Key Quotes - Eric Flashcards
P.3 - Eric suddenly guffaws. His parents look at him. “I don’t know – really. Suddenly I felt I just had to laugh.”
A sense of immaturity
Priestly is bringing more focus on his drinking addiction
The use of the phrase “suddenly guffaws” after Gerald comfort Sheila because of her suspicions on his faithfulness hints at the idea Eric is aware of Gerald’s affairs.
The fact that Eric is doing nothing to stop his sister getting married to someone he knows is not loyal demonstrates a sense of arrogance
Act 1
P.4 - (not too rudely) Well, don’t do any. We’ll drink their health and have done with it.
Eric is somewhat mindful of his words as he understands he doesn’t hold as much respect as the elder generation characters like Mr Birling, as seen through the stage direction
Indicates Eric is not entirely in agreement with the capitalist purpose of his sisters marriage as he realises there is no truth in the relationship hence why he refuses to spend a lot of time talking about it.
Eric is eager to move on from the topic – immature and childish and he doesn’t wish to take the marriage seriously
Act 1
(Involuntary) My God!
Eric’s genuine response to the news, as seen in the stage directions.
The use of the adverb “involuntarily” demonstrates how Eric could not suppress his emotional reaction. This is unusual for him as a man to give such a reaction as within the patriarchal society in which this play is set, such reactions are condemned and seen as a feminine trait.
The use of the exclamation mark exemplifies his initial shock
Priestly hints at Eric’s somewhat good morality, which we see unfold more towards the end of the play.
Act 1
“Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices”
Quick to make a connection and identify responsibility
This hints at Eric’s morality
He is quick to identify responsibility within other people, however, he hasn’t quite acknowledged his own responsibility in relation to Eva Smith’s suicide. We see how he changes to soon accept social responsibility on the matter.
Relates to Bilrlings speech of lower costs and higher prices.
Act 1
Inspector: (coolly) “We often do on the young ones. They’re more impressionable.”
Eric is part of the “young ones” – a representative of the younger generation
Younger generation appear to be more open minded hence why they are increasingly more understanding to socialist views.
Eric has no lines in Act 2
Act 2
Mrs Birling: “He’s just talking to my son, Eric, who seems to be in an excitable silly mood.”
Silly” is quite a childish term to describe a grown adult.
This shows that Mrs Birling is infantilising Eric by calling his mood sillly
Mrs Birling is euphemising Erics drunken state because Eric is a pt of Mrs Birling’s family, and the fact that he is an alcoholic means that he is harming Mrs Birlings reputation and wants to prevent her reputation getting harmed
Eric has no lines in Act 2
Act 2
“No, not really. I intended to pay it back.”
Eric taking money from his fathers company was likely calculated carefully, and it wasn’t an impulsive decision.
In the line after this Birling says, “we’ve heard that story before”, implicating that Eric has stolen from him before and it isn’t rare for him to do so.
Eric rejects the accusation of stealing from his father and says he would have paid it back but had no means to do so showing his irresponsibility.
Act 3
“[nearly at breaking point]: Then – you killed her.”
Eric is now hysterical and overwhelmed by all the information he was given.
He is still deflecting blame onto others as he still uses the pronoun ‘you’ as he refers to his mother when talking about Eva’s death. He is also being very blunt with his language which shwos his lack of thought.
After this he also ‘laughs rather hysterically’ which mirrors Sheila in act one when she realised the inspectors omnipresence showing how the younger generation aligns with each other
When saying ‘my child – your own grandchild-‘ the nouns ‘child’ and ‘grandchild shows Eric’s new affection towards Sheila and growing remorse. Also, through his frequent hesitations, it reinforces his struggle to face the truth.
Act 3
“I don’t see much nonsense about it when a girl kills herself” p68
Uses his father’s words to make him see how foolish what he’s saying is. The fact that Eric can recognise this but not his father shows the generational divide as the younger generation realises the true gravity of words and the value of human life.
“When a girl kills herself” emulates the Inspector’s direct approach to show that they are aligned in their beliefs.
Act 3
P. 65 - ‘Money’s not the important thing. It’s what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters. And I still feel the same’.
When stating, ‘money’s not the important thing’, Eric breaks away from his fathers capitalist ideologies having explicitly stated that money is not ‘important’ for him and not a priority.
When stating that ‘it’s what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters’, this imitates the Inspector’s ideals of social responsibility. This shows that Eric has experienced a change in his character and understands socialism.
This links to when Sheila states that ‘now you’re beginning all over again to pretend that nothing’s happened’ where she also reminds the older generation of the didactic purpose of the Inspector. In this, Eric’s agreement with her shows the alignment of the younger generation.
Act 3
“You don’t understand anything. You never did. You never even tried – you—” (p.55)
The repeated use of the personal pronoun “you” indicates Eric direct and accusatory tone towards his mother.
Eric’s use of “you” mirrors his father’s however, Mr Birling uses it to reject responsibility whereas Eric does It to encourage accepting responsibility.
Eric acknowledges the wilful ignorance from his mother as he is more observant due to being part of the younger generation.
Act 3
