Whilst some may perceive Eric as the exemplification of Priestley's hope in the younger generation,
others view him as a mere representation of abusive Middle Class individuals in the Edwardian Era.
In ‘An Inspector Calls’, Eric is not only both, but also represents the ramifications of a dysfunctional
household, under an excess of Capitalism.
In Act 1, Eric is presented as “half-shy, half-assertive”, due to being repeatedly belittled by his parents .
At the start of the act, Mr Birling proclaims that Gerald is “the kind of son-in-law [he] always wanted”
in his toast. His proclamation not only discloses his pleasure of “lower costs and higher prices'', and
increased societal status that Gerald brings to the family, signifying how he as a “hard-headed man of
business” values people based on what he profits off them;It also implies that Mr Birling “wanted” a
son who is “attractive”, “well-bred”, compatible in terms of social and economical orient. As the
audience, we may feel unease as we recognize that he perceives Eric as short of these qualities and
therefore subconsciously replaces Eric with Gerlad, we may also notice that Mr Birling’s
disappointment largely contributes to Eric’s insecurities. Further into Act 1, Eric is again degraded as
Mr Birling declares “You’ll never be in a position to let anybody stay or tell anybody to go” when Eric
challenges his Capitalist ideals. The adverb “never” is definitive and harsh, underlining Mr Birling’s
criticism and even disdain; Additionally, both verbs “let” and “tell” have connotations of power and
strength, revealing how Mr Birling views Eric, and the socialist argument he is making, as weak.
Throughout the piece, Eric is established as an unstable character (seen as he oscillates between
assertion and timidity, sympathy for and abuse of lower classes), reflecting the contradicting facade his
family upholds for the sake of their reputation. Priestley perhaps explains Eric’s “half-shy, half-
assertive” personality is a result of Mr Birling’s berating, also why Mr Birling is “not the sort of
father” he could go to. Moreover, the berating he receives are Capitalist-oriented, and Priestley
therefore demonstrates how extreme Capitalism and greed for power impedes interpersonal
development.
In Act 2, we learn of Eric’s alcoholism and how he is distanced from the family. Sheila discloses that
he has “steadily been drinking too much for the past two years”. Eric’s alcoholism could be a coping
mechanism which he uses to “see [himself] through” the family’s hypocrisy. Mrs. Birling’s “staggered”
others view him as a mere representation of abusive Middle Class individuals in the Edwardian Era.
In ‘An Inspector Calls’, Eric is not only both, but also represents the ramifications of a dysfunctional
household, under an excess of Capitalism.
In Act 1, Eric is presented as “half-shy, half-assertive”, due to being repeatedly belittled by his parents .
At the start of the act, Mr Birling proclaims that Gerald is “the kind of son-in-law [he] always wanted”
in his toast. His proclamation not only discloses his pleasure of “lower costs and higher prices'', and
increased societal status that Gerald brings to the family, signifying how he as a “hard-headed man of
business” values people based on what he profits off them;It also implies that Mr Birling “wanted” a
son who is “attractive”, “well-bred”, compatible in terms of social and economical orient. As the
audience, we may feel unease as we recognize that he perceives Eric as short of these qualities and
therefore subconsciously replaces Eric with Gerlad, we may also notice that Mr Birling’s
disappointment largely contributes to Eric’s insecurities. Further into Act 1, Eric is again degraded as
Mr Birling declares “You’ll never be in a position to let anybody stay or tell anybody to go” when Eric
challenges his Capitalist ideals. The adverb “never” is definitive and harsh, underlining Mr Birling’s
criticism and even disdain; Additionally, both verbs “let” and “tell” have connotations of power and
strength, revealing how Mr Birling views Eric, and the socialist argument he is making, as weak.
Throughout the piece, Eric is established as an unstable character (seen as he oscillates between
assertion and timidity, sympathy for and abuse of lower classes), reflecting the contradicting facade his
family upholds for the sake of their reputation. Priestley perhaps explains Eric’s “half-shy, half-
assertive” personality is a result of Mr Birling’s berating, also why Mr Birling is “not the sort of
father” he could go to. Moreover, the berating he receives are Capitalist-oriented, and Priestley
therefore demonstrates how extreme Capitalism and greed for power impedes interpersonal
development.
In Act 2, we learn of Eric’s alcoholism and how he is distanced from the family. Sheila discloses that
he has “steadily been drinking too much for the past two years”. Eric’s alcoholism could be a coping
mechanism which he uses to “see [himself] through” the family’s hypocrisy. Mrs. Birling’s “staggered”
