Eric Birling Flashcards
What does Priestley present Eric as?
Immature and privileged, who changes in the corse of the play
What is Eric used in the play to show?
That the younger generation are most likely to change and want a fairer society
What are the stage directions which suggest Eric is immature?
‘Early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive’
What does the stage directions used at the beginning of the play about Eric?
He’s a little bit awkward and doesn’t fit in properly
What quotes assume he drinks too much?
‘suddenly guffaws’ and ‘squiffy’
How does Eric and Arthur connect to the typical father-son relationship in 1900s?
Arthur dominates Eric
When the inspector begins to question the family, what happens to Eric?
He gains a bit more confidence and criticises him fathers attitudes towards sacking Eva smith
What does the quote “it isn’t if you can’t go and work somewhere else’ suggest?
That he not only contradicts his father, but his fathers right-wing perspective
Which quote shows Eric challenging Mr Birling?
“Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages?”
What does the question, “why shouldn’t they try for higher wages?” show?
That Eric is able to empathise with the lower classes and can recognise the need for better workplace rights
What does the audience think of Eric when his secret is exposed to the family?
They find that he’s an aggressive drunk- “a chap easily turns nasty”
