AIC- Quotes

• “Its one of the happiest nights of my life… your engagement to Shelia means a tremendous lot to me.”
• “We may look forward to the time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together – for lower costs and higher prices.”
• “Just because the miners came out on strike, there’s a lot of wild talk about possible labour trouble in the future. Don’t worry.”
• “We employers are coming together to see that our interests – and the interests of Capital – are properly protected.”
• “You’ll hear some people say that war is inevitable. And to that I say – fiddlesticks!”
• “There’s a fair chance that I may find myself into the next honours list.”
• “By the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense.”
• “A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own – and – We hear the sharp ring of a front door bell. Birling stops to listen.”
• “As it happened more than eighteen months ago – nearly two years ago – obviously it has nothing to do with the wretched girl’s suicide.”
• Arthur Birling is a heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties with fairly easy manners but rather provincial in his speech.”
• “I can’t accept any responsibility.”
• “ If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody… it would be very awkward wouldn’t it?”
• “It’s my duty to keep labour costs down.”
• “If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth.”
• “Perhaps I ought to warn you that that [the Chief Constable is] and old friend of mine. We play golf together.”
• “I don’t like your tone nor the way you’re handling this enquiry.”
• “I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can.”
• “Why you hysterical young fool – get back – or I’ll – “
• “I care. I was almost certain for a Knighthood in the next honours list.”
• “There’s every excuse for what both your mother and I did.”
• “There’ll be a public scandal… and who here will suffer for that more than I will?”
• “(jovially) But the whole thing’s different now”
• “[Mrs Birling] is about fifty, a rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior.”
• “I don’t suppose for a moment that we can understand why the girl committed suicide.”
• “That - I consider - is a trifle impertinent Inspector.”
• “I realise that you have to conduct some sort of inquiry, but I must say that so far you seem to be conducting it in a rather peculiar and offensive manner.”
• “We are learning something tonight.”
• “I beg your pardon!”
• “What business is it of yours?”
• “It was simply a piece of gross impertinence”
• “Naturally that was one of the things that prejudiced me against her case.”
• “I didn’t like her manner”
• “If you think you can bring any pressure to bear upon me, Inspector, you’re quite mistaken. Unlike the other three, I did nothing I’m ashamed of or that won’t bear investigation.”
• “In spite of what’s happened to the girl since, I consider I did my duty.”
• ”I’ll tell you what I told her. Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.”
• “It wasn’t I who had her turned out of her employment – which probably began it all.”
• “In the circumstances I think I was justified.”
• “She was giving herself ridiculous airs. She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position.”
• “She said the father was only a youngster – silly and wild and drinking too much.”
• “You’re quite wrong to suppose I shall regret what I did.”