Eric Flashcards
(suddenly guffaws) A1
Immature and not in control of himself
(involuntarily) My God!
A1
First reaction after Inspector reveals how Eva died.
Adverb ‘involuntarily’ indicates that Eric couldn’t suppress his emotional nature
Was not ‘proper’ for male characters to reveal emotion but Priestley condemned tis view, arguing that showing emotion makes us human.
‘Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices’
A1
The comparative adjective ‘higher’ next to the superlative ‘highest’ makes the workers seem reasonable and the businessmen exploitative.
Do Eric’s questions reveal a deep-rooted desire for equality, or do they simply reveal an immature frustration at his father’s dominance?
Why is Eric absent in Act 2?
You’re not the kind of father a chap can go to when he’s in trouble
A3
Personal insight into his strained relationship with his father
Talks about himself in third person to distance himself from the father he so deeply distrusts
May explain his alcoholism
‘That’s when it happened. And I didn’t even remember- that’s the hellish thing.’
A3
Uses a euphemism to describe his assault of Daisy as he could be too disgusted with his actions to be explicit about it. Hope for young gen
Biblical language
Eric’s alcoholism makes it hard to remember his own actions
‘The girl’s dead and we all helped to kill her’
A3
Eric understands whether or not the Inspector was a hoax is irrelevant. He does not see to pass the blame for the girl’s death but accepts we share responsibility. Audience feels he has atoned for his terrible treatment of Daisy by accepting it and trying to change and become a better, socially responsible person.
