserable plain little creature, I don't suppose I'd have done it.

Judgement: Mrs Birling - Act 2

(agitated now) Oh, stop it, both of you. And please remember before you start accusing me of
anything again that it wasn't I who had her turned out of her employment- which probably began it all.

Judgement: Mrs Birling - Act 2

I blame the young man who was the father of the child she was going to have. He should be made
an example of. If the girl's death is due to anybody, then it's due to him.

Judgement: Mrs Birling- Act 2

Girls of that class.

Judgement: Eric - Act 3

I wasn't in love with her or anything- she was pretty and a good sport-