eric Flashcards
stage directions
‘not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive’
‘not quite at ease’
↳ somehow eric manages to not be comfortable in his ‘substantial’ settings, shows how he doesn’t belong in his environment
↳ eric is constantly judged by his father for not being good enough, now since there is someone better than him (gerald) at his house, he is extremely uncomfortable
‘half shy, half assertive’
↳ indicates that eric isn’t fully developed and is therefore changeable
↳ serious side represents capitalist views
↳ foreshadows the ability to change not only for eric, but for the new generation
↳ he’s uneasy due to his status and with the weight of guilt he carries
↳ turbulent, his emotions are unhandled and bottled up so he is like a fuse, uses drink as a crutch
↳ ‘half’ suggests that he is leading a double life
oxymoron: ‘half assertive’
↳ ironic, as being half assertive is impossible, it would mean you aren’t assertive, this shows how polarising eric’s character is
‘why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? we try for the highest possible prices’ [ACT 1]
-eric is showing socialist tendencies as he is questioning double standards for the rich and poor
-he is standing up to his father when he was passive before
collective pronoun: ‘we’
↳ still connects himself to capitalism
‘you know, don’t you?’ [ACT 3]
interrogative sentence:
↳ shows how similarly to sheila, eric understands the omniscience of the inspector, this is a reference to sheila at the end of act 1, she understands that the inspector knows all
↳ foreshadows that eric will go through a similar development to sheila
‘I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty’ [ACT 3]
‘that state’
↳ he blames it on the alcohol
unspecified noun: ‘a chap’
↳ he generalises it and this indicates that he struggles to take full responsibility for his actions at this point
euphemism: ‘nasty’
↳ suggests sexual assault
↳ eric’s attempt at undermining the gravity of his actions
↳ may be in part as an attempt to remain well looked upon by his father
↳ as his respect for his parents declines, so does his formality and use of euphemistic language
‘I wasn’t in love with her or anything -but I liked her - she was pretty and a good sport’ [ACT 3]
modal verb: ‘wasn’t’
↳ though eric often speaks in euphemisms, he speaks assertively about this to show how sure he is
↳ reflects his immaturity, he is unable to have feelings of love for eva, and instead exploits her
adjective: ‘pretty’
↳ shows objectification and superficial view of women
↳ can only remember physical appearance which show how this was his priority
‘sport’
↳ shows that he didn’t take eva seriously and saw her like a game, emphasises immaturity
↳ even though he was remorseful a few lines before, he makes sexist comments, which priestley does to show how misogyny is deeply embedded in society and how the audience needs to get rid of it
‘(shouting) and I say the girl’s dead and we all helped to kill her - and that’s what matters’ [ACT 3]
blunt language:
↳ mirrors the inspectors way of speaking
↳ claims responsibility
‘all’ may be him trying do deflect his own guilt and instead get collective guilt
eric’s key traits:
-eric’s emotional response to the news of eva’s death shows that he has morals
-priestley demonstrates this through the stage directions “[involuntarily] my God!”
-priestley’s use of the adverb “involuntarily* demonstrates the moral nature of eric as he could not suppress his emotional reaction; it is involuntary
-priestley portrays eric to have personal views which are socialist
-priestley demonstrates eric’s discomfort towards his family’s lifestyle and privilege, through the stage directions “not quite at ease”
-eric acknowledges that mr birling’s friends are acting immorally, but eric is too weak to stand up for his own beliefs
-he ends up going along and copying them
-alcohol is eric’s response and coping mechanism to the hypocrisy and materialism of his family
-eric’s behaviour can also be excused (to a certain degree) as, within 1912 society, women were perceived as being inferior to men in all aspects of life
-this meant their value was measured through the utility of their bodies and sexual appeal
-throughout the play the audience is encouraged to consider whether eric’s actions are really reflective of his true character, or whether society has conditioned him to behave in this
manner
words to use to describe eric:
recalcitrant, insolent
