Eric Flashcards
‘Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? we try for the highest possible prices’ A1
-Rhetorical question - Eric is questioning the ethics behind his avarice 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 the ‘half shy’ presentation into the ‘assertive’ one foreshadowed at the beginning. The emergence of socialist ideas 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-alliteration - the alliterative phrase ,possible prices’ illuminates Eric’s emphasis on the outdated and unjust social systems that have been created and upheld by older generation members like his parents.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 governmental stance. He has realised this enables figures like his father to exploit and silence working class individuals for personal monetary gain
‘She was pretty and a good sport’
A3
-connotations - 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. It exposes the callousness 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 - even in her death , Eric’s still possesses power over her through reducing her to her superficial appearance, focusing first on her physical pretty’ ness. The syntax 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’
A3
-connotations- the term ‘ashamed’ conveys a sense embarrassment, revealing 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 clndescending 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 stentenc, akin to the inspectors concise speech, Eric is simplifying to his obdurate parents of the older generation the importance of collective social responsibility. Eric’s adoption of short sentences, mirroring the inspectors style, may his growing power post-liberation from capitalisms constraints. In act 1 the inspectors brevity denotes authority, a trait echoed by Eric as he speaks concisely to showcase his newfound power rooted in moral conviction.
‘I did what I did. And mother did what she did. And the rest of you did what you did to her.’ A3
-personal pronoun - 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. He is on a quest for redemption 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 - 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. The parallelism surrounding ‘did what’s introduces an almost ambiguous quality as there is no details on what they specifically ‘did’ . This compounds how they are microcosms of the upper class and therefore symbolises how they ‘did what’ they pleased to the lower classes without remorse or m anyone.
