GCSE English Literature - An Inspector Calls (Act One Key Quotes)

This exclamation shows that Sheila has quickly realised that Goole is shrewd (has good judgment) and smart.

She knows that they cannot hide anything from him, and that he knows all of the answers and how they are all involved.

She knows he is asking them questions to get them to realise their involvement themselves.

She shows maturity and intelligence here.

Sheila doesn’t feel properly engaged until she gets a ring.

Upper-class women got a fancy ring when they got engaged to show that someone new (instead of their father) owned them.

• Now that she's got the ring - the symbol of ownership - she seems to feel the new ownership too.

Sheila’s first reaction to Inspector Goole’s questioning is to accept responsibility for her actions.

Although she is still very worried about how the experience affects her, she acknowledges that she played a key role in Eva Smith’s suicide.

This contrasts to Mr Birling’s complete denial.

Throughout the play, Mr Birling refuses to accept that he played any part in Eva Smith’s death.

• He argues that his involvement with Eva was so small and unimportant that it could not have led to her death.

• He implies that Eva’s misfortune was her own fault.

Birling shows upper-class pre-war attitudes of denial (not accepting blame) and refusing to acknowledge the consequences that their actions had on lower-class people.

Priestley uses Birling to highlight selfish capitalist views.

Right before Inspector Goole arrives, Birling is seen trying to educate Gerald and Eric on how he feels the world should work – he encourages them to only think about themselves and not to help anyone else in society.

He feels that people can only be responsible for themselves – he feels that everyone is responsible for their own fate.

He thinks if people fail, it is their own fault.

Mrs Birling highlights the gender differences in pre-war Britain – women generally had much less power and place in society than men.

Even upper-class women had to live by the rules of men.

Mrs Birling highlights this by trying to teach her daughter about the expectations for women.

Mrs Birling has strong views about appropriate conversation topics, both at the dinner table and in front of company.

She scolds (tells off) Mr Birling many times for what she thinks are inappropriate comments or topics.

But although she is of a higher social class than him, she still has very little power over him because he is the male.

This means he is the head of the household and in charge of the family. The rules of a patriarchal (male-ruled) society were more important than the rules of social standing.