An Inspector Calls Quotes
Class, wealth, authority, family, marriage, society, love, politics, power, responsibility,
age, prejudice, gender / Mr Birling, Mrs Birling, Sheila, Inspector, Eva, Eric, Gerald
“The lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives, and then it
should be brighter and harder.” (stage directions) Class, wealth, authority
The Birlings enjoy a lifestyle conducted away from the prying eyes of society. The
lighting is symbolic of how the Birlings live their lives, and what the Inspector’s role is
in the play. ‘Pink’ suggests both a luxurious lifestyle and a gentle, comfortable way of
living. The Inspector brings a ‘brighter’ light that foreshadows the fact that he intends
to shine a light on the way they behave. An alternative interpretation could be that
this stage direction portrays the capitalistic atmosphere in a pink and soft light which
is unlike reality where this type of lighting is hardly present. It suggests that the
events inside the household are somehow unrealistic which mirrors how most of the
characters appear to be (especially Sheila at the beginning). This is why the Inspector
brings a brighter and harder light, which shines light on everything, dispelling this rosy
atmosphere and replacing it with reality. Priestly depicts the Inspector as the moral
correctness in this story.
“I’m talking as a hard-headed, practical man of business.”family, marriage, society
Birling behaves as the patriarch should do - society would expect him to be a provider
for his family, unemotional and rational, focussing on the family business and
maintaining their wealth. The alliteration of the ‘h’ in ‘hard-headed’, a phrase Birling
repeats frequently, has a cold tone, mimicking his coldness towards his workers.
‘Hard’ shows Birling has no caring, compassionate side, and ‘headed’ suggests he
views things with his head, not heart - he has no sympathy. Birling is giving this
speech at his daughter’s engagement, yet he does not identify himself as a father or
husband, but as a practical man of business. His main role in society is as a
businessman and not a father. This closely links with the quote “a man has to mind
his own business and look after himself”. The capitalistic view that Mr Birling presents,
at a point where people are aware that he is not a credible figure, is a device of
Priestley’s to negate non-socialistic views, such as his.
“Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable:”
This portrays the didactic nature of Mr Birling, and goes to highlight the Edwardian
hubris of the time, incredibly positive, and also shows that Mr Birling thinks that he
knows it all (by the repetition). This dramatic irony highlights his arrogance. This has
the same context as “Germans don’t want war”. This dramatic irony helps Priestley go
on to discredit the capitalist mindset of Mr Birling from the start.
“Mixed up together like bees in a hive - community and all that nonsense.” power,
responsibility, Class, society
This simile is Mr Birling’s attempt to trivialise the concept of socialism, by saying the
entire system is weak and subhuman (like bees), therefore dehumanising them. The
play is set pre-war but performed after World War Two, a time when the country had
Class, wealth, authority, family, marriage, society, love, politics, power, responsibility,
age, prejudice, gender / Mr Birling, Mrs Birling, Sheila, Inspector, Eva, Eric, Gerald
“The lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives, and then it
should be brighter and harder.” (stage directions) Class, wealth, authority
The Birlings enjoy a lifestyle conducted away from the prying eyes of society. The
lighting is symbolic of how the Birlings live their lives, and what the Inspector’s role is
in the play. ‘Pink’ suggests both a luxurious lifestyle and a gentle, comfortable way of
living. The Inspector brings a ‘brighter’ light that foreshadows the fact that he intends
to shine a light on the way they behave. An alternative interpretation could be that
this stage direction portrays the capitalistic atmosphere in a pink and soft light which
is unlike reality where this type of lighting is hardly present. It suggests that the
events inside the household are somehow unrealistic which mirrors how most of the
characters appear to be (especially Sheila at the beginning). This is why the Inspector
brings a brighter and harder light, which shines light on everything, dispelling this rosy
atmosphere and replacing it with reality. Priestly depicts the Inspector as the moral
correctness in this story.
“I’m talking as a hard-headed, practical man of business.”family, marriage, society
Birling behaves as the patriarch should do - society would expect him to be a provider
for his family, unemotional and rational, focussing on the family business and
maintaining their wealth. The alliteration of the ‘h’ in ‘hard-headed’, a phrase Birling
repeats frequently, has a cold tone, mimicking his coldness towards his workers.
‘Hard’ shows Birling has no caring, compassionate side, and ‘headed’ suggests he
views things with his head, not heart - he has no sympathy. Birling is giving this
speech at his daughter’s engagement, yet he does not identify himself as a father or
husband, but as a practical man of business. His main role in society is as a
businessman and not a father. This closely links with the quote “a man has to mind
his own business and look after himself”. The capitalistic view that Mr Birling presents,
at a point where people are aware that he is not a credible figure, is a device of
Priestley’s to negate non-socialistic views, such as his.
“Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable:”
This portrays the didactic nature of Mr Birling, and goes to highlight the Edwardian
hubris of the time, incredibly positive, and also shows that Mr Birling thinks that he
knows it all (by the repetition). This dramatic irony highlights his arrogance. This has
the same context as “Germans don’t want war”. This dramatic irony helps Priestley go
on to discredit the capitalist mindset of Mr Birling from the start.
“Mixed up together like bees in a hive - community and all that nonsense.” power,
responsibility, Class, society
This simile is Mr Birling’s attempt to trivialise the concept of socialism, by saying the
entire system is weak and subhuman (like bees), therefore dehumanising them. The
play is set pre-war but performed after World War Two, a time when the country had
