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Responsibility Quotes and Notes

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Bethan Thomas
Bethan Thomas

Mr. Birling expresses optimism about the future of business and advises Gerald that as long as a man looks after himself and his family, he will not come to harm. However, Eric argues that it is not truly free if workers cannot freely change jobs. Later, Mr. Birling refuses a union's demand for higher wages, saying he must keep costs low. In the end, the Inspector reveals that each family member's individual actions collectively contributed to Eva Smith's suicide, and that society cannot ignore its responsibility to care for one another.

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RESPONSIBILITY ACT ONE¨C An InspectorCalls. PAGE 6 Mr Birling: I¡¯m delighted by this engagement and I hope it won¡¯t be too long before you¡¯re married. And I want to say this. There¡¯s a good deal of silly talk about these days ¨C but ¨Cand I speak as a hard headed business man, who has to take risks and know what he¡¯s about ¨C I say, you can ignore all this silly pessimistic talk. When you marry, you¡¯ll be marrying at a very good time. Yes, a very good time ¨C and soon it¡¯ll be an even better time. Last month, just because the miners came out on strike, there¡¯s a lot of wild talk about possible labour trouble in the near future. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve passed the worst of it. We employers at last are coming together to see that our interests ¨C and the interests of Capital ¨C are properly protected. And we¡¯re in for a time of steadily increasing prosperity. Gerald: I believe you¡¯re right, sir. PAGE 10 Mr Birling: But this is the point. I don¡¯t want to lecture you two young fellows again. But what so many of you don¡¯t seem to understand now, when things are so much easier, is that a man has to make his own way ¨C has to look after himself ¨C and his family too, of course, when he has one - and so long as he does that he won¡¯t come to much harm. But the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you¡¯d think everybody as to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive ¨C community and all that nonsense. But take my word for it, you youngsters ¨C and I¡¯ve learnt in the good hard school of experience ¨C that a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own ¨C and ¨C PAGE 15 Mr Birling: Well it¡¯s my duty to keep labour costs down, and if I¡¯d agreed to this demand for a new rate we¡¯d have added about twelve per cent to our labour costs. Does that satisfy you? So I refused. Said I couldn¡¯t consider it. We were paying the usual rates and if they didn¡¯t like it, they could go and work somewhere else. It¡¯s a free country, I told them. Eric: It isn¡¯t free if you can¡¯t go and work somewhere else.
RESPONSIBILITY ACT THREE ¨C An InspectorCalls PAGE 54 Inspector: And my trouble is ¨C that I haven¡¯t much time. You¡¯ll be able to divide the responsibility between you when I¡¯ve gone. PAGE 55 Inspector: Stop! And be quiet for a moment and listen to me. I don¡¯t need to know any more. Neither do you. This girl killed herself ¨C and died a horrible death. But each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it. But then I don¡¯t think you ever will. Remember what you did, Mrs Birling. You truned her away when she most needed help. You refused her even the pitiable little bit of organised charity you had in your power to grant her. Remember what you did ¨C Eric: My God ¨C I¡¯m not likely to forget. PAGE 56 Inspector: But just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone ¨C 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, and what we think and say and do. 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. Good night. PAGE 70 Sheila: The worst part is. But 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. Bu tit might have done. Birling: But the whole thing¡¯s different now. Come, come, you can see that can¡¯t you? Sheila: I tell you ¨C 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.

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Responsibility Quotes and Notes

  • 1. RESPONSIBILITY ACT ONE¨C An InspectorCalls. PAGE 6 Mr Birling: I¡¯m delighted by this engagement and I hope it won¡¯t be too long before you¡¯re married. And I want to say this. There¡¯s a good deal of silly talk about these days ¨C but ¨Cand I speak as a hard headed business man, who has to take risks and know what he¡¯s about ¨C I say, you can ignore all this silly pessimistic talk. When you marry, you¡¯ll be marrying at a very good time. Yes, a very good time ¨C and soon it¡¯ll be an even better time. Last month, just because the miners came out on strike, there¡¯s a lot of wild talk about possible labour trouble in the near future. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve passed the worst of it. We employers at last are coming together to see that our interests ¨C and the interests of Capital ¨C are properly protected. And we¡¯re in for a time of steadily increasing prosperity. Gerald: I believe you¡¯re right, sir. PAGE 10 Mr Birling: But this is the point. I don¡¯t want to lecture you two young fellows again. But what so many of you don¡¯t seem to understand now, when things are so much easier, is that a man has to make his own way ¨C has to look after himself ¨C and his family too, of course, when he has one - and so long as he does that he won¡¯t come to much harm. But the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you¡¯d think everybody as to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive ¨C community and all that nonsense. But take my word for it, you youngsters ¨C and I¡¯ve learnt in the good hard school of experience ¨C that a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own ¨C and ¨C PAGE 15 Mr Birling: Well it¡¯s my duty to keep labour costs down, and if I¡¯d agreed to this demand for a new rate we¡¯d have added about twelve per cent to our labour costs. Does that satisfy you? So I refused. Said I couldn¡¯t consider it. We were paying the usual rates and if they didn¡¯t like it, they could go and work somewhere else. It¡¯s a free country, I told them. Eric: It isn¡¯t free if you can¡¯t go and work somewhere else.
  • 2. RESPONSIBILITY ACT THREE ¨C An InspectorCalls PAGE 54 Inspector: And my trouble is ¨C that I haven¡¯t much time. You¡¯ll be able to divide the responsibility between you when I¡¯ve gone. PAGE 55 Inspector: Stop! And be quiet for a moment and listen to me. I don¡¯t need to know any more. Neither do you. This girl killed herself ¨C and died a horrible death. But each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it. But then I don¡¯t think you ever will. Remember what you did, Mrs Birling. You truned her away when she most needed help. You refused her even the pitiable little bit of organised charity you had in your power to grant her. Remember what you did ¨C Eric: My God ¨C I¡¯m not likely to forget. PAGE 56 Inspector: But just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone ¨C 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, and what we think and say and do. 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. Good night. PAGE 70 Sheila: The worst part is. But 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. Bu tit might have done. Birling: But the whole thing¡¯s different now. Come, come, you can see that can¡¯t you? Sheila: I tell you ¨C 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.