An Inspector Calls: How Is Eric Presented in an Inspector Calls

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How does Priestley present Eric in an inspector calls? An inspector calls is a play written by J.B. Priestley and was set in the spring of 1912. One of the main characters of the play is Eric Birling. Priestley idealizes Eric to stand as a representative of the younger generation and their much more willing attitude to change. A crucial point that represents Eric’s greater ability to change is portrayed near the end of the play after the inspector has been un-covered as a fake. “We all helped kill her.” In contrast to the feelings of Mr.Birling, Mrs.Birling and Gerald, Eric argues the fact that whether or not the inspector was a fake – there was still a girl called Eva smith who had been in contact with the members of Birling family that died. So for the family to start celebrating over the fact that the inspector is a fake and continue with their old ways which can lead to the deaths of many other ‘Eva Smiths and John Smiths’ out there. He believes that they should change from their capitalist views and accept the socialist view – so that the lower class isn’t exploited by the ways of the upper class. To further express this point, Eric seems to be unwilling to just pretend that none of the blame is on him. “That doesn’t matter to me.” Eric quite explicitly states that he doesn’t want to be like others who are willing to bury their heads in the sand and pretend they have done nothing wrong. He believes that the innocence that the others seem to be enacting do not take away or reduce any of the blame that has fallen upon the members of the Birling family. In a sense, Priestley portrays Eric to the audience as the type of person who caused change to occur within those times. Priestley wants the audience to see the type of people who were the cause of the world wars (Mr.Birling, Gerald, Mrs.Birling ) and the other people who allowed the lower class people to earn

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