Eric Birling

Question 1

Eric is..

Answer 1

Irresponsible: “I didn’t even remember — that’s the hellish ti Unloved: “You don’t understand anything. You never did.”
Sensitive: “My God — I’m not likely to forget”
An alcoholic: “I was in that state when a chap easily turns nat

Question 2

Eric

Answer 2

Priestley’s stage directions say that Eric is “not quite at ease”
He’s described as being “half shy” and “half assertive”
2) He interrupts Sheila and Gerald when he “suddenly guffaws”, but says he doesn’t know why he’s laughing. He finds things his family say funny, even when there’s no joke.
3) When Gerald says, “Unless Eric’s been up to something,” Eric acts suspiciously and seriously — “I don’t think it’s very funny,” he says
“still uneasy”, and also answers “defiantly”.

Eric’s been hiding some dirty secrets
Eric’s drunkenness and bad behaviour represent the dark side of family life.
1) He’s a heavy drinker, and has been for a while. You can see his “familiarity with quick heavy drinking” in the way he pours his whisky in Act Three. The rest of the family sees it too.
2) He got a prostitute pregnant — his first encounter with Eva/Daisy results in her getting pregnant and there’s a suggestion that he forced himself on her.
3) He has stolen money from his father’s business to support her.