gerald 1

• In response to Mr. Birling's capitalist suggestion that Gerald's relations with Sheila would allow them to amalgamate (combine to form one organisation) businesses to push for; "lower costs and higher prices" Gerald replies;

  • "Hear, hear! And I think my father would agree to that."
• On a surface level, this displays Gerald as supportive of Capitalist values, with the preoccupation of maximising profits in a selfish manner, even at the expense of others.

  • Upon deeper inspection, Gerald is perhaps an opportunity to explore how these views became hardwired and internalised.
• Throughout Act 1, Gerald references his "mother" and "father" on multiple occasions.

  • This could lead the audience to question whether Gerald's worldview is merely a product of his upbringing and thus he is almost presented as a victim of his society, trapped within his social standing as he is puppeteered by the views of his parents.
• Gerald is characterised as a paragon (an ideal example of) social superiority; his wealth, family name, attractiveness and age place him at the top of the social pecking order.
• The prejudice of Edwardian society works in Gerald's favour, his privileges mean that he can navigate life with ease.

  • He is introduced as "the easy, well-bred young man-about-town".

  Gerald is incredibly self-assured as he has never had a reason to question his social standing.
• Gerald is introduced as "the easy, well-bred young man-about-town".

  • The phrase "well-bred" highlights the antiquated (old-fashioned) Edwardian social values as it is a concept a modern audience would associate more with animals.

  This perhaps could be a diatribe from Priestley against the inhumanity of the social structure of the time.
• Gerald's interactions seem advised and deliberate, it is clear he knows how to conduct a social setting. In response to Mr. Birling's compliments of the food (a breach of social etiquette),

  • Gerald agrees politely claiming it was "Absolutely first class" to assuage (relieve) his host from any possible embarrassment from his social indiscretion.

  This displays his manners and charisma to depict Gerald as comfortable within his society and reinforces this concept of ease.
• The idiom "man-about-town" could alternatively foreshadow the literal action of going "about-town" to find a mistress in the Palace Bar.
• Gerald purses Sheila as a wife despite it being an unorthodox (contrary to what is traditional) relationship for the time as he "might have done better" for himself socially if he wanted to.

  • In 1912, women were commodified, and men would typically marry above them to elevate their own status.

  This is acknowledged through the Birlings as Mrs. Birling is "her husband's social superior".
• Priestley would therefore imply that Gerald does have genuine feelings for Sheila, as opposed to the marriage being a means of social bargaining.
• The audience is also given the impression that the marriage was initiated and pursued by Gerald as he questions;

  • "I've been trying long enough, haven't I?" implying that the pursuit took time and was somewhat of a challenge to Gerald.

  Convincing Sheila to marry him was not as "easy" as his usual social interactions which helps to reinforce the idea that his desire and love for her were there.
• There is an ambiguity surrounding Gerald's attitudes to this unbalanced marriage, he responds to Mr. Birling's discussion of it with embarrassment.

  • This could be interpreted as merely a reaction to an awkward and somewhat taboo topic of conversation arising or it could be embarrassment stemming from Gerald's belief that Mr. Birling's proposition is true.