Gerald Birling Flashcards
1
Q
‘Attractive chap, about thirty, too manly too be a dandy but very much the well-bred man-about-town’
A
- ‘an attractive chap, about thirty’ —> adjective —> ‘attractive’—> implies that he has a good appearance. This can allude to his upper class status since he is well-kept and can afford to do so.
- ‘too manly too be a dandy’ —> noun —> ‘dandy’ —> refers to a man overly concerned with his own appearance. However, in ‘too manly’ —> the adverb ‘manly’ refers to his masculine pride implying that Gerald has ‘too’ much male bravado and pride.
- ‘well-bred man-about-town’ —> adjective —> ‘well-bred’ —> implies that Gerald has good etiquette. This suggests that he is part of the aristocratic upper class having been from old money and riches. Also, in ‘man-about-town’ this implies that he is socially admired. However, it can also foreshadow the unfaithful nature of Gerald in his tendency with women.
2
Q
‘Not if it was just after the holidays. They’d all be broke if I know them’
A
- ‘not if it was just after the holidays’ —> ‘after the holidays’ —> implies that the lower class spend most of their money over the ‘holidays’ and are not careful with it. This portrays a condescending view from Gerald and a prejudice towards the lower class.
- ‘they’d all be broke’ —> adjective —> ‘all’ —> generalises the lower class implying that everyone of them is irresponsible with money and in this he disrespects all of them.
- ‘broke’ —> colloquial term —> disrespectful towards the lower class and he mocks their lack of wealth. Also, his use of colloquialism suggests that he is part of the younger generation —> but aligns with the older generation (Birling) with his prejudice views.
- ‘if I know them’ —> implies a familiarity and understanding of them. This makes him untrustworthy since due to his social status, he is highly dissociated with the lower classes.
3
Q
‘She’s had a long, exciting and tiring day - we were celebrating our engagement, you know - and now she’s obviously had about as much as she can stand’
A
- ‘long, exciting and tiring day’ —> triadic —> tries to emphasise the events of the day to suggest that they are overwhelming for the character of Sheila. In this, be attempts to infantilise her and treat her as inferior by implying that she would find it ‘tiring’ and would feel exhausted. In this, he also speaks on behalf of Sheila. This portrays the power dynamic of their relationship —> patriarchal dominance —> as he tries to be controlling to remove her from the scenario in order to protect his own reputation and dishonesty.
- aposiopesis —> implies his dishonesty —> perhaps the sequencing of the text and the use if pauses implies that he is struggling to maintain a facade of caring for Sheila since he perhaps wants her to leave the room to protect his reputation in front of her.
- ‘she’s had as much as she can stand’ —> verb —> ‘stand’ —> Implies that the inquiry is unbearable and that she is unable to withstand the pressure of the truth. This portrays his misogynistic views of women —> views them as weak and perhaps inferior to men.
4
Q
‘I hate those hard-eyed dough-faced women. But then I noticed a girl who looked quite different. She was very pretty - soft brown hair and big dark eyes — (breaks off.) My God! … - I - well’
A
- I hate those hard-eyed, dough-faced women’ —> derogatory term —> ‘hard-eyed’ and ‘dough-faced’ are derogatory terms to imply the ‘women’ not being attractive. This implies his negative attitude towards women if they are not visually attractive.
- ‘I hate’ —> verb —> portrays a strong dislike for women if they are not visually attractive.
- ‘I noticed a girl who looked quote different. She was very pretty - soft brown hair and big dark eyes’ —> vivid extensive description of Eva Smith/ Daisy Renton portrays his obsession with the superficial aspect of women and the physical aspects of them. This portrays his sense of bias since he is kinder to women who are more attractive to him.
- ‘-(breaks off)’ and ‘anacoluthon’ —> indicates his emotional fragility and signs of care for Eva Smith’s death. However, this only occurs after he reminisces over her appearance. This illustrates how he only cared when he remembered her physical appearance —> superficial.
5
Q
‘Young and fresh and charming and altogether out of place down there. And obviously she wasn’t enjoying herself. Old Joe Meggarty, half-drunk and goggle-eyed’
A
- ‘young and fresh and charming —> syndetic tetra colon —> uses the adjectives ‘young and ‘fresh’ —> connotes to desirable, unblemished and fertile —> this describes her in a predatory manner —> implies that he viewed her with sexual attraction from the beginning of their interaction. Portrays sexual lust.
- ‘altogether out of place’ —> perhaps suggests that he believes that good-looking woken should not be in uncomfortable scenarios. Mysogenistic thoughts about women needing protection.
- ‘half-drunk and google-eyed’ —> derogatory term —> implies that men looking for prostitutes are disliked in his opinion. —> shows his hypocrisy —> describes his actions and most likely his attitude towards stereotyping and mistreating women.
6
Q
‘I insisted on Daisy moving into those rooms and I made her take some money…(Carefully to the Inspector) I want you to understand that I didn’t install her there so that I could make love’
A
- ‘Insisted’ and ‘made’ —> verbs —> portray Gerald as a domineering character as he uses these terms in an imperative manner. Implies not much of a choice but a forceful action from him. Portrays his beliefs in gender inequality.
- ‘take some money’ —> uses ‘money’ as a solution —> perhaps he pays her off to hide her misdemeanours from the public. Also, seems like an act of prostitution —> exploits Eva’s need for money for his own sexual desires.
- ‘(to the inspector)’ —> indicates his lack of respect for his engagement to Sheila and a lack of respect to women —> he does not apologise to Sheila for cheating on her but explains it to the inspector. —> implies he is more concerned with his public reputation compared to what his fiancée thinks of him.
- ‘install her’ —> verb —> ‘install’ —> connotes to placing her or putting Eva in ‘those rooms’. This portrays him as domineering and manipulative since Gerald places her there so she is accessible for him and can be used for sexual pleasures.
7
Q
‘I’m rather more - upset - by this business than I probably appear to be - and - well, I’d like to be alone’
A
- ‘- upset - by this business than I appear to be-‘ —> anacoluthon —> can show some care for Eva smith since it portrays him as being mentally fragmented and emotionally impacted by her death.
- alternatively, this may be used as an excuse for him to escape the scenario and avoid confrontation with Sheila.
- This can be explained by ‘this business’ —> capitalistic jargon —> ‘business’ —> portrays how he may not see her death as a personal issue and can portray his lack of emotional attach,ent to her. Also, ‘business’ utilises the same jargon as Mr Birling showing their closeness similar to earlier in the play.
8
Q
‘How do you know its the same girl? he looks round triumphantly at them. As they puzzle this out, he turns to Birling
A
- ‘how do you know its the same girl?’ —> punctuation —>use of questioning —> first to challenge the inspectors existence after he leaves. Portrays him as resisting change —> wanting to absolve responsibility.
- ‘looks round triumphantly’ —> adverb —> connotes to him being prideful and full of hubris. This shows is arrogant nature and want to not accept responsibility. Rejects socialism and collective responsibility aligning himself to the older generation.
- ‘turns to Birling’ —> sequencing —> refers to the character of ‘Birling’ first. This portrays their strong bond since he looks to ‘Birling’ for approval indicating their close relationship as capitalists. Also, he is first to absolve Birling of responsibility showing their close alignment.
9
Q
‘Gerald, you’ve argued this very cleverly, and I’m most grateful.
‘(Going for his drink) Well, you see, while I was out of the house to cool off and think’
A
- ‘argued this cleverly’ —> verb —> ‘argued’ —> has connotations of disagreeing or opposing to the Inspector’s teachings of change. This portrays him as aligning to the older generation in their resistance towards collective responsibility.
- ‘going for his drink’ —> can show no change and character development —> still inclined to get intoxicated and relax despite what it is has caused him to do (prostitution) and despite his marital circumstance with Sheila.
- ‘think things out’ —> quick to speak of his own success in uncovering the truth of the inspector. This portrays him as extremely self-centred and full of hubris.
10
Q
‘Getting a bit heavy-handed aren’t you, Inspector?…y’know, we’re respectable citizens and not criminals’
A
- ‘we’re respectable citizens and not criminals’ —> ironic —> he is among the immoral characters within the play —> exploits Daisy Renton and engages in acts similar to that of prostitution. This portrays him as opposing his own description of being ‘respectable’. This snows his inclination towards deceit in order to portray himself as socially admirable.
- ‘c’ alliteration —> perhaps hints that there is a link between being a moral ‘citizen’ and being a ‘criminal’. Links to the entire family as acting in a horrific or ‘criminal’ like manner with some of their acts rather than being ‘respectable’, honourable of reputable.
