Eric Birling

Question 1

1. “I don’t know – really. Suddenly I felt I just had to laugh.”

Answer 1

What: Eric is awkward and uneasy during family conversation
• How: Adverb “suddenly” = lack of control
    Hedging phrase “I don’t know” = uncertainty, internal conflict
    Verb “laugh” = attempt to mask discomfort
• Why:
  - Priestley hints early at Eric’s guilt + instability
  - Builds suspense for audience through tension

Question 2

2. “He could have kept her on instead of throwing her out.”

Answer 2

What: Eric challenges his father’s treatment of Eva
• How: Verb “throwing” = violent, careless imagery
    Modal “could” = moral possibility
    Contrast “kept” vs “throwing” = kindness vs cruelty
• Why:
  - Priestley positions Eric as more morally aware than Birling
  - Shows generational divide + emerging responsibility

Question 3

3. “Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages?”

Answer 3

• What: Defends Eva and other workers
• How: Rhetorical question = challenges capitalist logic
    Emphatic verb “try” = effort, ambition
    Tone = questioning, rebellious
• Why:
  - Priestley uses Eric to represent questioning of injustice
  - Encourages audience to rethink class prejudice

Question 4

4: [Stage direction] “Eric enters, looking extremely pale and distressed.”

Answer 4

• What: Eric returns at a critical moment, visibly shaken
• How: Stage direction = physical cue of guilt
    Adjectives “pale” + “distressed” = emotional trauma
    Visual imagery = foreshadows confession
• Why:
  - Priestley signals genuine remorse in Eric
  - Builds tension before truth is revealed

Question 5

5. “You’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble.”

Answer 5

What: Eric accuses Birling of emotional neglect
• How: Second person “you” = direct confrontation
    Noun “chap” = casual but painful distance
    Tone = bitter + wounded
• Why:
  - Priestley critiques emotionally distant parenting
  - Highlights family breakdown + moral failure of patriarchy

Question 6

6. “I’m not likely to forget.”

Answer 6

What: Eric responds to his role in Eva’s death
• How: Modal “not likely” = certainty of trauma
    Short sentence = emotional weight
    Tone = serious + remorseful
• Why:
  - Priestley shows true guilt + potential for change
  - Encourages audience to take lasting responsibility

Question 7

7. “We did her in all right.”

Answer 7

• What: Accepts collective guilt for Eva’s death
• How: Colloquial tone = informal but truthful
    Pronoun “we” = shared responsibility
    Blunt phrasing = no attempt to soften guilt
• Why:
  - Priestley highlights contrast with parents’ denial
  - Shows how real accountability must be direct

Question 8

8. “Then – you killed her. She came to you to protect me – and you turned her away.”

Answer 8

What: Eric blames his mother for rejecting Eva
• How: Dashes = broken speech, emotion
    Second person “you” = personal blame
    Repetition of “you” = direct confrontation
• Why:
  - Priestley shows emotional consequences of cruelty
  - Challenges audience to consider who they fail to protect

Question 9

9. “The money’s not the important thing.”

Answer 9

What: Eric downplays his theft and focuses on consequences
• How: Dismissive tone = regret over actions, not material loss
    Abstract noun “important thing” = moral realisation
    Contrast with parents’ obsession with wealth
• Why:
  - Priestley highlights rejection of capitalist values
  - Audience sees Eric as morally transformed