Eric Flashcards
First impressions - Eric
“not quite at ease” “half shy, half assertive” - signals to the audience that he may be hiding something.
“I dont know - really. Suddenly i felt i just had to laugh” - clearly drunk - shouldn’t be this drunk at a family occasion.
Is hiding something from his family - when G makes a joke about him having “been up to something”, E takes it to heart, responding “(sharply)” and being visibly “(uneasy)”
“(involuntarily) my god!” - emotional and unrestrained in how he expresses himself - young/wild
Relationship with Mr Birling - Eric
MrB - “face a few responsibilities” “public school and varsity life” - hostility towards his son as he feels his son has been handed everything, despite that being the life MrB wants to provide to E - Appreciates G more than his own son - the son he always wanted.
Insp takes on more of a fatherly role to E than his own father does - extends him some level of kindness -“I know - he’s your son and this is your house - but look at him. He needs a drink now to see him through”
Later, when E is breaking down, MrB is ardent for some control “Why, you hysterical young fool - get back - or I’ll-“ - threatens to punch/fight him.
“Youre not the kind of father a chap can go to when he’s in trouble”
“Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices”-superlative makes the businessmen seem greedy. and comparative makes the strikers seem fair - opposes his father very early in the play - A1 - shows that he cares for the lower classes - and as we later discover this is probably due to his relationship with Eva
“(defiantly)”
Relationship with Eva - Eric
“Well, I’m old enough to be married, aren’t I?”
“Broke out and had a bit of fun sometimes”
Double standard between Eva and E. Both are young yet only one of their lives has been ruined as a result of the same situation. Eva ended up committing suicide due to getting pregnant out of wedlock however E stole, got a woman pregnant, possibly assaulted her and frequently got drunk and this is easily dismissed. Shows the contrast between them, largely based on gender but also class.
“And that’s when it happened” “I couldn’t remember her name or where she lived” “the hellish thing” “my God!”
“And this time we talked a bit… Told her my name and what I did”
Eva acts as more of a mentor to E. She looks down on him, thinking of him as immature and helping to save his reputation so he dosent waste his life with her despite it being implied that he harmed her - “in that state when a chap easily turns nasty”
Attitude to questioning - Eric
Leaves to avoid the questioning/have some time to think as he seemed to resign fairly early on, deciding that he is powerless against the Insp.
MrsB set him up for the fall without realising it
Breakdown when he hears of how his family has caused Eva’s death because he clearly loved her in some way. “yes, and you killed her - and the child she’d have had too - my child - your own grandchild - you killed them both - damn you, damn you-“
“(almost threatening her)” (her=MrsB)
Now he fully stands up against his parents - more assertive now
E is interrogated out of sequence - to set him up for this greater fall, creating tension and drama within the family. Could have also been some use of dramatic irony when the audience sees S trying to protect MrsB and E when MrsB is talking about the father of the child but she wont stop - audience has pieced it together but she hasnt.
Change - Eric
“But you’re forgetting one thing I still can’t forget. Everything we said had happened really had happened.” - “Between us we drove that girl to commit suicide.” - S&E cant justify forgetting about Eva and her death, even if it was all just a hoax. They have now fully aligned themselves with Insp’s more socialist views and are not ashamed or scared to outwardly express these views to their parents.
shares his beliefs with S - showing that their relationship is still strong despite all others having deteriorated. Even though they went through some turmoil - with S telling her parents of E’s drinking problem without his knowledge, their sibling bond is strong and in the final moments of the play they stand united against their parents as they watch their parents being disproved by the phone call.
“And i agree with Sheila. It frightens me too”
