1.3.3
Act 3 More Key Quotes
Mr and Mrs Birling - Key Quotes
Mr and Mrs Birling - Key Quotes
Mr and Mrs Birling say the following key quotes in Act 3:
Mrs Birling: ‘but I didn’t know it was you’
Mrs Birling: ‘but I didn’t know it was you’
- Mrs Birling only regrets her nasty comments about the mystery man who got Eva Smith pregnant when she realises it was her own son – she was more than happy for the man to receive swift and severe punishments because she did not know him.
- This reflects social pre-war capitalist attitudes. People looked after themselves and their families. Mrs Birling felt that punishment was necessary for this man – until the man is revealed to be Eric, and then she changes her attitude.
Mr Birling: ‘I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can’
Mr Birling: ‘I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can’
- Mr Birling, as is consistent (stays the same) with his character throughout the play, only cares about covering up this story so it doesn’t affect their reputations, social status, or his chance at receiving a knighthood.
- He consistently shows a selfish, self-centred attitude. He obsesses over his reputation. He is not very concerned with the consequences of his actions.
Mr Birling: ‘this makes a difference...'
Mr Birling: ‘this makes a difference...'
- ‘This makes a difference, y’know. In fact, it makes all the difference’.
- As far as Mr Birling is concerned, the most important factor in the story is that Inspector Goole isn't actually a proper police inspector.
- This is vital for Birling because he knows that the story of Eva Smith is now unlikely to end in a scandal for him.
- He doesn’t care about his actions in the girl’s life, or the effect of these actions on the girl herself.
- If the Inspector has no connection to the police, he has no power to cause problems for Birling, and so Mr Birling is prepared to forget the whole story and continue with life as before.
Eric - Key Quotes
Eric - Key Quotes
Eric says the following key quotes in Act 3:
‘She told me she didn’t want me to go in...'
‘She told me she didn’t want me to go in...'
- ‘She told me she didn’t want me to go in, but… I threatened to make a row’.
- Eric reveals that he forced himself on Eva Smith. He used his power as the son of an influential man to threaten to make things difficult for her.
‘I wasn’t in love with her or anything...'
‘I wasn’t in love with her or anything...'
- ‘I wasn’t in love with her or anything – but I liked her – she was pretty and a good sport’.
- Eric highlights his upper-middle-class upbringing, from which he is used to having what he wants.
- He sleeps with Eva because she is good-looking. He would not treat a woman in his own social class this way, but feels that he can with Eva because she is lower-class.
‘You killed her!'
‘You killed her!'
- ‘You killed her! She came to you to protect me – and you turned her away… your own grandchild – you killed them both – damn you’.
- For the first time, we see a furious Eric verbally (with words) attack his mother. He directly addresses her with the pronoun ‘you’ to make sure that she knows she has caused the death of her own grandchild.
- He wants her to understand that her actions have had personal consequences for him and for her, instead of continuing to brush off her responsibility.
1Plot Summary
2Context & Key Themes
2.1Context & Key Themes
2.1.1Social Class & Equality
2.1.2Class Tension
2.1.3Abuse of Power & Corruption
2.1.4Socialism vs Capitalism
2.1.5Blame & Responsibility
2.1.6Attitudes to Women
2.1.7Characterisation of Women
2.1.8Dramatic Function of Characters
2.1.9End of Topic Test - Context & Key Themes
2.1.10End of Topic Test - Context & Key Themes 2
2.1.11Grade 9 - Key Themes
3Key Characters
3.1Mr Birling
3.2Mrs Birling
3.6Inspector Goole
3.7Grade 9 - Key Characters
4Authorial Method
4.1Arrangement & Structure of the Play
Jump to other topics
1Plot Summary
2Context & Key Themes
2.1Context & Key Themes
2.1.1Social Class & Equality
2.1.2Class Tension
2.1.3Abuse of Power & Corruption
2.1.4Socialism vs Capitalism
2.1.5Blame & Responsibility
2.1.6Attitudes to Women
2.1.7Characterisation of Women
2.1.8Dramatic Function of Characters
2.1.9End of Topic Test - Context & Key Themes
2.1.10End of Topic Test - Context & Key Themes 2
2.1.11Grade 9 - Key Themes
3Key Characters
3.1Mr Birling
3.2Mrs Birling
3.6Inspector Goole
3.7Grade 9 - Key Characters
4Authorial Method
4.1Arrangement & Structure of the Play
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