Eric Flashcards
“Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages?” We try for the highest possible prices”
Act 1
The rhetorical question highlights how Eric is developing his “half assertive” side due to the introduction of socialism .
Rhetorical question: Eric is questioning the ethics behind his avarice (greed) father’s exploitative attitude towards business and relationship with lower social classes.
• This is a pivotal turning point for his character, as the audience begins to see him deviate from [half shy] presentation into the [assertive] one foreshadowed at the beginning.
• The emergence of socialist ideals within Eric’s consciousness is dismantling his prior obliviousness to the suffering inflicted upon others by capitalist ideologies
Alliteration: The alliterative phrase “possible prices” illuminates Eric’s emphasis on the outdate and unjust social systems that have been created and upheld by older generation members like his parents
• He exposes and questions the systemic bias that favour the wealth accumulation of upper-class capitalists, leveraging a laissez-faire (minimal intervention) governmental stance.
• He has realised this enables figures like his father to exploit and silence working-class individuals for personal monetary gain
You killed her- and the child she’d have had too- my child!”
Theme: Responsibility
Act 3
-Correcting himself from “the child” to “my child” and the use of the pronoun “my” -> feels responsibility towards the child and didn’t start with ‘my’ as he’s only realising full impact he has had
- Starting to claim responsibility -> attitude change
-Looking for his mother to take his blame -> shows immaturity and relies on his mother to take blame/ scape goat -> sees her as less than him because of power in patriarchal society
“She was pretty and a good sport” (act 3)
Connotations of ‘sport’: The term “sport” evokes connotations of games and amusement, shedding light on Eric’s perception of his relationship with Eva as a form of selfish entertainment.
• is exposes the callousness (cruel) with which he exploited and objectified her, reducing her to a mere source of gratification
• Eric’s callous alcohol fuelled relationship with Eva is a microcosm of the toxic dynamics perpetuated by unchecked privilege and substance abuse within Edwardian society
Syntax of pretty: Even in her death, Eric still possesses power over her through reducing her to her superficial appearance, focusing first on her physical “pretty” (ness).
The syntax (word-order), with her physical attributes preceding her character, reflects his shallow perception, reducing Eva to a mere object of desire rather than recognising her intrinsic worth as a human being.
Thus, Eva is emblematic of the disposable treatment of women in the early twentieth century by the heartless upper echelons of society
“But don’t forget I’m ashamed of you as well - yes both of you” (act 3)
Connotations of “ashamed”: The term “ashamed” conveys a sense of embarrassment, revealin Eric’s deep disillusionment and embarrassment has stemmed from his realisation of capitalists’ inherent exploitation of individuals and prioritisation of self-interest
• As a representative of the younger generation, Eric faces ridicule for his progressive outlook.
However, he adopts a condescending demeanour towards his parents, showcasing his fearlessness in challenging their regressive beliefs and highlighting his commitment to catalysing change
Hyphen: The use of the hyphen in “- yes both of you” simplifies the sentence, akin to the Inspector’s concise speech, Eric is simplifying to his obdurate (stubborn) parents of the older generation the importance of collective social responsibility
• Eric’s adoption of short sentences, mirroring the Inspector’s style, may also signify his growing power post-liberation from capitalism’s constraints.
In Act 1, the Inspector’s brevity (concise use of words) denotes authority, a trait echoed by Eric as he speaks concisely to showcase his newfound power rooted in moral conviction
Linking to other key themes:
• Capitalism vs socialism: The emergence of socialist ideals within Eric’s consciousness is dismantling his prior obliviousness to the suffering inflicted upon the lower classes by capitalist
ideologies
• Social class: Eric has come to understand that responsibility transcends one’s own social class.
He is disturbed by the collective actions of himself and his family, recognising the interconnected nature of everyone’s responsibility.
“I did what I did. And mother did what she did. And the rest od you did what you did to her” (Act 3)
Personal pronoun on “I”: The recurrent use of the personal pronoun “I” serves not only to illuminate Eric’s growing sense of personal accountability and social awareness but also signifies the maturation of his introspection (reflecting on yourself)
• he is on a quest for redemption (save from sin) from his capitalist sins as he feels guilt for his
immoral actions.
• Eric is transitioning from the [half shy] demeanour initially presented in Act 1, now compelling his family to confront their own moral failings and take ownership of their unethical behaviour Parallelism (repetition of “did what” in each part of the sentence): The parallelism, characterised by the repetition of “did what” in each segment of the sentence, showcases the interconnected nature of everyone’s responsibility
• Eric emphasises that their negligence and exploitation are burdens they must collectively accept if not they will be tormented with guilt sempiternally (forever).
• The parallelism surrounding ‘did what’ introduces an almost ambiguous quality as there is no details on what they specifically “did”. This compounds how they are microcosms (something small representing something larger) of the upper-middle class and therefore symbolises how they “did what” they pleased to the lower classes without remorse or accountability from anyone.
Linking to other key themes:
• Older vs younger: As a spokesperson for the younger generation, Eric encounters ridicule for his progressive stance. Nevertheless, he assumes a condescending demeanour towards his parents, demonstrating his courage in confronting their outdated beliefs and underlining his dedication to instigating change while embracing responsibility.
• Social class: Eric has come to understand that responsibility transcends one’s own social class.
He is disturbed by the collective actions of himself and his family, recognising the interconnected nature of everyone’s responsibility.
