An Inspector Calls – Quotes by Inspector Goole
Inspector Goole is a mysterious figure who arrives unexpectedly at the Birling house and sets in motion a chain of events that forces the family to confront their past misdeeds. He represents the voice of morality and social justice, exposing the hypocrisy and moral bankruptcy of the upper class.
“We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”
“But just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, with what we think and say and do. We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”
“Public men, Mr. Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges.”
“We don’t guess – we ask questions.”
“Each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it.”
“And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.”
“The girl killed herself, and died a horrible death. But each of you helped to kill her.”
“It’s better to ask for the earth than to take it.”
“You’ll see. You’ll see.” (repeated several times throughout the play)
“We have to share something. If there’s nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt.”
“Each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it.”
“There are a lot of young women living that sort of existence, Miss Birling, in every city and big town in this country.”
“Public men, Mr. Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges.”
“You’ll see. You’ll see.”
“I’m not asking much of you. Just to accept responsibility.”
“We often do on the young ones. They’re more impressionable.”
“We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”
“It’s better to ask for the earth than to take it.”
“I’m not sure if you are really ready to learn what happened.”
“We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”
“But each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it.”
“The time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.”
“The girl’s still dead, isn’t she?”
“One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us.”
“Public men, Mr. Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges.”
“We don’t need to know who the inspector was or where he came from or what he was after.”
“If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we’d had anything to do with, it would be very awkward, wouldn’t it?”
“And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.”
“One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears.”
“Why did you do it? We were having a nice little family celebration tonight.”
“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.”
“I’m sorry, but you can’t get out of it like that.”
“What happened to her then may have determined what happened to her afterwards, and what happened to her afterwards may have driven her to suicide.”
“You’re not even sorry now, when you know what happened to the girl?”
“We often do on the young ones. They’re more impressionable.”
“Public men, Mr. Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges.”
“It’s better to ask for the earth than to take it.”
“We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”
“One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, with what we think and do. We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”
“You’ll be able to divide the responsibility between you when I’ve gone.”
“We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.”
“And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.”
“Each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it.”
“It’s the way I like to go to work. One person and one line of inquiry at a time.”