Eric Birling
Profile
\
Full name: Mr Eric Birling
Age: ‘early twenties’
Role: Birling’s son
Ideology: Capitalist → Socialist
\
Characteristics
\
- Irresponsible
\
‘You’re squiffy’ - Sheila to Eric
‘I didn’t even remember - that’s the hellish thing’
\
Other Quotes:
\
‘not quite at ease’
‘half shy’ ‘half assertive’
\
Alcoholism
\
- The way he goes for a drink shows ‘his familiarity with quick heavy drinking’
- He shows up the the party ‘squiffy’
- He often gets a drink even before the Inspector arrives
\
Representation
\
Eric represents all “respectable” upper middle class men in Edwardian times
- Most men were like Eric, just in secret
- He lacks self control
- He took advantage of Eva
- He is an alcoholic
\
Remorse
\
‘the fact is I did what I did’
- Eric accepts responsibility and shows his guilt
\
Anger:
- The audience feel sorry for him as he yells at Sybil saying ‘You don’t understand anything’
- ‘my child - you’re grandchild - you killed them both’
\
Video
\
Alternative Interpretations
- Takes no responsibility for his own actions - forces himself on Eva and says he has forgotten ‘it seems’ he behaved badly. ‘a state where a chap turns nasty’ - distances himself from the action and generalises all men like this
- Denies that it isn’t theft - ‘not really’ - as he intended to pay it back
- Symbol of the future of capitalism - capitalism = theft
- Personifies capitalism as theft
- Clearly kept most of the stolen money for himself as Eva couldn’t have possibly spent all that money in the short period of time
- Agreement with the Inspector may be because of his drunkenness
- \
\
\
\
\