An Inspector Calls- Gerald Flashcards
Key points
He was engaged to Sheila
He had an affair with Eva Smith who called herself Daisy Renton
He is socially higher than the Birlings
At the beginning
Confident
Loyal
Ideal gentleman
Capitalist
At the end
Secretive
Doesn’t change
No remorse
Relieved
“So - for god’s sake- don’t say anything to the Inspector”
Act 1
Doesn’t want to ruin his and his family’s reputation
Knows that he probably did something wrong- doesn’t want it to come out.
(Laughs) “You seem to be a nice well-behaved family”
Ironic
Laughing- happy mood- thinks that the evenings going well
Smug as he is socially superior
“Nice well-behaved family” socially superior as he is younger than Mr and Mrs Birling
“She looked young and fresh”… “she was young and pretty”
Act 2
Contradicts himself- answers the Inspector- reputation could be ruined.
“She looked young and fresh” didn’t deserve to be a ‘woman of the night’ he thought she needed help.
(Hesitantly)”It’s hard to say. I didn’t feel about her as she felt about me”
She loved him- he didn’t love her.
He was engaged to Sheila at the time- the summer he disappeared.
“Gave me a glance that was nothing more than a cry for help”
Tried to help by giving her money and a place to live.
He helped her out of becoming a prostitute.
“I insisted on a parting gift of enough money- though it wasn’t very much- to see her through the end of the year”
He cared about her and didn’t want her to be a prostitute.
He gave her money so that she could survive without working
“Everything’s alright now Sheila. (holds up ring) What about this ring?”
Act 3
Disregards what happened with the Inspector- confident that his affair wouldn’t change what happened with Sheila- insensitive to her feelings
Doesn’t realise that Sheila’s changed
