3.6.2
Inspector Goole Quotes
Test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
Inspector Goole - Key Quote (Act 1)
‘A chain of events’. Here's an analysis of this key quote from Act 1:
Consequences
- Inspector Goole shows that, while a single action might not have dire results, the build-up of a series of bad events (caused by the Birlings and Gerald) can ultimately lead a young girl to suicide.
- In this way, Priestley encourages the audience, and the characters, to think about the role they play in other people’s lives.
- He encourages them to think carefully about the dangerous effect their actions can have if they do not think of others and abuse their power.
Inspector Goole - Key Quote (Act 2)
‘And you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant things?’ Here's an analysis of this key quote from Act 2:
Hypocrisy
- This is a direct reference to Gerald’s mistreatment of Eva Smith.
- Inspector Goole uses this opportunity to highlight the hypocritical (act in the opposite way to their beliefs) nature of the upper classes – they want to protect their own, fragile, innocent women, but they feel it is acceptable to use lower-class women for their own enjoyments.
Treatment of Eva
- While Mr Birling and Gerald try to protect Sheila from hearing ‘unpleasant things’, neither of them feel the need to protect Eva from them.
- Gerald did protect her for a while, but he kept her as a mistress (a woman who has a sexual relationship with a married man) and then discarded her.
- This is something that upper-class men would not think to do to upper-class women because they’d have too much respect for them.
Inspector Goole - Key Quote (Act 3)
‘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’. Here's an analysis of this key quote from Act 3:
Consequences of selfish attitudes
- Priestley uses the Inspector to warn the Birlings and Gerald of the consequences of their selfish attitudes – if they do not begin to take some responsibility for other people, including the lower classes, then society will face dire (terrible) consequences.
Message about wars
- He is referring to World War One and Two here, which his 1946 audience would have lived through.
- This could be designed to show audiences the real cause of the wars: selfishness and greed.
- This would deepen their dislike of Mr Birling, Mrs Birling and Gerald. In the next part of this act, they completely ignore this warning and begin to act selfishly once more.
1Plot Summary
2Context & Key Themes
2.1Context & Key Themes
2.1.1Social Class & Equality2.1.2Class Tension2.1.3Abuse of Power & Corruption2.1.4Socialism vs Capitalism2.1.5Blame & Responsibility2.1.6Attitudes to Women2.1.7Characterisation of Women2.1.8Dramatic Function of Characters2.1.9End of Topic Test - Context & Key Themes2.1.10End of Topic Test - Context & Key Themes 22.1.11Grade 9 - Key Themes2.1.12Diagnostic Misconceptions - Socialism vs Communism2.1.13Diagnostic Misconceptions - Edna2.1.14Diagnostic Misconceptions - Women in the Play2.1.15Diagnostic Misconceptions - Eva Smith
3Key Characters
3.1Mr Birling
3.2Mrs Birling
3.6Inspector Goole
3.7Grade 9 - Key Characters
4Authorial Method
5Recap: Main Quotes
5.1Mr Birling Quotes
5.2Mrs Birling Quotes
5.6Inspector Goole Quotes
Jump to other topics
1Plot Summary
2Context & Key Themes
2.1Context & Key Themes
2.1.1Social Class & Equality2.1.2Class Tension2.1.3Abuse of Power & Corruption2.1.4Socialism vs Capitalism2.1.5Blame & Responsibility2.1.6Attitudes to Women2.1.7Characterisation of Women2.1.8Dramatic Function of Characters2.1.9End of Topic Test - Context & Key Themes2.1.10End of Topic Test - Context & Key Themes 22.1.11Grade 9 - Key Themes2.1.12Diagnostic Misconceptions - Socialism vs Communism2.1.13Diagnostic Misconceptions - Edna2.1.14Diagnostic Misconceptions - Women in the Play2.1.15Diagnostic Misconceptions - Eva Smith
3Key Characters
3.1Mr Birling
3.2Mrs Birling
3.6Inspector Goole
3.7Grade 9 - Key Characters
4Authorial Method
5Recap: Main Quotes
5.1Mr Birling Quotes
5.2Mrs Birling Quotes
5.6Inspector Goole Quotes
Practice questions on Inspector Goole Quotes
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1
- 2<b>‘A chain of events’</b> - What act is this quote from?Multiple choice
- 3Who says <b>'a chain of events’</b>?Multiple choice
- 4
- 5How did Gerald mistreat Eva?Multiple choice
Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium
Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions
Mini-mock exams based on your study history
Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books