Erics drinking Essays

Erics drinking Essays Erics drinking Essay Erics drinking Essay But after he returns from leaving the Birlings house he tells them that he meet a friend who is on the force and asked him if he had ever heard of an inspector called Goole but he hadnt. After telling the Birling that the inspector is an impostor he believes that he is in the clear about having a mistress and offers Sheila the engagement ring again. At the end of the play he has not change unlike Sheila he does not think that there is nothing to worry about. This makes Sheila feel unsure whether to take make the engagement ring. Sybil Birling is described at the start as about fifty, a rather cold woman and her husbands social superior. She is very aware of the differences between social classes. She is irritated when Mr Birling makes the social gaffe of praising the cook in front of Gerald. When the inspector starts to question her she tries to deny things that she doesnt want to believe: Erics drinking, Geralds affair with Eva, and the fact that a working class girl would refuse money even if it was stolen, claiming She was giving herself ridiculous airs. At the end of the play she has to come to terms that her son is a heavy drinker who got a Eva smith pregnant and stole money from his fathers business to support her and also her daughter will not marry a good social catch and that her own reputation within the town will be ruined. Yet like her husband she refuses to believe that she did anything wrong and doesnt accept responsibility for her part in Evas death. At the start of the play Eric Birling is described as in his early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive. Eric seems embarrassed and awkward right from the start. The first mention of him in the script is Eric suddenly guffaws, and then he is unable to explain his laughter, as if he is nervous about something. It soon becomes clear to us although it takes his parents longer that he is a heavy drinker. Gerald admits, I have gathered that he does drink pretty hard. When he hears how his father sacked Eva Smith, he supports the workers cause, like Sheila. Why shouldnt they try for higher wages? at the end of the play Eric is disappointed in his parents just like Sheila and he forcefully tells them Im ashamed of you. But unlike his parents he is fully aware of his social responsibility. He doesnt want to be Included in his parents plot to cover the incident up. As far as he is concerned, the important thing is that a girl is dead. We did her in all right. J.B. Priestley is successful in exposing the shallowness and uncaring side of the human nature through his characters. He shows this through the two characters of Mr. Birling and Sheila.  For example Mr. Birling starts off being extremely stuck-up and pompous whereas towards the end of the play he becomes ashamed of what he has done and realises he has to save his reputation. After he finds out the inspector is an impostor he is very pleased that he has not jeopardised his reputation. Sheila on the other hand starts off being ungrateful and is only bothered about the ring from Gerald and being engaged. Towards the end she realises that she has played a part in the death of a young women just because she had been in a furious temper that day. This shows that people even though they are in a higher class then common people they still make mistakes and responsibilities.  Finally I think that even though the play was written in 1945 it can still appeal to modern audiences and teach them that even though there are not any certain classes in the present there are still people that think they are better than other and have higher authority which gives them the right to be correct but they must remember that every one is the same we all make mistake and problems but we sort them out in the right way.