1.6 - Key Quotes
Key quotes - Act 1
| Quote | Character | Theme | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| "A man has to make his own way - has to look after himself" | Arthur Birling | Social responsibility | Establishes Birling's individualistic philosophy that contrasts with Inspector's message |
| "The Germans don't want war. Nobody wants war" | Arthur Birling | Appearance versus reality | Dramatic irony as audience knows WWI will begin in 1914 |
| "unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable" | Arthur Birling | Appearance versus reality | References Titanic disaster, showing Birling's overconfidence and poor judgement |
| "We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other" | Inspector Goole | Social responsibility | Central message of the play about collective responsibility |
| "These girls aren't cheap labour - they're people" | Sheila Birling | Class and inequality | Shows Sheila's growing social awareness and challenge to class exploitation |
| "You killed her. She came to you for help, and you turned her away" | Inspector Goole | Social responsibility | Direct accusation highlighting failure of social duty |
Key quotes - Act 2
| Quote | Character | Theme | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| "I don't understand about you" | Arthur Birling | Appearance versus reality | Birling's confusion about Inspector's identity and authority |
| "You're not the kind of father a chap could go to when he's in trouble" | Eric Birling | Generational divide | Reveals breakdown in family relationships and communication |
| "Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges" | Inspector Goole | Social responsibility | Challenges Birling's abuse of social position and power |
| "I went to the manager at Milwards and I told him that if they didn't get rid of that girl, I'd never go near the place again" | Sheila Birling | Class and inequality | Shows abuse of class privilege and economic power over working class |
| "I hate to think how much he knows that we don't know yet" | Gerald Croft | Appearance versus reality | Reveals fear about Inspector's mysterious knowledge and authority |
| "She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position" | Mrs Birling | Class and inequality | Demonstrates class prejudice and refusal to recognise working class humanity |
Key quotes - Act 3
| Quote | Character | Theme | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Girls of that class" | Mrs Birling | Class and inequality | Shows Mrs Birling's dismissive attitude towards working class women |
| "I did what I did. And mother did what she did. And you did what you did to her" | Eric Birling | Guilt and conscience | Eric's acceptance of collective family responsibility |
| "The point is, you don't seem to have learnt anything" | Inspector Goole | Generational divide | Criticises older generation's refusal to change or accept responsibility |
| "But these others, they won't even say they're sorry now" | Sheila Birling | Generational divide | Highlights difference between younger and older generation's responses |
| "We are all members of one body. We are responsible for each other" | Inspector Goole | Social responsibility | Repetition of central message emphasising collective responsibility |
| "Fire and blood and anguish" | Inspector Goole | Social responsibility | Prophetic warning about consequences of ignoring social responsibility |
How were these notes?