Sheila Birling, Quotes + Notes
One of the youngest in the Birling household.
Yet, Sheila Birling is key to this play. But before we can understand her key quotes, we must analyse her character. 1/4: Sheila Birling's Character Notes
2/4: Sheila's Character Development/changes3/4: Priestley's Message (intended effect on the audience)
|
|
4/4: Sheila Birling's Key Quotes Bank
These are the most important quotes for Mrs Birling.
Act 1
Pg 3: 'Yes – except for all last summer, when you never came near me, and I wondered what had happened to you.'
Pg 4: 'Neither do I all wrong'
Pg 5: 1910s Sexism / view of women '(Excited) Oh – Gerald – you’ve got it – is it the one [ring] you wanted me to have?'
Sheila had no say as to which ring she wanted, Gerald chooses on her behalf.
Pg 5: ‘Oh-its wonderful! Look- Mummy- isn’t it a beauty? Oh - darling - [She kisses Gerald hastily]’
Pg 6: ‘I’m sorry, Daddy [Mr Birling]. Actually I was listening’
Pg 16: ‘Oh- sorry. I didn’t know. Mummy [Mrs Birling] sent me in to ask you why you didn’t come along’
Pg 17: Displays Sheila's curiosity 'What’s this all about?'
Pg 17: Only one to react and care about Eva's death (Eric also cares later) 'Oh, how horrible! Was it an accident?'
Pg 4: 'Neither do I all wrong'
Pg 5: 1910s Sexism / view of women '(Excited) Oh – Gerald – you’ve got it – is it the one [ring] you wanted me to have?'
Sheila had no say as to which ring she wanted, Gerald chooses on her behalf.
Pg 5: ‘Oh-its wonderful! Look- Mummy- isn’t it a beauty? Oh - darling - [She kisses Gerald hastily]’
Pg 6: ‘I’m sorry, Daddy [Mr Birling]. Actually I was listening’
Pg 16: ‘Oh- sorry. I didn’t know. Mummy [Mrs Birling] sent me in to ask you why you didn’t come along’
Pg 17: Displays Sheila's curiosity 'What’s this all about?'
Pg 17: Only one to react and care about Eva's death (Eric also cares later) 'Oh, how horrible! Was it an accident?'
Pg 17: 'What was she like? Quite young?'
Pg 19: Socialist View 'But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people.'
Pg 20: 'I was there this afternoon- (archly to Gerald) for your benefit.'
Pg 21: ‘(a little cry gives a half-stifled sob)'
Pg 22: You knew it was me all the time, didn’t you?
Pg 23: '(Miserably) So I’m really responsible?'
Pg 23: 'I’d been in a bad temper anyhow.'
Pg 23: 'No, not really. It was my own fault. (Suddenly, to Gerald) All right, Gerald, you needn’t look at me like that. At least, I’m trying to tell the truth. I expect you’ve done things you’re ashamed of too.'
Pg 23: Apologetic 'No, not really it was my own fault.'
Pg 24: Jealousy 'I couldn’t be sorry for her.'
Pg 24: 'I told him that if they didn’t get rid of that girl, I’d never go near the place again and I’d persuade mother to close our account with them’
Pg 24: Spoilt Brat - Rude to Miss Francis for no reason 'I was absolutely furious I was very rude to both of them.'
Pg 24: Apologetic 'I’ll never, never do it again.'
Pg 24: 'And if I could help her now, I would'
Pg 26: '(laughs rather hysterically) Why – you fool – he knows. Of course he knows. And I hate to think how much he knows that we don’t know yet. You’ll see. You’ll see.'
Pg 19: Socialist View 'But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people.'
Pg 20: 'I was there this afternoon- (archly to Gerald) for your benefit.'
Pg 21: ‘(a little cry gives a half-stifled sob)'
Pg 22: You knew it was me all the time, didn’t you?
Pg 23: '(Miserably) So I’m really responsible?'
Pg 23: 'I’d been in a bad temper anyhow.'
Pg 23: 'No, not really. It was my own fault. (Suddenly, to Gerald) All right, Gerald, you needn’t look at me like that. At least, I’m trying to tell the truth. I expect you’ve done things you’re ashamed of too.'
Pg 23: Apologetic 'No, not really it was my own fault.'
Pg 24: Jealousy 'I couldn’t be sorry for her.'
Pg 24: 'I told him that if they didn’t get rid of that girl, I’d never go near the place again and I’d persuade mother to close our account with them’
Pg 24: Spoilt Brat - Rude to Miss Francis for no reason 'I was absolutely furious I was very rude to both of them.'
Pg 24: Apologetic 'I’ll never, never do it again.'
Pg 24: 'And if I could help her now, I would'
Pg 26: '(laughs rather hysterically) Why – you fool – he knows. Of course he knows. And I hate to think how much he knows that we don’t know yet. You’ll see. You’ll see.'
Act 2
Pg 27: Context 'Then I’m staying.'
Pg 28: Context (To Gerald) 'So that’s what you think I’m really like.'
Pg 29: The first to accept responsibility and take some blame 'I know I’m to blame – and I’m desperately sorry'
Pg 29: (to Inspector) 'There's something I don't understand about you'
Pg 30: '(slowly, carefully now) 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. And it’ll be all the worse when he does.'
Pg 33: 'He’s giving us the rope- so that we’ll hang ourselves.'
Pg 36: 'Of course, Mother. It was obvious from the start'
Pg 37: (cutting in, as he hesitates) I know. Somehow he makes you.
Pg 42: ‘You might as well admit to it’
Pg 45: ‘Mother, I think that was cruel and vile’
Pg 48: '(with sudden alarm) Mother – stop – stop!'
(to Gerald) 'I rather respect you more than I’ve ever done before.'
Pg 53: 'This isn’t my fault’
Pg 28: Context (To Gerald) 'So that’s what you think I’m really like.'
Pg 29: The first to accept responsibility and take some blame 'I know I’m to blame – and I’m desperately sorry'
Pg 29: (to Inspector) 'There's something I don't understand about you'
Pg 30: '(slowly, carefully now) 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. And it’ll be all the worse when he does.'
Pg 33: 'He’s giving us the rope- so that we’ll hang ourselves.'
Pg 36: 'Of course, Mother. It was obvious from the start'
Pg 37: (cutting in, as he hesitates) I know. Somehow he makes you.
Pg 42: ‘You might as well admit to it’
Pg 45: ‘Mother, I think that was cruel and vile’
Pg 48: '(with sudden alarm) Mother – stop – stop!'
(to Gerald) 'I rather respect you more than I’ve ever done before.'
Pg 53: 'This isn’t my fault’
Act 3
Pg 56: '(who is crying quietly) That's the worst of it'
Pg 58: But that’s not what I’m talking about. I don’t care about that. The point is, you don’t seem to have learnt anything.
Pg 58: ‘(with sudden alarm) Mother-stop-Stop!’
'Between us we drove that girl to commit suicide.'
Pg 59: 'Don’t you see, if all that’s come out tonight is true, then it doesn’t matter who it was who made us confess. And it was true, wasn’t it? You turned the girl out of one job, and I had her turned out of another. Gerald kept her – at a time when he was supposed to be too busy to see me. Eric – well, we know what Eric did. And mother hardened her heart and gave her the final push that finished her. That’s what’s important – and not whether the man is a police inspector or not.
Pg 65: 'But that won’t bring Eva Smith back to life, will it?'
Pg 70: 'You’re forgetting one thing I still can’t forget. Everything we said had happened really had happened. If it didn’t end tragically, then that’s lucky for us. But it might have done.'
Pg 71: 'No, because 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'
Pg 71: Affected by Inspector's message 'I tell you – whoever that Inspector was, it was anything but a joke.'
Pg 72: Huge change in character, compared to previous quotes (see: Pg5 quote) and for the common role of women at the time. 'I must think.'
The final line: [As they stare guiltily and dumbfounded, the curtain falls.]
Complete! If you need to see every single important quote, use the CGP Inspector Calls text guide.
Pg 58: But that’s not what I’m talking about. I don’t care about that. The point is, you don’t seem to have learnt anything.
Pg 58: ‘(with sudden alarm) Mother-stop-Stop!’
'Between us we drove that girl to commit suicide.'
Pg 59: 'Don’t you see, if all that’s come out tonight is true, then it doesn’t matter who it was who made us confess. And it was true, wasn’t it? You turned the girl out of one job, and I had her turned out of another. Gerald kept her – at a time when he was supposed to be too busy to see me. Eric – well, we know what Eric did. And mother hardened her heart and gave her the final push that finished her. That’s what’s important – and not whether the man is a police inspector or not.
Pg 65: 'But that won’t bring Eva Smith back to life, will it?'
Pg 70: 'You’re forgetting one thing I still can’t forget. Everything we said had happened really had happened. If it didn’t end tragically, then that’s lucky for us. But it might have done.'
Pg 71: 'No, because 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'
Pg 71: Affected by Inspector's message 'I tell you – whoever that Inspector was, it was anything but a joke.'
Pg 72: Huge change in character, compared to previous quotes (see: Pg5 quote) and for the common role of women at the time. 'I must think.'
The final line: [As they stare guiltily and dumbfounded, the curtain falls.]
Complete! If you need to see every single important quote, use the CGP Inspector Calls text guide.
You might like this
Thank you — for helping more students succeed ✨
Students have shared to Facebook, Twitter, TikTok andd WhatsApp.