Eric Flashcards
1
Q
Eric: ‘[involuntarily] My God’
A
- The stage directions show that he is emotional about Eva’s death.
- Demonstrates his morals.
2
Q
‘Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages?’
A
- Inherently socialist views.
- Condemns his father’s capitalist viewpoints
- Empathetic for the lower class
3
Q
‘[not too rudely] Well don’t do any (speechmaking). We’ll drink to their health and have done with it.’
A
- Eric is eager to be done with talk of the transactional engagement.
Despite of this, he is portrayed as powerless to do anything.
4
Q
‘…you killed her - and the child she’d have too - my child - your grandchild - you killed them both - damn you, damn you’
A
- Demonstrates his emotions are getting the best of him
- Shows he really cared
- Placing/ Diverting the blame
- The fragmentation of his speech mirrors the fragmentation of his family.
5
Q
’..I hate these fat old tarts round the town’
A
- Bigoted description of a woman - shaming her for displaying her body in a sexual way/ sex work.
- Priestley is presenting through Eric, that for all men, paying for sex was a social norm.
6
Q
‘…you’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble…’
A
This shows the lack of affection and care shown to his children had lead to a relationship where Eric feels that he can’t tell his father things and ends up stealing his money and lying to him.
