Themes: Social Class

Key Quotes
‘You’re just the kind of son-in-law I
Birling heartily approves of Sheila’s match
always wanted.’
with Gerald because of what is does for his
BIRLING, Act One own status. The Crofts are an aristocratic
family, higher up the social ladder than
nouveau riche families like the Birlings.

nouveau riche n.
‘But these girls aren’t cheap labour – “new rich” – people who
they’re people.’ Birling justifies his treatment of Eva with
the economic logic have
that she led theacquired
recently workers’
SHEILA, Act One appeal for higher perceived
rates. Sheila,
money, on the lacking
asother
hand, has the humanity to see beyond
class and taste
business practice and class labels.

In this quote the Inspector alludes to class

‘You see, we have to share something. division and the perceived selfishness
If there’s nothing else, we’ll have to of the upper class: the shared guilt is
punishment for their not sharing anything
share our guilt.’
else at an earlier opportunity. The pronoun
INSPECTOR, Act Two ‘we’ is indicative of his belief in collective
responsibility.
alludes v.
hints or suggests at
The courteous ‘please’ is actually a
signal of (particularly
authority, Mrs with reference
Birling speaking
‘Please don’t contradict me like that. to as
to the Inspector something
if he wereelse)
one of her
And in any case I don’t suppose for a children. As a member of the upper class,
moment that we can understand why she is accustomed to being deferred to
the girl committed suicide. Girls of that and looks down on those who work for
a living. She habitually ‘supposes’ but
class–‘
fails to ‘understand’ and believes that
MRS B., Act Two the unspeakable ‘girls of that class’ are
unknowable, even though she is about to
stereotype them.
‘We don’t live alone. We are members deferred v.
of one body.’ bowed down to as a mark
Like Gerald before him, Eric judges the girl
INSPECTOR, Act Three primarily byof looks.
respect and ‘a
Being superiority
good sport’
suggests she was willing, probably through
no other choice, to be part of Eric’s fun and
games that would ultimately lead to her
death.

An Inspector Calls 31
Themes: Social Class - Key Quotes
 Themes: Gender Roles

Key Quotes
‘Is it the one you wanted me to have?’
As pleased as Sheila is by the engagement
SHEILA, Act One ring, the passive phrasing reveals Gerald to
be the decision-maker and her assuming
the pre-ordained role of submissive wife.
This makes her almost as much of an
ornament as the ring so it is meaningful
that she rebuffs this striking symbol of
servitude at the play’s close.

‘Clothes mean something quite different

to a woman. Not just something to This superficial and submissive
patronising
adj. view
wear – and not only something to make of women shows that Birling has scant
weakly obedient; ready
understanding of the opposite sex, even
’em look prettier – but – well, a sort of
to concede
though he is in the process oftolecturing
the will Eric
or
sign or token of their self-respect.’ about them. The authority
implicationofisothers
that men
BIRLING, Act One have higher concerns, whereas women
are objectified and have no measure of
self-respectsuperficial
beyond theiradj. appearance.
‘You’re forgetting I’m supposed to be However, the stuttering – represented by
the dashrelating towords
and filler the surface;
‘well’ and ‘sort of’
engaged to the hero of it.’
skin-deep
– suggest he doesn’t really know what he’s
SHEILA, Act Two talking about.

Sheila presses Gerald to tell his part of

the story, despite his and Sybil’s protests
that she should be protected from such
unpleasantness. Her sarcastic casting of
‘I suppose it was inevitable. She was Gerald as ‘hero’ lampoons male supremacy
young and pretty and warm-hearted – and ‘supposed’ has the subtle effect
and intensely grateful.’ of her making the choice to annul their
engagement. This is significant in an age
GERALD, Act Two when women couldn’t divorce men, even
on the grounds of adultery.

He’s a man of highlampoons v. she ticks the

standing,
right boxes, soridicules; makes that
it’s ‘inevitable’ a Gerald
‘She was pretty and a good sport-’ makes Daisy his mistress. And she, of
annul v.
mockery of
course, is ‘grateful’ for such attention!
ERIC, Act Three
to declare invalid or void

Like Gerald before him, Eric judges the girl

primarily by looks. Being ‘a good sport’
suggests she was willing, probably through
no other choice, to be part of Eric’s fun and
games that would ultimately lead to her
death.

An Inspector Calls 43
Themes: Gender Roles - Key Quotes
 Themes: Age and Time

Key Quotes
‘You seem to have made a great impression
The use of the term ‘child’
on this child, Inspector.’
reinforces the generation gap and
MRS B., Act Two shows that Mrs Birling considers
herself superior to her susceptible
daughter, the implication being
that the Inspector will fail to have
any impression on her.

‘He’s only a boy.’ Mrs Birling appears unaware that

her sonsusceptible
has developed into a young
adj.
MRS B., Act Two
man capable of heavy drinking and
easily influenced
womanising. This ordemonstrates
harmed
how little she knows her own child
and is typical of her infantilising
Eric and Sheila throughout.

‘You and I aren’t the same people who sat Sheila’s statement to Gerald is an
affirmation that she has grown
down to dinner here.’
and changed, even in such a short
SHEILA, Act Two space ofinfantilising
time. The olderv.characters,
meanwhile, are resistant to change.
treating someone as if they
were a child

affirmation n.
Birling doesn’tinoffer
statement the nurturing
confirmation of
‘You’re not the kind of father a chap could go
parental support that one
to when he’s in trouble.’ something
might expect from a father. His
ERIC, Act Three authoritarian approach instead
creates a barrier between him and
his more sensitive, troubled son.

Birling belittles his son’s high-

wrought emotions as hysteria,
‘Why, you hysterical young fool – get back – suggesting Eric isn’t in control of his
thoughts orauthoritarian adj.
actions. The adjectival
or I’ll–’
phrase ‘hysterical young fool’
strict; dictatorial
BIRLING, Act Three seems to suggest that foolishness
and hysteria are consequences of
youth. Yet, ironically, the older man
is also on the verge of losing control
and resorting to physical violence.

An Inspector Calls 57
Themes: Age and Time - Key Quotes
 Themes: Morality and Legality

Key Quotes
(angrily) ‘Look here, Inspector, I
The tone indicated by the stage direction
consider this uncalled-for and officious.
suggests Birling has no time for the
I’ve half a mind to report you. I’ve told Inspector and is losing patience with a
you all I know – and it doesn’t seem to matter that he considers trivial. The threat
me very important.’ to ‘report you’ is one of many examples of
Birling leaning on the Inspector to quieten
BIRLING, Act One
him.

‘We’re respectable citizens and not Gerald makes the assumption that
criminals.’ ‘respectable citizens’ never commit crimes.
In his world, only the working class are felons
GERALD, Act One and the ruling class are above the law. The
Inspector corrects this misjudgement with
the comeback, ‘Sometimes there isn’t as
much difference as you think’.

‘No hushing up, eh? Make an example The Inspector’s rhetorical questions
taunt Mrs Birling for shifting the blame,
of the young man, eh? Public confession
unwittingly, to her own son. The repeated
of responsibility, um?’ references to publicising Eric’s guilt show
INSPECTOR, Act Two that he knows the Birlings prize public
honour above personal integrity.

rhetorical questions n.
Eric uses ‘inspector’ in the general sense
of one who questions
scrutinises asked withoutthat
and ensures
‘He was our police inspector all right.’ standards are upheld. It doesn’t
expectation matter to
of an answer
him or Sheila whether the law is involved
ERIC, Act Three
since they know they were morally wrong.

Birling is quick to laugh off the whole

(jovially) ‘But the whole thing’s different
incident and revert to a jovial manner when
now. Come, come, you can see that, he thinks it a hoax. He is not remorseful
can’t you?’ for his behaviour once there are no legal
repercussions and even mocks his children
BIRLING, Act Three
for not seeing it the same way. His failure
to ‘see’ his moral obligations necessitates
the coming of a real police inspector.

An Inspector Calls 70
Themes: Morality and Legality - Key Quotes