Eric Birling

Eric Birling

1. active social conscience

   • dramatic irritant to his father
     • challenging his ideology
     • contradicting
     • interrupting
     • questioning
     • "he could have kept her instead of throwing her out"
       • "throwing out"
         • Connotations of her being a piece of rubbish
         • reflects how Eric is disapproving of the way Mr Birling saw her as an object of labour instead of a person.
   • illustrates ability to change
     • blames his mother for her death. Then comes to accept responsibility.
     • His change is represented through his emulation of the Inspector after he leaves.
       • He uses his harsh, commanding language
         • "Then - you killed her... you killed them both - damn you, damn you-"
       • So the Inspector's presence is always felt on stage as a reminder to the audience to look at their own conscience

2. quickly tempered and emotional

   • emotional
     • His language becomes fragmented as he becomes hysterical. The dashes represent the break down in his relationship with his mother.
       • "I wasn't in love with her or anything - but I liked her - she was pretty and a good sport -"
   • angered
     • When arguing with his mother his language becomes more violent as he repeats "killed" three times.
       • Highly shocking as the language contrasts the polite, euphemistic language of earlier in the play.
     • Priestley uses the semantic field of heaven and hell when Eric describes what he did to Eva Smith
       • "that's the hellish thing. Oh - my God!"
         • "hellish" has connotations of torment and despair
         • Suggesting he wants to deny his actions as he is so alarmed at what he did.
       • Reflects he is so angry that he begins to use God !!!!! research

3. Socially unaware

   • When Eric gives Eva stolen money, Priestley could be commenting that wealth does not replace goodness and integrity.
   • Needs to be a more even distribution of wealth so people like Eric become socially aware.

4. Suspicious behaviour

   • mr Birling refers to what clothes mean to a woman.
     • "(eagerly) yes I remember"
     • adverb "eagerly" empahsises Eric's strong desire to talk about that subject
       • perhaps because he usually has nothing of relevance to say to him, and he wants to be treated like an adult in his father's eyes.
         • Priestley did this to make the audience immediately feel that the relationships between the members of the Birling family are quite weak.
   • However we see Eric forgets what he's referencing to is a secret
     • He must "check himself" in front of his father and brother in law.
       • Eric isn't used to speaking to them openly
       • Isolated member of the family who usually keeps things to himself
       • Priestley could be subtly referencing his message of social responsibility and responsibility in general.

5. Not nurtured by Birling

   • Birling often cold towards him
   • Birling takes no responsibility for his personal development.
   • Therefore Eric has become secluded and not able to share his own thoughts and feelings.
     • "You're not the kind of father a chap could go to when he's in trouble"
       • Feels as if you can't make him money, you're not worth talking to.
   • Priestley structures the occurrence at the exposition of the play to suggest that all is not well internally in the seemingly perfect family.
     • Also foreshadows Eric's involvement with the Inspector

6. Although his actions are the most despicable, he seems to show the most remorse for what happened to Eva Smith.

   • "(Nearly at breaking point) Then - you killed her. She came to you to protect me- and you turned her away"
     • Eric completely distressed about the fate of Eva Smith. "nearly at breaking point" suggests his sadness and rage is so much that he could collapse with grief at any point.
       • "Nearly" suggests the only thing keeping him back is his anger at his mother for turning Eva away.
       • He wants to make her understand what she's done and refuses to shadow all the blame himself.
       • Priestley did this to show that Eric can change, like the audience, who can start to accept social responsibility for there actions and believe in a "community".
     • The hyphens, "-" suggest the break down in Eric's emotional state, as well as the break down in his relationship with his Mother.
       • The actor is forced by Priestley to take breaks in his speech, conveying Eric's discomfort and anger. It helps to demonstrate his overwhelming sadness and his "half assertive nature."

7. When Inspector#s validity is brought up it's clear that Eric understands Priestley's message of social responsibility.

   • "It's what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters".
     • All inclusive pronoun "we" shows Eric fully understands Priestley's message.
     • Isn't just blaming his mother like he was previously, but realises that through their selfish actions they all had a negative effect on a poor, working class girl.