Eric Birling: A Character Torn Between Two Worlds
Eric's character perfectly shows how bourgeois society shaped young men's attitudes towards women and the working class. Unlike his parents, he's caught between the traditional values he's grown up with and a growing awareness that something's seriously wrong with the system.
His treatment of Eva Smith demonstrates the normalised behaviour of upper-class men who saw working-class women as objects rather than people. The fact he "couldn't remember her name" and refers to her as "a chap" shows how he dissociates himself from any real human connection. This wasn't unusual behaviour for wealthy young men of the time.
Yet Eric's also the character who questions his father's harsh treatment of workers, asking "why shouldn't they try for higher wages?" This contradiction makes him fascinating - he can see the injustice in society but still participates in it himself.
💡 Key Point: Eric represents the younger generation's potential to change, but also shows how deeply ingrained class prejudices really are. His "half-shy, half-assertive" personality perfectly captures this internal struggle between old and new values.
The way he blames his behaviour on being "a bit squiffy" reveals his immaturity and inability to take full responsibility. However, when he finally understands the consequences - "You killed her - and the child... your own child" - his genuine guilt suggests he might actually learn from this experience.
