eric birling Flashcards
“Half shy, half assertive” “(sulkily)”
At the start of the play, he was described as “half shy, half assertive” showing the lack of confidence he has in himself and his isolation from his family.
* Insecure about himself, as shown when Birling was lecturing Eric - on stage directions.
* He reveals all his anger and was no longer the shy boy we first see in Act 1.
“He could’ve kept her on instead of throwing her out.”
Arthur - “Rubbish!”
(Act 1)
Response to when Arthur sacked Eva.
* Juxtaposition here shows Eric has his own moral conscious, unlike Arthur’s capitalist views.
* Unlike Gerald who said, “You couldn’t have done anything else.” to Arthur, suggesting that he was “forced” to sack Eva, Eric shows that he has empathy for the working class, exactly the opposite of how Arthur and Gerald’s Ideologies.
“And I didn’t even remember - that’s the hellish thing. Oh my God! - how stupid it all is!”
(Act 3)
Confessing about what happened that night.
* Feels responsible and guilty for what he has done, and he tried to take responsibility by helping Eva Smith by stealing money from his father.
* Adverb “hellish” and exclamation marks were used to emphasise how bad the situation is, and not remembering everything he did makes him feels more responsible.
“Because you’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble - that’s why.” (Act 3)
“You don’t understand anything. You never did. You never even tried.”
(Act 3)
When Mr Birling questioned why he didn’t just come to him for help if he needed money.
* Eric became very emotional when he found out it was his mother who turned Eva away when she only wanted to protect him.
* Lacks parental support - maybe that’s why he relies on alcohol “Can I have a drink first?”
* It gives a further insight how their relationship was never close.
“What does it matter now whether they give you a knighthood or not?”
(Act 3)
he doesn’t understand why his father cares about a knighthood so much.
* shows the division between the two generations.
* he’s challenging his father, like the inspector.
“I’m ashamed of you as well - Yes both of you.”
(Act 3)
“I don’t see much nonsense about it when a girl goes and kills herself.”
(Act 3)
Mrs Birling was saying she was ashamed of Eric after the Inspector left.
* It’s almost as if they became the more mature “parents” and lecturing their parents who are more childish, refusing to understand things morally.
* After the Inspector exists, Eric and Sheila act like a bit of the Inspector.
“It’s what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters.” (Act 3)
Believes money isn’t important like his father, when he tells Gerald about stealing money and Arthur attempts to “(as Birling tries to interrupt him)”
* It’s what their actions to the girl matters.
“You lot may be letting yourself off nicely but I can’t”
“And I agree with Sheila. It frightens me too.”
(Act 3)
Witness how his family is ready to move on, he and Sheila feels weird.
* The representative of the younger generation, shows a gap between them.
* adjective “frighten” showing these people are foreign to them, they are their parents which are suppose to be friendly and comfortable, but they feel distance from them instead.
* Informal language “you lot” - sounds like an outsider - not as posh as Greald - thinking from Inspector’s perspective.
* After the Inspector exists, Eric and Sheila act like a bit of the Inspector.