Analysis of Quotes - Eric Flashcards
(7 cards)
‘half shy, half assertive’
Shows Eric as awkward and uncomfortable , suggesting inner conflict.
The phrase ‘half shy, half assertive’ reflects his immaturity and lack of confidence, hinting that he doesn’t fully understand his role in society yet.
‘I don’t know - really. Suddenly I felt I just had to laugh.’
Eric’s nervous laughter and vague response reflects his immaturity and emotional instability.
He struggles to express himself clearly, showing he’s not yet ready to face serious issues - a sharp contrast to how he changes later in the play.
‘You know, don’t you?’
This short line is loaded with tension. Eric confronts his mother just before its revealed that he is the father of Eva Smith’s child.
It shows his guilt and anxiety, as well as the emotional weight of his secret.
It also marks the beginning of his personal reckoning.
‘I’m ashamed of you as well - yes both of you.’
Shows Eric’s moral awakening.
He starts to turn against his parents’ cold, dismissive attitudes and shows that he’s beginning to understand the need for empathy and responsibility.
Priestley uses this moment to show generational conflict and to suggest that younger people are more capable of change.
‘I was in a state when a chap easily turns nasty - and I threatened a row’
Eric struggles to be honest about his dealings with Eva, using euphemism to cover up his violent, possibly criminal actions.
He implies that being a man and being drunk justifies his behaviour.
Uses euphemism which describes his behaviour as ‘easily turns nasty’.
He can not face the truth, suggesting to the audience that he forced Eva to have sexual intercourse with him.
Juxtaposition of ‘chap’ which has friendly and carefree connotations with the aggressive connotations of ‘nasty’, ‘threatened’ and ‘row’.
‘you killed her - and the child she’d have had too - my child - your own grandchild - you killed them both - damn you, damn you’
A vile consequence of Eva’s death is that of her unborn child.
Eric explicitly describes what his parents have done to Eva and that their lives are ‘intertwined’ with hers.
Repetition of ‘child’ conveys the death of innocence
Repetition of ‘you killed’ shows that Eric blames his mother and her actions for Eva taking her life and that of her child.
Faltering sentence structure, using hyphens, show Eric is emotional, angry and struggling to come to terms with his family’s actions and attitudes.
‘You’re beginning to pretend now that nothing’s really happened at all. And I can’t see it like that. This girl’s still dead isn’t she?’
Unlike his parents, who believe they will not get caught, Eric can not forget or accept what they did.
He has learnt his lesson from the Inspector and will not return to his former ways.
Divide between generations is shown through use of pronouns ‘you’ compared with ‘I’.
Verb ‘pretends’ refers to the way the upper classes behave and highlights their hypocrisy.
Even though Inspector has left stage, Eric continues to questions and challenge his parents, who want to revery to their old way, ‘This girl’s still dead isn’t she?’
