An Inspector Call quotes

Pink and intimate…brighter and harder

'‘pink’ suggests how the Birling family viewed everything through rose-tinted lens. They have a false sense of warmth and is unaware and ignorant of the harsh realities of society. They pretend that their lives are perfect before the Inspector arrives when it becomes ‘brighter and harder’. The Inspector sheds light on their true nature and breaks down their perfect facade.

‘For lower costs and higher prices’ -Mr Birling

Juxtaposition shows how Mr B prioritises profit over his workers’ welfare. He doesn't consider the impact of the ‘higher prices’. Priestley highlights and criticises his capitalist views as he uses his daughters’ engagement as a chance to gain more wealth. Emphasising his greed

‘Unsinkable absolutely unsinkable’ -Mr Birling

‘If you don't come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth’ -Mr Birling

‘…Its better to ask for the earth than to take it’ -Inspector

‘But these girls aren't cheap labour- they're people’ Sheila

‘Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as priviledges’ -Inspector

‘Absurd in a girl in her position’ -Mrs Birling

‘Don't stammer and yammer at me again, man. I'm losing all patience with you people’ -Inspector

‘As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money’ -Mrs Birling

‘You must’nt try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl. If you do then the Inspector will just break it down’ -Sheila

Sheila uses a metaphor to suggest that her family has created an impenetrable divide between themselves and Eva. Symbolising the divide between the rich and poor in Edwardian society because the rich believe they are superior. ‘wall’ is very robust so it reflects on how large the divide is.

‘There’ll be a public scandal’ -Mr Birling

‘(rather impatiently) Yes, yes. Horrid business.’ -Mr Birling

Mr B has a dismissive response to Eva’s death

‘It’s about time you learnt to face a few responsibilities’ -Mr Birling

‘I’m talking as a hard-headed, practical man of business’ -Mr Birling

‘as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive’ -Mr Birling

‘Look- Mummy- isn't it a beauty?’ -Sheila

‘I suppose we’re all nice people now’ -Sheila

‘With no work, no money coming in, and living in lodgings, with no relatives to help her, few friends, lonely, half-starved, she was feeling desperate’ -Inspector

‘well, I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty’ -Eric

‘well’ shows his nonchalant attitude towards his actions and how he's trying to evade responsibility. This is further supported when he refers to himself using the colloquial noun ‘chap’ in third person to try and dissociate himself from his crime and also trivialise the situation by making himself appear friendly. ‘that state’ implies how his behaviour is standard for men of that time

‘you killed them both- damn you, damn you’ -Eric

‘(involuntary) My God!’ -Eric

‘involuntary’ shows Eric's genuine reaction and how he has emapathy for Eva's death

‘we’re respectable citizens and not criminals’ -Gerald

The collective pronoun ‘we’re’ shows how he’s speaking on behalf of the upper class. He believes that upper class are ‘respectable’ and superior because they have money and status. ‘criminals’ only refer to the lower classes, hence showing

‘you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things?’

'We often go on the young ones. They're more impressionable’ -Inspector

‘young and fresh and charming and altogether out of place down there’ -gerald

‘she was pretty- soft brown hair and big dark eyes- [breaks off.] My God!’ -gerald

Priestley’s use of aposiopesis comes directly after Gerald describes her physical beauty. Suggest he only felt attracted to her physically and felt the greatest grief when remembering her beauty. He only cared about Eva because of his lustful desires

‘He was our police officer all right’ -Eric

‘I accept no blame for it at all’ -Mrs Birling