AIC quotes

• Eric : Secrective


  'Half shy, half assertive' - intro stage directions

  'Yes, I remember-' (stops himself)

  'I didn't even remember- that's the problem
• Eric : Socialist


  'I insisted in giving her enough money to keep her going'

  'Because you're not the kind of father a chap could go to when he's in trouble'

  'You don't understand. You never did'

  'He was our police officer all right
• Eric : Naive


  'We don't need to tell the Inspector that'

  'No, not really' (after being accused of stealing money)
• Eric : Immature


  'Suddenly I felt I just had to laugh
• Eric : Insincere/blunt


  'You're beginning to act as if nothing's really happened at all... this girl's dead isn't she?
• Eric : Irresponsible


  'I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty
• Eric : Sexist


  'She was a pretty good sport
• Eric : Ashamed


  '(Shouting) And I say the girl's dead and we all helped to kill her - and that's what matters'

  'The fact remains that we did what we did'

  'It's the same rotten story whether its been told to the inspector or somebody else
• Gerald : Aristocratic


  'Easy, well-bred, man about town' - intro stage directions

  'Women of the town' - euphemism
• Gerald : Cunning


  'What girl? ... Why must it?'

  'Joe Meggarty's advances left her rather shaken'

  'I happened to look in'

  'That man wasn't a police officer ... I'm certain
• Gerald : Self-gratifying


  'I suppose it was inevitable'

  'Keep an eye on them and use them if I wanted to' (the rooms)
• Gerald : Polite


  'Well-bred man about town'

  '(Politely) Absolutely first class' (complimenting dinner)
• Gerald : Traditional


  'Hard-eyed dough-faced women'

  'What about this ring?'

  'It's bound to be unpleasant and disturbing' (trying to 'protect' women)
• Gerald : Opportunist


  (Eva was) 'intensely grateful'

  'Asked me to keep an eye on them and use them if I wanted to' (the rooms)
• Gerald : Selfless


  'I insisted on Daisy moving into those rooms and I made her take some money'

  'I was sorry for her
• Gerald : Unrepentant


  'We're respectable citizens and not criminals'

  'I don't come into this suicide business
• Sheila : Naive


  'very pleased with life and rather excited' - intro stage directions

  'Yes - except for all last summer when you never came near me'

  'You're behaving like a hysterical child tonight
• Sheila : Spoilt


  'Oh - it's wonderful! Look - Mummy - isn't it a beauty? ... now I really feel engaged ... I think it's perfect' (about the ring)

  'I was very rude to both of them' ... 'I went to the manager and told him this girl had been very impertinent'

  'If she'd been some miserable plain little creature I don't suppose I would have done it
• Sheila : Responsible


  'It's simply my fault that in the end she- she committed suicide'

  '(to her parents) Fire and blood and anguish. And it frightens me the way you talk
• Sheila : Emotional


  'I'm desperately sorry'

  'I know I am to blame'

  '(little cry, gives half stifled sob and then runs out
• Sheila : Socialist


  'But these girls aren't cheap labour - they're people'

  'You mustn't try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl
• Sheila : In control


  'But these girls aren't cheap labour - they're people'

  'The point is you don't seem to have learnt anything
• Sheila : Mature


  'I know I am to blame'

  'it's you two who are being childish - trying not to face the facts
• Sheila : Selfish


  'I must obviously be a selfish, vindictive creature'

  '(I'm desperately sorry...) I won't believe it's simply my fault
• Inspector : Emotive (convincing Birlings)


  'their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and a chance of happiness' (about working class)

  'the girl killed herself - and died a horrible death
• Inspector : Determined


  'Each of you helped to kill her'

  'I shall do my duty ... I'm waiting ... to do my duty
• Inspector : Authoritative


  'he creates at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness' - intro stage direction

  'Public men, Mr Birling have responsibilities as well as priviledges
• Inspector : Socialist


  'I don't play golf'

  'We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.'

  'It's better to ask for the Earth than to take it'

  'millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths
• Inspector : Omniscient


  '(lighting becomes brighter and harder)' - stage direction

  'if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught in fire and blood and anguish
• Inspector : Mysterious/Supernatural


  'Goole' - nominative determinism

  'the time will come soon
• Inspector : Straight-forward


  'Burnt her inside out, of course ... suicide, of course
• Mrs Birling : Stubborn/inflexible


  'unlike the others I did nothing I'm ashamed of'

  'I had done no more than my duty'

  'I accept no blame at all
• Mrs Birling : Patronising


  'you're acting like a hysterical child'

  'Eric, I'm absolutely ashamed of you
• Mrs Birling : Insensitive


  'a rather cold woman'

  'as if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money'

  (the child's father) 'ought to be dealt with severely
• Mrs Birling : Elitist


  'a rather cold woman and her husband's social superior'

  'girls of that class'

  'He never talked like one. He never even looked like one' (about Inspector)

  (Eva was) 'giving herself ridiculous airs ... elaborate fine feelings ... simply absurd in a girl of her position
• Mrs Birling : Capitalist


  'you know, my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago'

  'Gerald, you've argued this very clearly and I'm most grateful' (agreeing with Gerald that the Inspector wasn't real)

  'Arthur you're not supposed to say such things'

  'When you're married you'll realise that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business
• Mrs Birling : Selfish


  'unlike the others I did nothing I'm ashamed of'

  'I think she only had herself to blame
• Mr Birling : Pompous


  'I was Lord Mayor two years ago when royalty visited'

  'a man has to make his own way - has to look after himself - and his family'

  'I was almost certain for a knighthood
• Mr Birling : Capitalist


  'heavy-looking, rather portentous man' - stereotypical 'fat-cat' businessman

  'hard-headed practical man of business'

  'probably a socialist or some sort of crank' (about Inspector)
• Mr Birling : Resolute


  'I say there isn't a chance of war ... The Titanic ... absolutely unsinkable