Eric Flashcards
(4 cards)
Importance
Eric represents both the punishment that awaits those who refuse to listen to the Inspector’s message, and also the potential for the younger generation to change for the better.
He has a drinking problem: he is known by his peers (including Gerald) to drink heavily, and while inebriated he can become aggressive; he forced himself upon Eva while he was drunk.
He has a poor relationship with his father: he appears to be jealous of Mr Birling’s respect for Gerald; he does not confide in his father when Eva becomes pregnant, and instead steals from Mr Birling’s business.
He is able to accept responsibility: at the denouement, he and Sheila are the only characters to accept their roles in Eva’s death; he is stricken with guilt, and willing to face the consequences of his actions.
“Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages?”
-Rhetorical Question
Eric uses a rhetorical question to challenge his father’s capitalist mindset.
It shows he’s starting to think critically and question the unfairness of how workers like Eva Smith are treated.
The question implies that wanting a better life is reasonable and justified — not rebellious or wrong.
-Challenge to Capitalism
This line directly criticises the exploitation of the working class.
Eric’s father, Mr Birling, sees wage demands as a threat to profit, but Eric shows empathy and fairness.
Priestley uses Eric to expose the immorality of low wages and to question who really benefits in a capitalist system.
-Generational Divide
Like Sheila, Eric starts to reject his parents’ values.
Priestley uses this line to emphasise the hope placed in the younger generation — those who are willing to learn and change.
It builds conflict in the family and highlights Priestley’s wider critique of society.
“i was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty”
-Evasive Language: “that state”
Eric uses vague, euphemistic language — “that state” — to avoid directly admitting to what he did.
He doesn’t say “drunk” or describe his behaviour clearly, which implies shame and a desire to distance himself from the full horror of his actions.
Priestley highlights how upper-class men often avoid accountability through vague language and social protection.
-Colloquial Tone: “a chap”
The word “chap” is informal and casual, minimising the seriousness of what he’s describing.
It suggests a normalisation of male aggression — as if what he did is something any man might do.
Priestley criticises this toxic masculinity and the way men’s violent behaviour is excused or overlooked, especially towards vulnerable women.
- Sinister Implication: “easily turns nasty”
This phrase implies violence or coercion, especially sexual violence — it is chilling because of how casually it’s said.
The word “nasty” downplays the possible reality of abuse or assault, again showing how language is used to soften the truth.
Priestley exposes the gender and class power imbalance: Eric, a privileged man, exploits Eva, a working-class woman.
“This girl’s still dead, isn’t she?”
- Blunt, Emphatic Tone
The sentence is direct and blunt. There’s no attempt to soften the statement.
The use of the word “dead” is emotionally impactful — it reminds the others (and the audience) of the real human cost behind the investigation.
Eric refuses to pretend or rationalise — he is confronting the raw truth.
- Use of the Present Tense: “isn’t she?”
The present tense keeps Eva’s death at the centre of the conversation — it’s still real, even if the Inspector might not be.
This reminds the audience that the consequences of their actions do not disappear just because they question the inspector’s identity.
It shows that Eric now values moral truth over legal or social technicalities.
- Challenge to Denial & Excuses
At this point, Mr and Mrs Birling are trying to dismiss the whole incident now that the Inspector’s legitimacy is in doubt.
Eric’s line confronts their denial — he’s saying: even if the Inspector wasn’t real, the impact of what we did is.
It reflects Priestley’s wider message: the truth and the harm remain, regardless of whether people are held legally accountable.
