An Inspector Calls quotes

Capitalism and Socialism (Mr Birling)

“Lower costs and higher prices”

“Hard-headed, practical man of business”

“But the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive - community and all that nonsense.”

“A man has to make his own way - has to look after himself - and his family too.”

“a man has to mind his own business”

“Well it’s my duty to keep labour costs down.”

“I don’t understand how you could take as much as that out of the office without somebody knowing.”

“Except of course for Russia, which will always be behindhand naturally”

“If we were all responsible for everything that happened to anyone that we’d had anything to do with”

Capitalism and Socialism (Sheila)

“Oh - it’s wonderful! Look - Mummy - isn’t it a beauty?”

“Now I really feel engaged.”

“These girls aren’t just cheap labour - they’re people.”

“[She hands him the ring.]”

“Impertinent is such a silly word”

Capitalism and Socialism (Eric)

“Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices.”

Capitalism and Socialism (Inspector)

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

“You see, we have to share something. If there’s nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt.”

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

“But just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone - but there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering, and chance of happiness, all intertwined in our lives and what we think and say and do. We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish. Good night.”

Class (Mr Birling)

“Sheila’s a lucky girl.”

“The Titanic is unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.”

“feels you might have done better for yourself socially -”

“the son of Sir George Croft”

“Rubbish! If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth.”

“[angrily] I really must protest -”

“I’m a public man -”

“I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can”

“There’ll be a public scandal.”

“I was almost certain for a knighthood on the next Honours List -”

Class (Mrs Birling)

“Girls of that class -”

“My husband was Lord Mayor”

“this disgusting affair”

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

“he didn’t belong to her class”

“Besides, you’re not that type”

Class (Sheila)

“These girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people.”

“wall between us and that girl”

Class (Eric)

“She wasn’t the usual sort.”

“the ones I’ve seen your respectable friends with -”

Class (Gerald)

“After all, y’know, we’re respectable citizens and not criminals”

“Why should you? It’s bound to be unpleasant and disturbing.”

“[Carefully, to the Inspector] I want you to understand that I didn’t install her there so that I could make love to her.”

“She was young and pretty and intensely grateful. I became at once the most important person in her life.”

Class (Inspector)

“I’ve thought that it would do us all 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.”

“used the power you had”

“Miss Birling compelled them to discharge her,”

“And then you decided to keep her - as your misteress?”

“You refused her even the pitiable little bit of organise charity you had in your power to grant her.”

“As if she was an animal, a thing, not a person”

Age (Mr Birling)

“And we don’t guess - we’ve had experience - and we know.”

“Just keep quiet, Eric, and don’t get excited.”

“Nothing to do with you, Sheila. Run along.”

Age (Mrs Birling)

“Be careful with it.”

“You appear to have made a great impression on this child, Inspector.”

“drunken young idler”

“Don’t be childish, Sheila.”

Age (Sheila)

“Oh - it’s wonderful! Look - Mummy - isn’t it a beauty?”

Age (Eric)

“I’m old enough to be married, aren’t I”

“She treated me - as if I were a kid.”

“You’re not exactly the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble - that’s why.”

“[Eric laughs rather hysterically, pointing at him.]”

Age (Inspector)

“[cooly] We often do on the young ones. They’re more impressionable.”

Gender (Mr Birling)

“Sheila’s a lucky girl.”

“a man has to make his own way - has to look after himself - and his family too”

“a man has to mind his own business”

“Nothing to do with you, Sheila. Run along.”

“A lot of young men -”

“Sheila, take your mother to the drawing room.”

Gender (Mrs Birling)

“leave you men-”

“Women of the town?”

Gender (Sheila)

“Pretty?”

Interrogation of Gerald (pg 50)

“(cutting in) Yes, you did. And if you'd really loved me, you couldn't have said that.”

Gender (Gerald)

“I think Miss Birling ought to be excused any more of this questioning. She’s nothing more to tell you.”

“and now she’s obviously had about as much as she can stand”

“Why should you? It’s bound to be unpleasant and disturbing.”

“I hate those hard-eyed, dough-faced women.”

“[Carefully, to the Inspector] I want you to understand that I didn’t install her there so that I could make love to her.”

“I’m rather more - upset by this business than I probably appear to be.”

Gender (Inspector)

“I’ve thought it would do us all 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.”

“And then you decided to keep her - as your mistress?”

“as if she was an animal, a thing, not a person”

Responsibility (Mr Birling)

“I can’t accept any responsibility.”

“They must have done something wrong.”

“[angrily to Eric] You’re the one I blame for this!”

“This make a difference, y’know. In fact, it makes all the difference.”

Responsibility (Mrs Birling)

“She had only herself to blame”

“Unlike the other three, I did nothing I’m ashamed of.”

“It’s his responsibility”

“But I accept no blame for it at all”

Responsibility (Sheila)

“Oh, I wish you hadn’t told me.”

“But she was very pretty and looked as if she could take care of herself. I couldn’t be sorry for her.”

“So I’m really responsible?”

“And I know I’m to blame - and I’m desperately sorry - but I can’t believe - I won’t believe - it’s simply my fault that in the end - she committed suicide. That would be too horrible -”

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

“And probably between us we killed her.”

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

“You’re just beginning to pretend all over again!”

“Between us we drove that girl to commit suicide.”

Responsibility (Eric)

“That might have started it.”

“I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty”

“you killed her”

“And it doesn’t alter the fact that we all helped to kill her”

Responsibility (Gerald)

“Let’s leave it at that”

“I don’t come into this suicide business”

“You know, it wasn’t disgusting”

“I’m rather more - upset - by this business than I probably appear to be”

Responsibility (Inspector)

“A chain of events”

“But you’re partly to blame.”

“And if she leaves us now, and doesn’t hear anymore, then she’ll feel entirely to blame.”

“You see, we have to share something. If there’s noting else, we’ll have to share our guilt.”

“But each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it.”

“Well, Eva Smith’s gone. You can’t do her any more harm. And you can’t do anything good either. You can’t even say ‘I’m sorry, Eva Smith.’”

Mr Birling (miscellaneous)

“don’t get into the police court or start a scandal”

“and his own - and - [We hear the sharp ring of a front door bell. Birling stops to listen.]”

Mrs Birling (miscellaneous)

“That - I consider - is a trifle impertinent, Inspector.”

“deserving cases”

“You have no power to make me change my mind.”

Sheila (miscellaneous)

“I’m staying.”

“[cutting in]”

“Don’t interfere, please, Father.”

Gerald (miscellaneous)

“Unless Eric’s been up to something.”

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

“what I’d allowed her”

Inspector (miscellaneous)

“Don’t stammer and yammer at me again, man. I’m losing all patience with you people.”

“[We hear the sharp ring of a front door bell.”

“They might, but it’s better to ask for the earth than to take it.”

“If you come over here, I’ll show you.”

“And you slammed the door in her face.”