AIC THEMES

Family + Loyalty

“A man has to make his own way - look after himself - and his family.” (Mr B)

“Now Sheila, I’m not defending him. But you must understand…” (Mr B)

“If you had any sense of loyalty-” (Mrs B to Sheila)

“You might be wanting to help him instead of us.” (Mrs B to Eric)

Truth + Lies

“All right, I knew her. Let’s leave it at that.” (Gerald)

[Mrs Birling does not reply] (about whether she’s on the charity board or not)

“Why you all had to go letting everything come out like that, beats me.” (Mr B)

“He made us confess.” (Sheila)

“The whole story’s just a lot of moonshine.” (Mr B)

Young + Old

[eagerly] “That’s just what I feel, Eric. And it’s what [Mr and Mrs Birling and Gerald] don’t seem to understand.” (Sheila)

“Just be quiet so that your father can decide what we ought to do.” (Mrs B)

“Mother, do stop before it’s too late.” (Sheila)

“And I agree with Sheila. It frightens me too.” (Eric)

“We often do [make an impression] on the young ones. They’re more impressionable.” (Inspector)

Class V Equality 

[Edna appears] - seems insignificant and is irrelevant apart from when called on by Birling’s - shows her unimportance to them.

“Girls of that class-” (Mrs B)

“You mustn't try to build up… a wall between us and that girl.” (Sheila)

“As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!” (Mrs B)

Morality

“So long as we behave ourselves, don’t get into the police courts or start a scandal - eh?” (Mr B)

“We’re respectable citizens, not criminals.” (Gerald)

“I suppose we’re all nice people now.” (Sheila)

“It’s what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters.” (Eric)

Social Change

“Nobody wants war.” (Mr B) to “Fire and blood anguish.” (Inspector)

[Arthur Birling is a… portentous (tries to impress others) man] to [gloomily… pours himself out a drink which he hastily swallows]

[[Mrs Birling] is… a rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior] to [Mrs Birlings has collapsed into a chair]

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

[passionately] “You’re pretending everything’s just as it was before.” (Sheila)

Love + Marriage

“When you’re married you’ll realise that men with important work to do… have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business.” (Mrs B)

“You’ll have to get used to that, just as I had.” (Mrs B about Gerald ignoring Sheila/being ‘busy with work’)

“You’re just the kind of son-in-law I always wanted.” (Mr B)

“Now Sheila, I’m not defending him. But you must understand…” (Mr B)

“I don’t think we want any further details of this disgusting affair-” (Mrs B)

“I wasn’t in love with her or anything - but I liked her - she was pretty and a good sport-” (Eric)

“I hope you don’t mind my coming back?” (Gerald) and “No, of course not, Gerald.” (Mrs B)

Wealth + Influence

“I don’t like that tone.” (Mr B)

“Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges.” (Inspector)

“I’d give thousands - yes, thousands-” (Mr B)

“I was almost certain for a knighthood.” (Mr B)

Social Responsibility

“As if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive.” (Mr B)

“Community and all that nonsense.” (Mr B)

“We are all members of one body. We are responsible for each other.” (Inspector)

“If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we’d had anything to do with, it would be very awkward.” (Mr B)

“Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges.” (Inspector)

“Of course not. You were the wonderful Fairy Prince.” (Sheila)

Patriarchal Attitudes

“I hate those hard-eyed dough-faced women.” (Gerald)

“She’d had a lot to say - far too much - so she had to go.” (Mr B)

“You think young women should be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things?” (Inspector)

“After all I don’t often make speeches at you-” (Mr B)

“Nearly any man would have done.” (Gerald)

“You must understand that a lot of young men-” (Mr B)

Guilt + Blame

“We have to share something. If there’s nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt.” (Inspector)

“No, he’s giving us the rope - so that we’ll hang ourselves.” (Sheila)

“Remember before you start accusing me… again that it wasn’t I who… began it all.” (Mrs B to Mr B)
“It’s what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters.” (Eric)

[eagerly] “Don’t be in such a hurry to put yourself in court.” (Mr B)

Socialism V Capitalism

“It’s my duty to ask questions.” (Inspector) and “It’s my duty to keep labour costs down.” (Mr B)

“But after all it’s better to ask for the earth than to take it.” (Inspector)

“Lower costs and higher prices.” (Mr B)

“Community and all that nonsense.” (Mr B)

“All intertwined with our lives.” (Inspector)

“We are members of one body.” (Inspector)