quotes

• 'if you don't come down sharply on these people they'd soon be asking for the earth'

  exploitation of workers + power. adverb 'sharply' highlights birling's arrogance and harsh working conditions.

  'these people' - shows birling looks down on his workers
• 'better to ask for the earth than to take it'

  inspector = priestley's mouthpiece. implementing pristley's own socialist beliefs through his character.

  inspector is not scared to challenge mr birling despite his upper class
• 'but these girls aren't cheap labour, they're people'

  hyphenated clause places emphasis on the idea that these workers should not be dehumanised, highlighting this key idea to the audience. sheila is recognising that these girls are not objects.
• 'so i broke it off definitely' - gerald

  left when it best suited him, emphasising the idea that gerald only cared about himself and not what would happen to eva afterwards.

  pronoun 'it' emphasises shame
• 'she'd lived very economically on what i'd allowed her'

  very controlling over what eva got and when
• 'i used my influence to have it refused'

  indicates her arrogance and unwillingness to accept blame. turns audience against her so they align more with the socialist viewpoint of the younger generation