Eric Birling Essay
You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this question.
You should use the extract below and your knowledge of the whole play to answer this question.
Write about the character of Eric and the way he is presented in An Inspector Calls.
In your response you should:
refer to the extract and the play as a whole;
show your understanding of characters and events in the play.[40]
5 of this question’s marks are allocated for accuracy in spelling, punctuation and the use of
vocabulary and sentence structures
An Inspector Calls was written by J.B Priestley in 1945, set in the industrial city of
Brumley, 1912. Eric Birling is the son of Arthur Birling, and presented initially as
immature and juvenile, leading a dissipated lifestyle. His actions towards Eva
mark him as representative as the patriarchal upper class, however, towards the
end of the play he undergoes a moral and social epiphany, his views becoming
an antithesis to those of his parents.
At the beginning of the play, in the stage directions, Priestley presents Eric
as irresponsible and socially awkward, describes as: ‘in his early twenties, not
quite at ease, half-shy, half-assertive.’ The phrase ‘early twenties’ could relate to
his juvenility, the adjective ‘early’ perhaps indicating he has much to learn and
experience in life. The adverb phrase ‘not quite at ease’ could refer to his
insecurity – illustrating how he feels as though he does not belong or fit in with
his family, hinting towards his contrasting views on the sacking of Eva Smith with
his father. This could also show how unlike the rest of his family, he refuses to
adhere to the façade and etiquette of the upper class. The juxtaposing adjectives
‘half-shy, half-assertive’ could highlight how unsure Eric is as to his personality,
proven through the repetition of ‘half’. Priestley evokes mystery in the audience
towards the true character of Eric, and how he will behave throughout the play.
At the beginning of Act One, Priestley successfully presents Eric as social
inept, and impulsive. He states: ‘(Eric suddenly guffaws)…I don’t know really.
Suddenly I felt I just had to laugh.’ This infers he is under the influence of
alcohol, foreshadowing his drunken interludes with Eva later on in the play,
Priestley’s use of the verb ‘guffaw’ emphasises how inept Eric is, non-adherent to
the dinner etiquette of the Edwardian Era. The repetition of the adverb
‘suddenly’ denoting his impetuous character. This is further proven through the
use of the verb ‘felt’ – acting on his desires and feelings rather than using logic
to make decisions, again alluding to his reckless assault of Eva. He states to his
father: ‘(not too rudely) Well don’t do any. We’ll drink their health and have done
with it.’ The adverb phrase ‘not too rudely’ implicates how Eric is not afraid of
expressing his opinion and respects his father. However, the determiner ‘too’
could suggest his exasperation with the upper class etiquette. The use of a
simple sentence presents Eric’s more simplistic attitude, and further adds to the
You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this question.
You should use the extract below and your knowledge of the whole play to answer this question.
Write about the character of Eric and the way he is presented in An Inspector Calls.
In your response you should:
refer to the extract and the play as a whole;
show your understanding of characters and events in the play.[40]
5 of this question’s marks are allocated for accuracy in spelling, punctuation and the use of
vocabulary and sentence structures
An Inspector Calls was written by J.B Priestley in 1945, set in the industrial city of
Brumley, 1912. Eric Birling is the son of Arthur Birling, and presented initially as
immature and juvenile, leading a dissipated lifestyle. His actions towards Eva
mark him as representative as the patriarchal upper class, however, towards the
end of the play he undergoes a moral and social epiphany, his views becoming
an antithesis to those of his parents.
At the beginning of the play, in the stage directions, Priestley presents Eric
as irresponsible and socially awkward, describes as: ‘in his early twenties, not
quite at ease, half-shy, half-assertive.’ The phrase ‘early twenties’ could relate to
his juvenility, the adjective ‘early’ perhaps indicating he has much to learn and
experience in life. The adverb phrase ‘not quite at ease’ could refer to his
insecurity – illustrating how he feels as though he does not belong or fit in with
his family, hinting towards his contrasting views on the sacking of Eva Smith with
his father. This could also show how unlike the rest of his family, he refuses to
adhere to the façade and etiquette of the upper class. The juxtaposing adjectives
‘half-shy, half-assertive’ could highlight how unsure Eric is as to his personality,
proven through the repetition of ‘half’. Priestley evokes mystery in the audience
towards the true character of Eric, and how he will behave throughout the play.
At the beginning of Act One, Priestley successfully presents Eric as social
inept, and impulsive. He states: ‘(Eric suddenly guffaws)…I don’t know really.
Suddenly I felt I just had to laugh.’ This infers he is under the influence of
alcohol, foreshadowing his drunken interludes with Eva later on in the play,
Priestley’s use of the verb ‘guffaw’ emphasises how inept Eric is, non-adherent to
the dinner etiquette of the Edwardian Era. The repetition of the adverb
‘suddenly’ denoting his impetuous character. This is further proven through the
use of the verb ‘felt’ – acting on his desires and feelings rather than using logic
to make decisions, again alluding to his reckless assault of Eva. He states to his
father: ‘(not too rudely) Well don’t do any. We’ll drink their health and have done
with it.’ The adverb phrase ‘not too rudely’ implicates how Eric is not afraid of
expressing his opinion and respects his father. However, the determiner ‘too’
could suggest his exasperation with the upper class etiquette. The use of a
simple sentence presents Eric’s more simplistic attitude, and further adds to the
