12313942
Gerald Croft
- A bridge between the two
generations
- Uses Gerald to throw
light upon Birling
parents who're too set
in their social ways to
be changed by the
Inspector's visit.
- Throws light upon the
Birling children who're very
responsive to the Inspector's
message, but possibly in a
slightly naïve and hysterical
way.
- Uses Gerald to throw
light upon Birling
parents who're too set
in their social ways to
be changed by the
Inspector's visit.
- Ambiguous character
- Shown to have substantial
power due to his class and
wealth. Much like Mr Birling
he exploits this.
- "I should say so!" when
supporting Mr Birlings
decision to sack Eva
- "!" is used by Priestley to
show Gerald's strong
feelings and to emphasise
his statement.
- "!" is used by Priestley to
show Gerald's strong
feelings and to emphasise
his statement.
- "I should say so!" when
supporting Mr Birlings
decision to sack Eva
- More humane side
- Dispel class boundaries by
caring for the lower class
- Although it is only initially.
- Eventually he decides to
exploit Eva, like Birling, for
his own purposes
- Reflects his ambiguity as his
motives for Eva quickly change,
leaving the reader to question
what his initial motive actually
was.
- Gerald uses imagery of
a rescue mission when
describing his role in
Daisy Renton's death.
- "cry for help"
- Try to lessen his guilt and
justify his behaviour.
- Emphasising his selfishness as
his main concern is himself.
- Emphasising his selfishness as
his main concern is himself.
- "cry for help"
- On the other hand he
seems genuinely upset
about Eva's death
- Stage direction "distressed"
- Definition: suffering of
extreme anxiety/ sorrow/
pain.
- Definition: suffering of
extreme anxiety/ sorrow/
pain.
- Stage direction "distressed"
- Gerald uses imagery of
a rescue mission when
describing his role in
Daisy Renton's death.
- Reflects his ambiguity as his
motives for Eva quickly change,
leaving the reader to question
what his initial motive actually
was.
- Although it is only initially.
- Dispel class boundaries by
caring for the lower class
- Shown to have substantial
power due to his class and
wealth. Much like Mr Birling
he exploits this.
- Secretive
- From beginning he has something he
desperately wants to conceal, even
from his soon to be wife, Shiela.
- Her persistent questioning
of Gerald's actions unnerve
him and he replies:
- "And I have told
you - I was awfully
busy at the works
all that time"
- Connective "and" at
beginning shows how
repeated his actions
over the summer have
been questioned by
Shiela.
- Connective "and" at
beginning shows how
repeated his actions
over the summer have
been questioned by
Shiela.
- Priestley does this so the
audience is not fully
trusting of Gerald as they
question why he is
choosing to conceal his
actions deceivingly.
- They become not fully
trusting of wealthy
businessmen and selfish
politicians.
- He can't trust his soon to be wife,
suggesting the marriage is for
business reasons rather than love,
which was common for upper
class people during the Edwardian
times.
- Sympathy for Shiela
- Even women of the higher
social classes were
restricted in who they
could marry by their
parents.
- Status not companionship
- Sympathy for Shiela
- They become not fully
trusting of wealthy
businessmen and selfish
politicians.
- "-"
- Uneasy tone
- Something to hide
- Pausing to find
an excuse
- Uneasy tone
- Adverb "awfully"
- Priestley alludes to
Gerald's involvement
in some scandal
which now seems
repulsive to Gerald.
- Priestley alludes to
Gerald's involvement
in some scandal
which now seems
repulsive to Gerald.
- "works"
- automated response and
tone adopted by Gerald,
rather than showing any
affection in his tone
towards his fiancee.
- Treating it like a
business deal.
- "works" is quite vague in
nature, like he's refusing to
reveal his true actions but
dancing around the topic.
- Treating it like a
business deal.
- automated response and
tone adopted by Gerald,
rather than showing any
affection in his tone
towards his fiancee.
- "And I have told
you - I was awfully
busy at the works
all that time"
- Her persistent questioning
of Gerald's actions unnerve
him and he replies:
- From beginning he has something he
desperately wants to conceal, even
from his soon to be wife, Shiela.
- challenges class
distinctions but also
comes to accept his role
in society as being upper
class.
- When he met Eva she
was one of the "women
of the town"
- Euphemism
- Gerald ashamed
by the way he
treated Eva
- Can't seem to directly call
her a prostitute, as if he
doesn't want her to be
degraded.
- Gerald has qualities that
mean he has potential to
change (ideas of caring
for one another, even
people of dif classes)
- Gerald has qualities that
mean he has potential to
change (ideas of caring
for one another, even
people of dif classes)
- Can't seem to directly call
her a prostitute, as if he
doesn't want her to be
degraded.
- Gerald ashamed
by the way he
treated Eva
- Euphemism
- Gerald trying to escape
confrontation, as if he is
unwilling to profess his
responsibility and role in
Eva's death
- Dances
around the
topic
- Gerald trying to escape
confrontation, as if he is
unwilling to profess his
responsibility and role in
Eva's death
- Priestley uses Gerald
to represent other
upper class, capitalist
businessmen.
- One who keeps mistresses
and then refuses to
acknowledge their existence
- he seems hypocritical as he
tried to convince himself he
was caring for her, but then
kicks her out of the apartment
carelessly.
- he seems hypocritical as he
tried to convince himself he
was caring for her, but then
kicks her out of the apartment
carelessly.
- Audience repulsed by Gerald,
and thus repulsed by upper
class capitalists.
- One who keeps mistresses
and then refuses to
acknowledge their existence
- Euphemism
- When he met Eva she
was one of the "women
of the town"
- Firmly in alliance
with the tyrannical
capitalism of the
elderly Birlings.
- Rather than come to accept the
Inspector's message like Shiela,
he instead questions the very
existence of the Inspector.
- Makes him feel better, as if he
has been the victim of a false
investigation, rather than
someone who contributed the
Eva's suicide.
- Suggests he has learned
nothing as he proclaims
that "Everything is alright
now" as he hands back
the "ring" to Sheila.
- Adjective "alright" shows the almost
nonchalant tone adopted by Gerald as he
likes the Birling parents feeling as if their
public image and status hove not come under
attack, and rather than fear for the lower
classes they can return to their selfish nature
and care only for themselves.
- The ring is a symbol of
their marriage, and he
feels that Sheila could be
bought over by money and objects.
- If Sheila were to accept
the ring she would have
been going against the
Inspectors teachings.
- Elderly generations
blinded by their
self-absorption, making
them oblivious to
social changes around
them.
- Audience would have known the
war efforts of WW! and WW2
that combined all social classes
as they all fought together.
- Makes Gerald and the elderly
Birling's seem foolish as they claim to
be intelligent business men but are
actually quite ignorant.
- Expressed through the dramatic irony of
Mr Birling saying "German's don't want
war" and that the titanic is "unsinkable,
absolutely unsinkable". We know it's
false - undermining - ignorant.
- Expressed through the dramatic irony of
Mr Birling saying "German's don't want
war" and that the titanic is "unsinkable,
absolutely unsinkable". We know it's
false - undermining - ignorant.
- Makes Gerald and the elderly
Birling's seem foolish as they claim to
be intelligent business men but are
actually quite ignorant.
- Audience would have known the
war efforts of WW! and WW2
that combined all social classes
as they all fought together.
- If Sheila were to accept
the ring she would have
been going against the
Inspectors teachings.
- Adjective "alright" shows the almost
nonchalant tone adopted by Gerald as he
likes the Birling parents feeling as if their
public image and status hove not come under
attack, and rather than fear for the lower
classes they can return to their selfish nature
and care only for themselves.
- Makes him feel better, as if he
has been the victim of a false
investigation, rather than
someone who contributed the
Eva's suicide.
- Rather than come to accept the
Inspector's message like Shiela,
he instead questions the very
existence of the Inspector.
- Judgement passed over Gerald and
elderly Birlings who failed to take
on board the Inspector's message
of socialism, how there are
"millions and millions and millions
of Eva Smiths and John Smiths"
that need to be helped.
- Inspector is Priestley's mouth piece.
- Ringing telephone as a
dramatic device
- Mirroring the door bell ring of the
Inspector in Act 1.
- Cyclical structure of the play and
the use of the adverb "sharply"
show how the character's who fail
to accept responsibility are going
to repeat their wrong doings.
- "Sharply" suggests how the
Inspector wants the audience
to break the cyclical pattern of
history by going out and voting
for the labour party.
- "Sharply" suggests how the
Inspector wants the audience
to break the cyclical pattern of
history by going out and voting
for the labour party.
- Mirroring the door bell ring of the
Inspector in Act 1.
- Inspector is Priestley's mouth piece.
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