Gerald Croft

• Explode the quote "I told the girl that if she didn't want any more of that sort of thing, she'd better let me take her out of there."

  ¬Gerald is confessing to having used Eva.

  ¬the dismissive term "girl" shows his lack of respect- believes hes superior

  ¬"thing" is a threat to say that people will basically rape or assault her, and she most definitely cannot afford to refuse Gerald's offer.

  ¬He uses his power to force her into a relationship.
• Explode the quote "I didn't ask for anything in return."

  ¬He knows that Eva will feel obliged to provide sexual favours in order to keep the advantages Gerald is providing.

  ¬He is currently Eva's survival mechanism.

  ¬The deal is easier to come to terms with if Eva falls in love because then it wouldn't feel like a monetary exchange.
• Explode the quote, "Everything's all right now, Sheila (Holds up the ring) Now how about this ring?"

  ¬complacent attitudes

  ¬Trying to return back to the financial attraction of this marriage.

  ¬"ring" summons the ringing of the phone

  ¬Represents the patriarchal men in power

  ¬Shows that he is happy to exploit others because he can get away with it.
• Explode the quote, "How do we know it's the same girl?"

  ¬coincidence on coincidence

  ¬questioning the dramatic irony

  ¬trying to think of solutions to the revelation of their harmless secrets

  ¬attempt to bring reassurance amongst the guilty Birlings

  ¬looking for excuses
• Explode the quote, "I hate those hard-eyed dough-faced women"

  ¬hates women who he can't prey on- like complete vitriol

  ¬their jobs (prostitutes) ruin their attractiveness

  ¬contrasts what he says when he first met Eva

  ¬Priestley uses this exchange to expose the hypocrisy of the upper class, who often prioritize their reputation and social standing over genuine responsibility and empathy.
• Explode the quote, "She looked young and fresh and charming and altogether out of place down there."

  ¬he goes for a youth who he can then corrupt and turn "hard-eyed"

  ¬looks at Eva as another person to exploit

  ¬we know he isn't there to protect Eva as he has a passion for hating women (misogyny)

  ¬reinforces our view that sex to Gerald is purely a financial exchange

  ¬By stressing the positive aspects of Eva, it makes her mistreatment seem even more cruel.

  ¬Priestley uses this exchange to expose the hypocrisy of the upper class, who often prioritise their reputation and social standing over genuine responsibility and empathy.
• Explode the quote, "I'm rather more-upset by this business than i probably appear to be-and--well, I'd like to be alone for a while."

  ¬he can't fake real tears, so is pretending to be sad

  ¬wants to be "alone" so he can plan to sort out the Inspector- he does this as he wants his confessions to go away so tries to prove that he isn't a real Inspector.

  ¬Logic like this works in a hypocritical society that values reputation over anything.

  ¬Being socially superior in society means that you are untouchable.

  ¬the dramatic tone causes an audience to sympathise with him.

  ¬
• Explode the quote, "It happened that a friend of mine..had gone off to Canada for 6 months and let me have the key to a nice little set of rooms."

  ¬"random event" yet his friend knew of his affairs, so he offered to give up his place so Gerald was not caught out and had his social status destroyed.

  ¬renting out a room links to the idea that Gerald had rented out Eva, hence the clever fake name "Daisy Renton"

  ¬Eva's change of name reveals how she feels about this financial arrangement, she feels exploited.
• Explode the quote, "Now you want to see somebody else put through it."

  ¬Gerald only thinks of relationships in terms of exploitation.

  ¬He only thinks of what will benefit him, not anyone else, and believes that Sheila is the same. However, Sheila just wants to be loved.

  ¬This is about society in general.

  ¬Sheila is the antithesis to Gerald.
• Explode the quote, "We're respectable citizens and not criminals."

  ¬Ironic as all the Birlings (+ Gerald) had a part in Eva's death, this links to morality.

  ¬All sorts of the behaviours were criminal in a way.

  ¬Priestley uses this exchange to expose the hypocrisy of the upper class, who often prioritize their reputation and social standing over genuine responsibility and empathy. 

  ¬He is "respectable" as he is a member of the upper class.

  ¬"citizens" implies that they are all normal people, which is false, but he says this so the Inspector will not suspect them.