AN INSPECTOR CALLS
GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE
“Two hours ago a young woman died in the
infirmary…..she’d swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant.
Burnt her inside out……”
Eric Birling
Son of Arthur and Sybil, and older brother of Sheila. Eric works part-time at the family
business and has an alcohol addiction that he conceals, with a degree of success, from
his parents and his sister. When it is revealed that Eric had a romantic relationship with
a woman, resulting in a child being born out of wedlock, the family must confront facts
about Eric’s life, and about their own, which they had sought previously to ignore.
Eric’s position is similar to Sheila’s, in that he gradually comes to accept partial
responsibility for Eva’s death. It is not an absolute responsibility; his actions were a
contributing factor in the same way as everyone else.
It is a collective social responsibility: the Inspector tells them all:
We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each
other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when if men will not learn that
lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.
Despite this eventual acknowledgment of guilt by Eric, his addiction to alcohol coupled
with his wild and erratic temperament keep him from reasoning as succinctly as Sheila
does at the end of the play. Eric believes that he is justified in stealing from the family
business to assist Eva (compare and contrast the stance that Eva Smith takes on the
theft). And, when he learns that his mother refused Eva from her charity despite being
pregnant, he is horrified at his family’s lack of sympathy and understanding.
Different characters interpret Eric’s alcoholism in different ways. Arthur sees it as a sign
of weakness, an indication that Eric is indolent and was over-indulged as a child. Sybil
refuses to acknowledge that Eric has a drinking problem, despite Sheila’s protestations.
, She is perhaps in denial as her main concern is for ‘appearances’ and having a son with
a drink problem does not accord with the social standing of the family. Her failure to
either notice or acknowledge his drinking problem makes her look foolish and lacking in
any depth of character. And Gerald, though he wants to believe that Eric’s drinking is
“normal” for a young man, admits that very few young men drink the way Eric does.
SUMMARY OF ACT 3
Eric is in the spotlight, anticipating the inevitable interrogation, however
his mother Sybil still insists “I didn’t know it was you – I never dreamt.
Besides you’re not that type – you don’t get drunk.” These facile, empty
words show how little she knows about her son. His drinking is clear to
everyone; is she perhaps in denial?; or is it that she is so lacking in
empathy that she cannot see what others see? This short speech also
shows how Sybil talks in banalities and perceives everyone in
stereotypical ways. In her mind there are “types” of people; she is
incapable of seeing beyond her perception of a person’s “type” or
“class”.
Eric however confesses that it was him who had made the girl pregnant.
He also admits to having stolen money from his father’s firm in an
attempt to support her. When he hears that his mother refused to help the
girl he is horrified and blames her for both the death of the girl and of
the unborn child.
Eric shows a degree of shallowness by saying that he “wasn’t in love
with her or anything”. This is his way of deflecting blame from himself;
his reasoning is that he was not in love with her and therefore had no
sense of duty or responsibility towards her. The inspector uses a simile
GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE
“Two hours ago a young woman died in the
infirmary…..she’d swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant.
Burnt her inside out……”
Eric Birling
Son of Arthur and Sybil, and older brother of Sheila. Eric works part-time at the family
business and has an alcohol addiction that he conceals, with a degree of success, from
his parents and his sister. When it is revealed that Eric had a romantic relationship with
a woman, resulting in a child being born out of wedlock, the family must confront facts
about Eric’s life, and about their own, which they had sought previously to ignore.
Eric’s position is similar to Sheila’s, in that he gradually comes to accept partial
responsibility for Eva’s death. It is not an absolute responsibility; his actions were a
contributing factor in the same way as everyone else.
It is a collective social responsibility: the Inspector tells them all:
We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each
other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when if men will not learn that
lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.
Despite this eventual acknowledgment of guilt by Eric, his addiction to alcohol coupled
with his wild and erratic temperament keep him from reasoning as succinctly as Sheila
does at the end of the play. Eric believes that he is justified in stealing from the family
business to assist Eva (compare and contrast the stance that Eva Smith takes on the
theft). And, when he learns that his mother refused Eva from her charity despite being
pregnant, he is horrified at his family’s lack of sympathy and understanding.
Different characters interpret Eric’s alcoholism in different ways. Arthur sees it as a sign
of weakness, an indication that Eric is indolent and was over-indulged as a child. Sybil
refuses to acknowledge that Eric has a drinking problem, despite Sheila’s protestations.
, She is perhaps in denial as her main concern is for ‘appearances’ and having a son with
a drink problem does not accord with the social standing of the family. Her failure to
either notice or acknowledge his drinking problem makes her look foolish and lacking in
any depth of character. And Gerald, though he wants to believe that Eric’s drinking is
“normal” for a young man, admits that very few young men drink the way Eric does.
SUMMARY OF ACT 3
Eric is in the spotlight, anticipating the inevitable interrogation, however
his mother Sybil still insists “I didn’t know it was you – I never dreamt.
Besides you’re not that type – you don’t get drunk.” These facile, empty
words show how little she knows about her son. His drinking is clear to
everyone; is she perhaps in denial?; or is it that she is so lacking in
empathy that she cannot see what others see? This short speech also
shows how Sybil talks in banalities and perceives everyone in
stereotypical ways. In her mind there are “types” of people; she is
incapable of seeing beyond her perception of a person’s “type” or
“class”.
Eric however confesses that it was him who had made the girl pregnant.
He also admits to having stolen money from his father’s firm in an
attempt to support her. When he hears that his mother refused to help the
girl he is horrified and blames her for both the death of the girl and of
the unborn child.
Eric shows a degree of shallowness by saying that he “wasn’t in love
with her or anything”. This is his way of deflecting blame from himself;
his reasoning is that he was not in love with her and therefore had no
sense of duty or responsibility towards her. The inspector uses a simile
