An Inspector Calls – Quotes by Sheila
Sheila Birling is the daughter of Arthur and Sybil Birling, and initially appears to be shallow and materialistic. However, she quickly becomes a voice of morality and empathy, questioning the actions of her family and expressing genuine remorse for her own misdeeds.
“But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people.”
“I’m sorry, Daddy. Actually, I was listening.”
“I’m very sorry. And I think you were perfectly right to make him tell us.”
“I felt rotten about it at the time and now I feel a lot worse.”
“And if I could help her now, I would.”
“I know I’m to blame – and I’m desperately sorry.”
“But it was the only time I ever did anything like that, and I’ll never, never do it again to anybody.”
“I behaved badly too. I know I did. I’m ashamed of it. But now you’re making it worse. You’re pretending everything’s just as it was before.”
“You’re not the type of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble – that’s why.”
“I’ll never, never do it again to anybody.” (echoing her earlier quote)
“But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people.”
“I’m sorry, Daddy, actually I was listening.”
“It just shows how little I know about the people I live among.”
“It’s the only time I’ve ever done anything like that, and I’ll never, never do it again to anybody.”
“I remember what he said, how he looked, and what he made me feel. Fire and blood and anguish. And it frightens me.”
“I’ll never, never do it again to anybody.”
“You mustn’t try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl. If you do, then the Inspector will just break it down.”
“You’re pretending everything’s just as it was before.”
“It’s the only time I’ve ever done anything like that, and I’ll never, never do it again to anybody.”
“I’m not being childish. If you knew what he said – what he did – to the girl tonight, you’d feel differently.”
“If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth.”
“No, not really – it was so queer – so horrible.”
“I know I’m to blame – and I’m desperately sorry – but I can’t believe – I won’t believe – that I’m the only person to blame.”
“I behaved badly too. I know I did. I’m ashamed of it. But now you’re beginning all over again to pretend that nothing much has happened.”
“I’ll never forget it.”
“But these girls aren’t just cheap labour – they’re people.”
“We all started like that – so confident, so pleased with ourselves until he began asking us questions.”
“I behaved badly too. I know I did. I’m ashamed of it.”
“I remember what he said, how he looked, and what he made me feel. Fire and blood and anguish. And it frightens me, the way you talk, and I can’t listen to any more of it.”
“I’ll never, never do it again to anybody.”
“I don’t believe I will. I’ll never be able to forget.”>
“And I tell you – whoever that Inspector was, it was anything but a joke. You knew it then. You began to learn something. And now you’ve stopped. You’re ready to go on in the same old way.”
“I’m afraid you’ll say something or do something that you’ll be sorry for afterwards.”
“You and I aren’t the same people who sat down to dinner here.”
“That’s just the point. This girl was going to have a baby.”
“We hardly ever told him anything he didn’t know. Did you notice that?”
“He’s giving us the rope – so that we’ll hang ourselves.”
“You knew then that he was something different. And that’s why you were so rude to him.”
“I don’t believe – I can’t believe it. Oh, how horrible! Was it an accident?”
“But you can’t. It’s too late. She’s dead.”