eric birling Flashcards
role of eric in inspector calls
hes a symbol of optimism, unlike sheilas receptbale femenine compassion he inately struggles to accept wrongs, but he juxtaposes his immoral father and circumatcnes and proves a beacon of hope for societal changes. hes able to change despite the severity of his actions and his initials unwillignness
how moral is eric initially
hes seen as being ‘involanterily’ shocked by the nes of the death, here priestly builds empathy as its clear overt emotions are a disagreeable femenine trait such as hysteria- meaning womb- and eric fears this at the comnedemnet of his father.
eric as a youth is able to convey an empatheytic emotion in contrast to his father whom dismissively passes it off as horrible business- eric and youths do not differenciate between lives
eric as an initial symbolism of scoaislism
priestly immediatly seperates him and sheila from the rest as having a real recepitibility to the prospect of injustice-he asks ‘why shouldnt theu try for higher wages’- having a clear grasp of the meritless concept of capitalism for the poor
how is erics actions blamed elsewhere and why
priestly needs sympathy for eric in order to show that young men shuld turn to socialism rather than feeling ostricised.
eric is a sad product of his ironically incorrect and miopic parenting who praise views outdated for both 1912 and certainly 1945 in a new era- and we pity erics helpless shaping of his mind due to this, gooles entrance- mouthpiece for priestly and foil to mr b- comes during mr bs speech to eric, symbolic of a relief sent saviour of socialism to free the minds of the youth
eric is only trying to emmulate the behaviour of other ‘respectable’ men in order to gain his fathers praise, in 1912 abuse of women was far more tolerated- yet throguh the humanisation of eva we know the costs of mishandling humans- we should ask wether it was him or the stunting of his moral growth by society
priestly keeps it redeemable by having eric narrate his wrongs using mass coloquial and unreliable language, thats ‘when IT happened’- lessens the serverity, in a ‘state when a chap easily turns nasty’
how is eric portrayed as unsympathetic/ irresponsible
for many pf the reasons his blame is diverted its also put badly on him, the atrociety of eric reminds the audience of the societal problems that caused this. eric leaves the house, metaphorically stepping away from the drawing room where societal change is occuring
his mass use of eu[hamistic and coloqial terms trivialises the serverity of the situation making the blame lessened, but for some it may be angering how he passes off the rape
he also diverts blame almost entielry to his father and his ‘respectable friends’- which thiough true cannot excuse himself
‘chap’ easily turning nasty implies that it is a manly rite of passage to act in this manner and alcohol is a correct perperrator for viielnce and rape
how is eric portrayed as responsible
he begins his speech with ‘i remenber’ implying that he frequently revists the atrocity and he likely feeels real remorse, juxtaposing others
on the other hand his dramatic exit and euthamistic terms show he is overcome with what hes done and is attempting to not confront or dissociate from what hes done out of fear and hence regret
erics relation with mr birling
they have consantly juxtopsoing views simultaneously in the diolouge, mirorring the young and reciprocal socialist movement with the ignroance of the conservative past. through mr bs ignorance and pompous attitude its clear eric is the favoruable side regardless of the political side he stands a metaphor for. they clash over war- which he is ironically shut down by mr bs ‘the germans dont want war’- and they clash even intially over his mantra of lower costs and higher prices
erics relations with mrs birling
we drive sympathy for eric through the absence of a nuclear materal victorian mother in his life, she rather prioritises their repuation over her own loss of a grand child- repeating that she ‘cannot believe’ hes the father and hence demonstrating the hipocracy of the upper class who shun the poor for things like drugs and prostitutions but make light of their uses.
why is eric less reliable than sheila
he remians intoxicated throughout the night and it may be easier in that state to form a manner of agreement as he shares similar ideals than to be converted to the socialist ideology
erics relations with eva
its the explicity immorality of erics behavior the is used as a becon of hope to an ever changinga udience that they too can turn to morality in socialism.
the actions are not revealed chronologically rather erics rape and torment is saved for last as it is likely the worst and most directly hurtful- it exposes the shocking way in which the upper class can abuse and mishandle lowers even in such a naieve state that eva has too threat him ‘like a child’
priestly subverts lower class stereotypes by showing how eva morally refuses and nurtures eric- a sad testiment to her struggles as shes having to empathise with her rapist but regardless a testiment- shes far more understandig of the impact of inter class relations
back with the euthamistic language it shows guilt and regret but also lessens the imorality to deem him still a forgivable figure
