Characters - Gerald Flashcards
What is Geralds link to the Birlings?
He is engaged to Sheila.
What is Geralds role in the play?
He represents the selfish upper-class.
And the people who will be left in charge if more people don’t take responsibility for their actions.
What is Geralds connection to Eva?
He gave Eva money and a house after he ‘saved’ her from unwanted advances.
He then made her his mistress.
Why do Gerald’s parents not approve of his engagement?
He is upper-class, whereas Sheila is middle-upper-class.
How is Gerald presented as the selfish upper-class?
He agrees with Mr Birling for firing Eva.
He is only worried about his reputation and tries to get Sheila to lie about the affair because that would hurt his reputation.
He doesn’t show any remorse for how the affair affected Sheila and he throws Eva away once he is done with her.
Does Gerald change throughout the play?
No, he feels he can forget the whole thing after learning that the inspector wasn’t real and tries to get Sheila back even though he has an affair.
Does Gerald accept responsibility for his actions?
No, he doesn’t accept any responsibility and feels like he did the right thing by ‘helping’ Eva.
He feels guilty about her death but not about his actions.
What does Priestly use Gerald to show?
How hard it is to change attitudes after being raised with them.
How is Gerald a warning for society?
Priestly uses him to show how selfish society will be if people do not change their views.
“I think my father would agree to that, too.”
This shows how Geralds views align with selfish capitalist views of lower labour costs and higher profit.
“I didn’t feel about her as she felt about me.”
This shows how selfish he was as he used her for his own gain and didn’t care how it affected her.
This also shows the arrogant views of the upper classes, as he believed he was a hero.
“What about this ring?”
After learning that the Inspector wasn’t real, he expects Sheila to just forget that he had an affair and get back together with him.
This shows that he has not learnt anything.
“I’ve never known an Eva Smith.”
Shows how the upper classes only cared about reputation.
This could also be to show that he never knew Eva as a person but only as an object.
“Don’t say anything to the inspector.”
This shows the how the upper-class only cared about reputation and themselfs, not about anything else.
“Don’t say anything to the inspector.”
This shows the how the upper-class only cared about reputation and themselves, not about anything else.
