english lit an inspector calls

"A man has to make his own way – has to look after himself – and his family too."

Mr Birling expressing capitalist and individualist views before the Inspector arrives.

"The Titanic… absolutely unsinkable."

Dramatic irony undermines Mr Birling’s confidence and credibility.

"The Germans don’t want war."

Dramatic irony showing Birling's ignorance and misplaced optimism.

"Community and all that nonsense."

Birling dismisses collective responsibility; reflects capitalist selfishness.

"She was one of my employees and then I discharged her."

Birling takes no responsibility for Eva’s dismissal.

"I can’t accept any responsibility."

Birling refusing to acknowledge any guilt for Eva’s death.

"We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other."

Inspector Goole’s main moral message; supports socialism.

"If men will not learn that lesson

then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish."

"It's better to ask for the earth than to take it."

Inspector criticises Birling’s greed and treatment of workers.

"Public men

Mr Birling

"You used the power you had… to punish the girl."

Inspector accusing Mrs Birling of misusing her social influence.

"Girls of that class—"

Mrs Birling’s snobbery and prejudice against the working class.

"I’m very sorry. But I think she had only herself to blame."

Mrs Birling refusing responsibility and blaming Eva.

"I accept no blame for it at all."

Mrs Birling denies all wrongdoing

"As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!"

Mrs Birling assuming moral inferiority based on class.

"I blame the young man who was the father of the child."

Mrs Birling unknowingly condemns her own son

"Why – you fool – he knows. Of course he knows."

Sheila realises the Inspector knows everything; a turning point for her character.

"I'll never

never do it again to anybody."

"These girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people."

Sheila challenges her father’s capitalist view; shows empathy.

"I behaved badly too. I know I did. I’m ashamed of it."

Sheila admits fault and takes responsibility for her actions.

"I know I’m to blame – and I’m desperately sorry."

Sheila’s emotional maturity contrasts with her parents' denial.

"She was young and pretty and warm-hearted – and intensely grateful."

Gerald justifying his affair with Eva.

"I didn’t feel about her as she felt about me."

Gerald admits emotional detachment; reveals imbalance in the relationship.

"I wasn’t in love with her or anything."

Gerald shows he used Eva despite her feelings; highlights class/gender power dynamics.

"I didn’t install her there so I could make love to her."

Gerald tries to excuse his behavior; reveals privilege.

"I’m rather more – upset – by this business than I probably appear to be."

Gerald’s discomfort

"You killed her – she came to you to protect me – and you turned her away – yes

and you killed her."

"You’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble."

Eric criticises his father; reflects emotional distance.

"I did what I did. And mother did what she did. And the rest of you did what you did to her."

Eric summarising collective guilt.

"The fact remains that I did what I did."

Eric accepts responsibility

"It’s what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters."

Eric shows he understands the Inspector’s moral lesson.

"Each of you helped to kill her."

Inspector highlighting collective responsibility; everyone's actions contributed.

"We often do on the young ones. They’re more impressionable."

Inspector recognises hope in the younger generation.

"There are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us."

Inspector highlights how Eva represents many oppressed individuals.

"I suppose we're all nice people now."

Sheila’s sarcasm criticising her family's denial of guilt.

"The point is

you don’t seem to have learnt anything."

"It frightens me the way you talk."

Sheila is disturbed by her parents' lack of remorse.

"We’ve been had

that’s all."

"The whole story’s just a lot of moonshine. Nothing but an elaborate sell."

Birling tries to dismiss the evening’s events.

"But the whole thing’s different now."

Gerald thinks their actions don’t matter if the Inspector wasn’t real.

"Everything’s all right now

Sheila. What about this ring?"

"Probably a socialist or some sort of crank."

Birling dismissing the Inspector

"You seem to be a nice well-behaved family –"

Gerald’s comment is ironic

"You’re beginning to pretend now that nothing’s really happened at all."

Sheila challenges the family's attempts to forget.

"You haven’t learnt anything."

Sheila reiterates the key theme of ignoring moral lessons.

"You allowed yourselves to be bluffed."

Birling more concerned with being tricked than with moral truth.

"She was in great agony."

Inspector uses emotive language to confront them with the consequences.

"We’ll have to share our guilt."

Inspector promotes collective responsibility.

"She needed not only money but advice

sympathy

"I became at once the most important person in her life."

Gerald reflecting on Eva’s emotional vulnerability.

"I’m ashamed of you as well – yes

both of you."

"It’s better to ask for the earth than to take it."

Inspector criticising greed and exploitation.

"This girl killed herself – and died a horrible death."

Inspector ensuring they face the harsh reality.

"You don’t understand anything. You never did."

Eric expressing frustration with his father’s lack of understanding.

"Look at the way he talked to me."

Birling is shocked that the Inspector treats him without deference.

"One person and one line of inquiry at a time."

Inspector’s methodical approach increases tension.

"Just used her for the end of a stupid drunken evening."

Eric admitting exploitation; shows guilt and irresponsibility.

"He inspected us all right."

Sheila believes the emotional and moral lesson was real.

"You made her pay a heavy price for that."

Inspector confronting Sheila about her actions.

"You're squiffy."

Sheila teasing Eric about his drinking; hints at deeper issues.

"I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty."

Eric describing his aggression; implies sexual assault.

"I hate those hard-eyed dough-faced women."

Gerald’s objectification of women; class prejudice.

"I insisted on Daisy moving into those rooms."

Gerald uses his power to control Eva’s life.

"Nothing to do with you

Sheila. Run along."

"You’ll have a good laugh over it yet."

Birling dismisses the evening’s events as a joke.

"Everything’s all right now."

Gerald thinking lack of legal consequence removes moral responsibility.

"Well

why shouldn’t we?"

"She refused to take any more money."

Eva’s moral strength; refuses stolen money from Eric.

"We are respectable citizens and not criminals."

Birling defending his reputation over morality.

"I was in love with her."

Gerald claiming affection for Eva

"And that’s when it happened."

Eric reluctantly admits to getting Eva pregnant.

"You're the one I blame for this."

Birling shifts blame to Eric to protect himself.

"The press might easily take it up."

Birling is more concerned about scandal than justice.