Gerald Flashcards
Ts1: Gerald is constructed to illustrate upper class attitudes towards the working class
‘They’d be all broke- if I know them’
Ts2: he reflects attitudes towards women in a patriarchal Edwardian society.
‘She knew it couldn’t last’
‘The girl… gave me a glance that was nothing less than a cry for help’
Ts3: Gerald fails to change as a character, refusing to accept his responsibility towards other members of society.
‘It’s a hoax… we’ve been had’
‘Everything’s all right now Sheila. What about this ring?’
‘I’m rather more-upset-by this business than I probably appear to be’
‘I don’t come into this suicide business… we can keep it from him’
Topic sentences
Ts1: reflects UC attitudes towards WC
TS2: reflects attitudes towards women
Ts3: doesn’t change and doesn’t learn to accept responsibility.
‘You seem to be a nice well- behaved family’
L= verb ‘seen’- appear nice. Irony= they don’t behave well to Eva Smith. C= appearances and reputation important in Edwardian society; reality is concealed from public.
‘They’d be all broke- if I know them’
C= reflects class prejudice that WC are irresponsible with money. In fact it is the Birlings and Gerald who are irresponsible. L= WC treated as collective ‘other’- pronoun ‘they’- not as individuals. Supports Mr B’s capitalist views.
‘I don’t come into this suicide business… we can keep it from him’
L= euphemism ‘business’ wants to distance himself emotionally. C= wants to conceal affair from Inspector/public. Reputation more important than honesty.
‘She knew it couldn’t last’
R= creates pathos. Daisy has learnt that happiness is something she cannot expect in her life as a WC girl. C= class difference means their relationship cannot last in a highly stratified Edwardian society; it would be considered scandalous; turn a blind eye to mistresses- hypocrisy/ double standards.
‘I’m rather more-upset-by this business than I probably appear to be’
L= hyphens- broken syntax- indicate his genuine emotional distress but this does not last and he learns no lesson from his abuse of power over Daisy and does not change as a person.
‘Everything’s all right now, Sheila. What about this ring?’
Unlike S and E, G has not changed as a character and he has learnt no moral lesson that has changed his view of how he treats the WC or those with less power and wealth than him. C= he assumes S will accept his proposal as it is a good business match regardless of his infidelity. Reflects expectations of women in Edwardian society.
‘It’s a hoax… we’ve been had’
Gerald is the character who introduces the mystery that the Inspector is not on the police force. Who is he?
R= audience dramatically engaged by this mystery. G. Forks his theory that the girl they each encountered was not the same and there may be no suicide.
‘The girl… gave me a glance that was nothing less than a cry for help’
L= metaphorical language makes Gerald seem as if he is Daisy’s saviour who is nobly rescuing her from prostitution. In fact, he is exploiting her vulnerability as a poor women to keep her as his mistress, an abuse of power and wealth C= reflects UMC abuse of power over WC.
