Eric - Key Quotations Flashcards
‘half ___, half _________’
shy, assertive
Stage direction
Asyndentic list
Eric is uncertain about which ideology he should align himself with, but by the end he becomes more socialist.
‘a lot to _____’
learn
Dramatic irony
The parents don’t truly know of his capability and actions, for example the alcoholism or rape of Eva
‘familiarity, with ____ drinking’
heavy
‘________ thing’
hellish
Eric is compared to a demon, committing evil acts.
‘___ killed her’
You
As soon as Eric can divert blame for Eva’s death, he does so to his own mother. This shows his deep-rooted guilt.
‘easily turns _____’
nasty
Euphemism
Eric shifts blame to alcohol to prevent himself from accepting responsibility, but later starts to adopt Socialism.
‘____ of father’
kind
The division between family is exemplified, as he feels he can talk to the Inspector and not Mr Birling, showing the lack of morality lf capitalism from Priestley’s point of view.
“___iantly’
def
stage direction
Eric, first submissive to the capitalistic older generation, becomes opposed to this, being the cause of his rejection of his embrace of Socialism by the Inspector.
‘I’m _____ likely to ______’
never, forget
He feels he has to accept responsibility unlike the older generations and starts to embrace socialism
‘I’m ________ of you’
ashamed
Eric, despite being younger than Mr and Mrs Birling, criticises them, unlike what he would have done in Act 1.
‘you’re beginning to _______ that nothings really _________ at all’
pretend, happened
Eric takes on responsbility, despite his terrible acts, exemplifying how Priestley thinks young people should respond to society.
