Eric

Question 1

“why should they try for ____ ___? We try for the highest ____ ____”
A1
- old v young
- capitalism vs socialism
- social class

Answer 1

why shouldn’t they try for higher wages ? We try for the highest possible prices?
- rhetorical question - Eric is questioning the ethics behind his avarice fathers exploitative attitude towards business & relationship with lower social classes

• the emergence of socialist ideas within Eric’s consciousness is dismantling his prior obliviousness to the suffering inflicted upon others by capitalist ideologies
• alliterative phrase “possible prices” illuminates Eric’s emphasis on the outdated & unjust social systems that have been created & upheld by older gen members like his parents
• he exposes & questions the systemic bias that favour the wealth accumulation of upper class capitalists , leveraging a laissez faire governmental stance
• he has realised this enables figures like his father to exploit & silence working class individuals for personal monetary gains

Question 2

she was ___ and a ___ ____
A3
- gender
- social class

Answer 2

she was pretty & a good sport

• term “sport” evokes connotations of games & amusement , shedding light on Eric’s perception of his relationship with Eva as a form of selfish entertainment - reinforcing the objectifying views of men in 1912 towards women .
• his callous alcohol fueled relationship with Eva is a microcosm of the toxic dynamic , perpetuated by unchecked privilege & substance abuse within Edwardian society
• the syntax with her physical attributes preceding his character reflects his shallow perception , reducing Eva to a mere object of desire rather than recognizing her intrinsic worth as a human being
• thus , Eva is emblematic of the disposable treatment of women in the early 20th century by the heartless upper echelons of society

Question 3

“but don’t forget , I’m ___ of you as ___ - yes ___ __ you”
A3
- old v young
- guilt
- responsibility

Answer 3

but don’t forget I’m ashamed of you aswell - yes both of you
- term “ashamed” conveys a sense of embarrassment , revealing Eric’s deep disillusionment & embarrassment has stemmed from his realisation of capitalists inherent exploitation of individuals & prioritization of self interest

• as a rep of the younger gen ,Eric faces ridicule for his progressive outlook. However he adopts a condescending demeanor towards his parents showcasing his fearlessness in challenging their regressive beliefs & highlighting his commitment to catalyzing change.
• use of hyphen simplifies sentence, akin to the inspectors concise speech , Eric is simplifying to his obdurate parents of the older gen the importance of collective social responsibility
• Eric’s adoption of short sentences also gamifies his growing power post liberation from , capitalisms constraints

Question 4

“I did what I did , and ___ did what ___ ___ and the rest of you did what you did ___ ___”
A3
- responsibility
- guilt
- capitalism v socialism

Answer 4

i did what i did & mother did what she did and the rest of you did what you did to her.
- recurrent use of personal pronoun “I” not only serves to illuminate Eric’s growing sense of personal accountability & social awareness but also signifies the maturation of his introspection

• he is on a quest for redemption from his capitalist sins as he feels guilt for his immoral actions
• transitioning from the [half shy] demeanor initially presented in A1 , now compelling his family to confront their own moral failings & take ownership of their unethical behavior
• parallelism characterized by repetition of “did what” in each segment of the sentence , showcases the interconnected nature of everyone’s responsibility
• he emphasises that their negligence & exploitation are burdens they must collectively accept if they not they will be tormented with guilt sempiternally
• parallelism surrounding ‘did what’ introduces almost ambiguous quality as there is no details on what they specifically ‘did’ - impounds how they are microcosms of the upper middle class & there symbolizes how they ‘did what’ they pleased to the lower classes without remorse/accountability for anyone