inspector calls - character quotes + context

the cards will show a quote before revealling the context and person who says it.

“You couldn't have done anything else”

“You couldn't have done anything else”

Gerald agrees with Mr Birling about sacking Eva Smith. He is trying to get on Mr Birling’s good side.

 “When you're married you'll realise that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business. You'll have to get used to that, just as I had.” (Age) (Gender)

Mrs Birling has fixed ideas about society and how women should live their life. She believes that men are more powerful and stronger than her. She says that Sheila should just get used to living like that and not do anything about it. 

“Half Shy, Half assertive” & “ I don’t know - really. Suddenly I felt I had to laugh”

Eric is described as shy and lacking self confidence. He tries to stand up to his father but is knocked down. He often acts awkwardly and unsure of himself. This is shown through his dialog. 

“an impression of massiveness, solidarity and purposefulness”

The inspector is imposing towards the other characters. He has control and is there for a purpose. The semantic field relating to his size relates to his importance and power. 

 “I tell you, whoever that inspector was, it was anything but a joke”(Age)

Sheila becomes very assertive and insightful at the end of the play. She stands up for herself and is clear about her opinions. She uses phrases like “I tell you” to tell other characters exactly what they have done.

 “Girls of that Class”   (Class)

When describing Eva Smith, mrs birling describes the working class as “that class”. This can relate to her classist ideas and how she thinks she is so much higher and greater than Eva because of her money and wealth. This can also link to Mrs B’s cold heartedness as she can not see Eva’s life and difficulties but only thinks of herself. 

 “Remember that. Never forget”

the inspector uses two simple sentences to silence and emphasise his point of how they all had a part to play in Eva Smith's Death.

 “All Right. I knew her. Let’s leave it at that”     (Responsibility)

Gerald is described as evasive. He tries to keep the truth from everyone. The use of short simple sentences shows his frustration towards the subject. Hr tries to change the subject as soon as possible.

“Yes go on mummy”     (Responsibility)

Sheila at the beginning of the play is presented as naive and shallow. She is childish as a grown up and wants to please her parents. She is immature, easily led and does what her parents tell her. 

“Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest prices possible?” & “I’d have let her stay” (Responsibility)

Eric even from the beginning tries to stand up to his father and offer his view. He questions his father for sacking Eva smith showing he is assertive and independent. However his father usually shouts him down.

“She was young and pretty and warm hearted and intensely grateful. I became the most important part if her life?” 

Gerald is honest and describes how he was really in love with Eva Smith and how she was in love with him too. This memory of her shows Gerald’s sadness and regret towards how it all ended.

“For lower costs and higher prices”    (Responsibility)

Mr Birling is driven by money as a capitalist businessman. He sees his own daughter's engagement as a business opportunity. He does not consider the impacts of higher prices on others but just wants more money.

“Now I really feel engaged”     (Responsibility)

 At the start, Sheila is a material girl. Once she has received the ring, she really feels engaged. This shows how naive and easily led she is at the beginning of the play. 

“A girl died tonight. A pretty, lively sort of girl, who never did anybody any harm. But she died in misery and agony- hating life-” (Power & Poverty)

The inspector uses vivid imagery towards the Birlings to make them feel guilty about Eva’s death. He uses dramatic pauses to build up the tension and atmosphere. 

 “Millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths”   (Class)

He uses an extended metaphor to convey how widespread Birling's actions are. He represents and defends the millions of working class citizens of that time and how they are exploited by capitalism.

“Everything is all right now Sheila. How about this ring?”

Gerald is oblivious to what has happened and thinks that everything will be okay with Sheila even after the affair he had in the summer. He does not see the bigger picture and thinks that he will be forgiven.

“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 bedroom”  (Class)

the inspector is sympathetic towards Eva smith. Socialists and the voice of the author.

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

Fragmented speech shows his emotion and regret towards what he has done to the girl. Eric has a good heart and represents the younger generation’s acceptance. 

“And you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things?”  (Gender)

the inspector turns each character's actors and words against them manipulating. Like he does to Gerald here.

“That's what I mean when i talked about building up a wall that’s sure to be knocked flat” 

Sheila is described as insightful and being able to see things other characters cannot. She uses a metaphor to show her understanding of the inspector's methods and how she knows that trying to keep anything from him by building up a wall will make things worse. Sheila is the first character to realise this. 

“(shouting) And I say the girl’s dead and we all helped to kill her- and that’s what matters”

Eric is insightful and sees what they have done unlike his parents. He is willing to accept the consequences and admit truthfully what happened. He is not afraid of the truth. He and Sheila have similar views. 

“You’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up in a beehive - community and all that nonsense”    (Responsibility)  (Power & Poverty)

mr birling is a selfish person against socialist ideas. He only looks out for himself and believes “a man must make his own way in life”.

“What an expression sheila! Really the things you girls pick up on these days!”      (Age) 

Mrs Birling criticises Sheila for calling her brother squiffy (drunk). She is concerned of what other wealthy people would think if she used such terminology. 

“And I've been so happy tonight. Oh I wish you hadn't told me.”  (Gender)

At the beginning, when sheila first finds out about the girl she selfishly believes that the knowledge has ruined her night and that everything is about her and her engagement. However she soon becomes more intrigued by what really happened and wants to find out to solve her own unease and distress.

 “No, of course not, he’s only a boy” (Responsibility)

Mrs Birling is delusional describing her son who is a fully grown man as a boy.

“I gather there’s a very good chance of a knighthood” (Class)  (Power & Poverty)

Mr Birling brags about his knighthood trying to show off his class and make himself seem more powerful and greater than other characters in the room. He asserts his dominance by introducing this topic.

 “Then- you killed her. She came to you to protect me- and you turned her away-yes, and you killed her-and the child she’d have had too- my child- your own grandchild- you killed them both”   (Power & Poverty)

Eric is emotional and is angry towards his mother for what she did. He uses repetition of killing multiple times towards his mother to shock her and emphasise the bad that she has done. Eric is trying to hurt her feelings as he is so angry.

 “If I could help her now, I would”  (Responsibility)

Once Sheila has admitted to her mistake she feels terrible and sorry for her actions. This shows how she is a good hearted person and wants to help people. She represents the younger generations' ideas. Sheila is truly sorry and feels regret for her actions.

“I’m a hard headed practical man of business. And I say there isn't a chance of war” (Age)

This quote shows Mr Birlings arrogance as he repeats his ideas of the war never happening and the Titanic being “absolutely unsinkable”.  He as a character believes he is always right and is very self important. This leads to the audience not trusting and disliking him as a character.

 “Clothes mean something quite different to a woman. Not just something to wear and not something to make em’ look prettier”   (Gender)

This shows how Mr Birling is patronising women and believing in old fashioned and stereotypical ways. He is sexist saying they mean more to women. He also objectified women by saying that women should look pretty. 

“She was claiming elaborate fine feelings”

Mrs Birling describes Eva Smith as unable to have “fine feelings” as she is unmarried and pregnant. She is very unsympathetic when describing Eva’s position. She thinks she is a bad person for being pregnant out of marriage showing her cruel and random thoughts and old fashioned views of the older generation. 

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

He is a selfish character. The fact he mentions looking after his family as an afterthought shows his selfishness.

 “I blame the young man who was the father of the child”    (Responsibility)

In this quote Mrs Birling ironically is referring to her son. She cannot later turn around and defend her son after saying something like this. Mrs Birling is also criticising without knowing her own parenting skills through bringing up a child she does not approve of and would blame.