Eric Birling

socially awkward to defiant

“not quite at ease, half shy and half assertive” ACT1

• priestley illustrates how he views the younger generation - eric is far from his socially conscious reputable father and so finds it hard to assimilate into the house and instead coming off as awkward as he feels a discomfort towards his family’s lifestyle and privilege

• however, he is also far from a perfect socialist.

• rather, he is left trapped in between these two ideologies as he is unable to really accept his father’s behaviour yet it seems that he is not at ease with his own either which is shown through the juxtaposition of a lack of confidence with dominance

• a confusion with his identity and social standing is further exacerbated by “shy” and “assertive” being an oxymoron of childish and mature traits

• by being “half” it may signify that he is broken or defective in some way - could foreshadow that he will soon have the details of his irresponsible and predatory actions uncovered.

• these actions are enabled by the patriarchal influences his impressionable young mind has become exposed to

• while eric notices his father’s inhumane treatment of those lower in society, at this point in the play, the little sense of innate morality which although strong enough to ostracise him from his family, this and his weak socialist leaning views do not carry enough weight to affect his father.

• While Eric interrupts his father’s engagement speech and

  protests, he does it “[not too rudely]” as he doesn’t have the power to challenge his father directly even though he finds the idea of sheila’s transcational marriage ridiculous.

“why shouldn’t they try for higher wages” ACT 1

• capacity for empathy and emotion, which therefore separates him (and Sheila) from the other characters, who are unable to experience such emotions.

• specifically able to empathise with the lower-classes and can recognise

  the need for better workplace rights and the even more desperate need of ridding society of the practice of exploiting labourers

• through this, the upper-class’ internal corruption and hypocrisy is acknowledged by Eric, explicitly showing that he is not completely naive, but

  aware of levels of corruption in society

• he first sees this in the determination of birling to achieve “lower costs and

  higher prices”, yet, denying Eva and his other employees a higher wage.

• realises that there is no meritocracy and that a “good worker” does not constitute

  better treatment, but that capitalism exists fundamentally to exploit workers and create profit

• the rhetorical question indicates that he is developing his “half assertive” side

• additionally, the use of a question gives eric an interrogative tone through which he can expose and condemn his father’s foolish hipocricsy similar to the inspector.

• This is done to demonstrate Eric as perceptive and as a character, which the

  audience should align themselves with.

“not the kind of father a chap can go to when he’s in trouble”

“cold woman” - ACT 1
“squiffy”

• mirror for the failures of the birlings as parents

• his drunkeness conveys to the audience that in the pursuit of money and power, the birlings have neglected their child resulting in an alcoholic son

• alcohol as a form of escapism from the opressing environment whuch by extension shows how problems that plague society such as alcoholism may stem from the evils of capitalism in the same way as Eric’s drinking problem stems from mr birling who enables it by continuously bringing out the port and offering it.

• this represents how frequently the upper classes use alcohol and the way in which capitalism allows them unrestricted access to it

• mr birling uses port to signpost his status whilst Eric needs it to “see him through”

• Through this, priestley examines the logic and reliability in capitalist thinking which appears to be heavily influenced by this hedonistic consumption of alcohol and may be suggesting that the reliance on alcohol by the birling’s extends to hint at an underlying element of fragility within capitalism itself.

• this shatters the delusion of the rose tinted “pink and intimate” mood at the beginning of the play which is intensified by the revealing of Eric’s illicit affair with Eva.

• these moral failures show that despite the birling’s attempts to be perceived as a “well behaved family” and polished members of affluent society, the problems that plague society are ironically shown by Priestley to be right within their house.

• priestley may also be highlighting to the audience how Mr Birling’s ideology and by extension capitalism is pervasive and detrimental to all in society - even the upper classes in their “pink and intimate” bubble are not immune.

“look for the father of the child. it’s his responsibility”

“drunken idler”

should be dealt with “very severely”

“made an example of”

• we don’t hear much about eric throughout act 2, only that an unkown man had impregnated eva smith

• thoughout mrs birling’s interrogation, she passes the blame on to everyone else

• this shows the the near sightedness of this egotistical world view held by thouse of the upper class

• Pristley utilises dramatic irony all throughout this scnen to highlight the willful blindness of the capitalist mindset and the catastrophic consequences of it.

• both eric and mrs birlings actions highlight the cowardly nature of capitalism through hiding from responsibility

• the irony is that the person mrs b feels so strongly about punishing is her own son -Mrs Birling refuses this fact as it jeopardises the reputation of the Birling family, which she values over her son’s loss of a child.

• high society harboured double standards in the treatment of the upper class compared to the lower class

“i wasn’t in love with her or anything- but i liked her - she was pretty and a good sport” ACT 3

• eva’s struggles are emblematic of those faced by women in the early 20th century.

• eric’s treatment of eva serve as a microcosm of what was really happening in society with women made pregnant out of wedlock seen as damaged or spoilt whereas the men responsible, especially those of high society got off with minimal scrutiny

• this serves to show the depravity of the mindset of the upper class - eric’s fun lead to evas suicide

• sport - it was like a game to eric

“Then - you killed her… and the child she’d

have had too – my child – your own Grandchild – you killed them both – damn you,

damn you.” ACT 3

• encourages the audience to sympathise with Eric.

• additionally,the impassioned speech is a further development of his “assertive” side and also his ability to show compassion for the two lives lost

• this is contrasted with the heartless stance taken by mr Birling who worries about the “honour” and the “the money [eric] stole” - depravity of capitalist mindset

• furthered by Eva’s decision “to protect” eric - her altruism in the face of difficulty

• this dedification of eva servers to further highlight the shortcomings of a capitalist society

• although more outspoken in demanding justice, Eric’s accusation of blame upon his mother is tantamount (equivalent) to Mrs Birling’s blame of the

  “father”

• Eric attempts to absolve himself from any blame.

• still a man of his time - comparative lack of condemnation for rape