QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
DETAIED ANSWERS
"And you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant and disturbing
things?" - Answer-Shows how the inspectors views differ from the Gerald's: He believes
that Shiela has a right to be involved in this conversation and not shielded away
because it's too "unpleasant" for a woman to hear.
"You mustn't try to build a wall up between us and that girl" - Answer-Sheila
understands more than her parents that everyone is the same, class doesn't play a part
in this situation because everyone is equally involved.
"No, of course not. He's only a boy" - Answer-Highlights how naive and stubborn Mrs
Birling is. She addresses her grown son as a "boy" and claims that he doesn't drink, but
later we find out that he drinks a lot.
"And surely you don't mean Alderman Meggarty?" - Answer-Again demonstrating Mrs
Birling's naiveness: she is shocked to hear that Meggarty is a "notorious womaniser"
even though everyone else is aware already.
"Your daughter isn't living on the moon. She's here in Brumley too" - Answer-Shows the
Inspectors frustration with how Sheila is being treated by her family.
"You mean you don't choose to do, Mrs Birling" - Answer-The Inspector is very aware of
the games the Birlings are playing. He has a sense that Mrs B recognises the picture of
the girl, and he knows her involvement in Eva's death, so when she tries to act dumb
and pretend she doesn't understand him he puts her in her place.
"She was here alone, friendless, almost penniless, desperate" - Answer-Repetion of a
saddening semantic field helps shift the mood and make the audience and the Birling's
really think about Eva's life.
"If you'd had any sense of loyalty" - Answer-Mr Birling can't understands why Sheila is
taking the Inspectors side, and thinks she needs to be loyal to the family. This shows
that the capitalist society believe in family over truth: they think that even though what
they've done is wrong, Sheila should go against her views and defend her family.
"about 50 pounds all told" - Answer-£50 in 1912 is the equivalent of £5000 in 2018