Hello, this is my Eric planned essay. Please could someone mark it and give me feedback, Out of 40 and please give me suggestions for improvement. Thank you.
An inspector calls by J.B Priestley is an unapologetically political play which criticises the 1912 capitalist ruled, segregated and unfair society using the Birling family as a symbol for the upper class aristocrats. Eric is a moral compass and a role model to the audience. He provides hope for the future as he is the social anchor of the birling family. Priestley presents him as the epitome of responsibility, his development of a social conscience and an altruistic outlook leads to his acceptance of his responsibility.
In Priestleys allegoric play, Eric is displayed as this symbolic construct of a younger generation; reflecting their social mouthpiece. Eric is introduced as this “not quite at ease, half shy and half assertive” to imply towards the audience that the younger manoeuvres as this social construction to mould a better future. The use of the anaphoric reference of “half” exemplifies a dual nature of Eric protagonist highlighting his intellectual status of viewing socialism as an ideology. The asyndetic listing creates a sense that’s he’s overwhelming and overbearing. The juxtaposition of shy and assertive implies the dominance but also the nervousness. It also exemplify the difference the inspectors social construct has upon Eric:younger generation
As the parabolic play progresses, Priestley crafts Eric Birling as a symbol of younger generation and how they obstruct their social mouthpiece in order to teach the audience of what capitalistic dominance physically envelopes into. Eric is presented in a “state where a chap easily turns nastily”. The numerical imagery of a singular “chap” promotes how everyone has been given a new aspect to them. Priestley is subtly criticising how bourgeoisie parents value climbing the social stratum over the emotional well being of their children. The colloquial language “a chap” which suggest it’s something that happens often and is accentuating how Eric is trying to soften the harshness of his actions. Priestley denotes how society treated violent masculinity as if it were natural or even desirable. The phrase reflects his immaturity and tenderness to blame his actions on circumstances which may elucidate that the capitalist ideologies are still indoctrinated inside of him.
As the didactic play furthens, Eric espouses a sardonic attitude where he seduces his fathers opinions “why shouldn’t they try for higher wages, we try for the highest possible prices” which portrays him being skeptical behind the ethics of capitalism. Eric’s social consciousness allows him to find out the social injustice and be the antithesis of his fathers beliefs “higher profits and lower costs”. It also encapsulates that Eric is gradually reflecting the capitalist ideology as he begins to mirror and favours priestleys more ideal socialist society. He is being characterised to be enlightened to the corruptness of the very hypocritical capitalist system. This generates the audience to support a social ideology for futuristic generations. The repetition of the verb ‘try’ emphasises the self serving nature of this approach and contrasts it with the lack of consideration for the workers needs. The rhetorical question challenges the established social order and exposes the unfairness of wage structures.
In conclusive terms, Priestley presents Eric as his vehicle to persuade his capitalist audience to change their views or the younger generation to carry out a change. He also aims to capture the audiences attention to support socialism by portraying a capitalistic deceiving nature compared to the social purity of the younger generation and their valour to obliged it.