The Best Quotes For Inspector Calls to Understand Responsibility and Society
Introduction
J.B. Priestley’s “An Inspector Calls” is a masterpiece that delves into themes of responsibility, social class, and morality. This play is celebrated for its sharp critique of societal norms and its ability to provoke self-reflection. Whether you’re studying for an exam or exploring its timeless relevance, these Quotes For Inspector Calls will illuminate the characters’ complex relationships and the consequences of their actions. From profound statements on social responsibility to exposing human hypocrisy, this list of quotes highlights the enduring power of Priestley’s work.
Key “An Inspector Calls” Quotes About Responsibility
Responsibility lies at the heart of the Inspector’s message, pushing each character to confront the impact of their actions. These quotes reflect Priestley’s commentary on collective and individual accountability.
- “We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”
- “If there’s nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt.”
- “Public men, Mr. Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges.”
- “It’s better to ask for the earth than to take it.”
- “Each of you helped to kill her.”
- “You’re partly to blame. Just as your father is.”
- “I behaved badly too. I know I did. I’m ashamed of it.”
- “It was my duty to keep labour costs down.”
- “You must understand that a lot of young men…”
- “I can’t accept any responsibility.”
- “But the whole thing’s different now.”
- “I’ll never, never do it again to anybody.”
- “You seem to be a nice well-behaved family…”
- “This girl killed herself—and died a horrible death. But each of you helped to kill her.”
- “You all helped to kill her.”
- “A man has to mind his own business.”
- “I’m sorry. But you see, we were having a nice little family celebration tonight.”
- “But what about this ring?”
- “The fact remains that I did what I did.”
- “Why—you fool—he knows.”
Powerful Quotes on Social Class in “An Inspector Calls”
The play critiques societal hierarchies, exposing how the privileged often dismiss or exploit the working class. These quotes highlight the prejudices of the era.
- “Girls of that class—”
- “As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!”
- “But these girls aren’t cheap labour—they’re people.”
- “It’s about time you learned to face a few responsibilities.”
- “You know, of course, that my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago.”
- “You’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble.”
- “Well, it came just at the right moment. That was clever of you, Gerald.”
- “You’re ready to go on in the same old way.”
- “Mother, I think it was cruel and vile.”
- “We really must stop these silly pretences.”
- “I used my influence to have it refused.”
- “Don’t stammer and yammer at me again, man.”
- “A young unmarried girl is being dragged into this.”
- “A man has to make his own way—has to look after himself.”
- “We were paying the usual rates and if they didn’t like those rates, they could go and work somewhere else.”
- “But she’d lived very economically on what I’d allowed her.”
- “I didn’t install her there so that I could make love to her.”
- “Everything’s all right now, Sheila.”
- “This is Gerald Croft—the son of Sir George Croft.”
- “And a police inspector is on his way here—to ask some—questions—”
Memorable Quotes on Morality from “An Inspector Calls”
Morality and its hypocrisies are explored through the Inspector’s interrogation. These quotes reveal the moral failures of the characters.
- “You’re pretending everything’s just as it was before.”
- “A young woman died in the infirmary tonight.”
- “If there’s nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt.”
- “You’re quite wrong to suppose I shall regret what I did.”
- “You killed her—and the child she’d have had too.”
- “It’s too soon. I must think.”
- “Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.”
- “She had a lot to say—far too much—so she had to go.”
- “No, he’s giving us the rope—so that we’ll hang ourselves.”
- “It frightens me the way you talk.”
- “It makes all the difference.”
- “But you can’t. It’s too late. She’s dead.”
- “Now look at the pair of them—the famous younger generation.”
- “Well, we’ve several hundred young women.”
- “I think she had only herself to blame.”
- “A girl has just died.”
- “So I’m really responsible?”
- “No, not really. It was my own fault.”
- “We killed her.”
- “We are responsible for each other.”
Famous Quotes About Time and Change in “An Inspector Calls”
The Inspector’s warnings about time and its cyclical nature resonate powerfully, urging characters to learn and change.
- “The time will come soon when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.”
- “It’s the same port your father gets from him.”
- “We’re respectable citizens and not criminals.”
- “Nothing to do with you, Sheila. Run along.”
- “Sheila, take your mother along to the drawing-room.”
- “Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.”
- “We’ve been had—that’s all.”
- “But each of you helped to kill her.”
- “The telephone rings sharply.”
- “There’ll be a public scandal.”
- “We’re all in it—up to the neck.”
- “Look at the way he talked to me.”
- “She’d lived very economically.”
- “Look—Inspector—I’d give thousands—yes, thousands.”
- “It’s the way these cranks talk.”
- “The things you girls pick up these days.”
- “Then you killed her.”
- “This is Gerald Croft.”
- “We are respectable citizens.”
- “You’re not the type.”
