Gerald Croft 💍💔

• Gerald Croft is Sheila's fiancé and the son of the wealthy businessman Mr Croft
• Gerald is employed at his father's company, Crofts Limited, which competes with Birling & Co
• Gerald's parents, Sir George Croft and Lady Croft, are socially superior to the Birlings
• Priestley describes Gerald as an attractive, well-bred young man-about-town
• Gerald contributes to the chain of events leading to Eva's suicide by using her as a mistress
• Priestley uses Gerald to represent the individualism of the upper class
• Gerald fails to change his capitalist and selfish attitudes, disappointing the audience
• Gerald is portrayed as physically attractive, privileged, and likable
• Priestley describes Gerald as "rather too manly to be a dandy", suggesting his confidence in masculinity
• Gerald is depicted as an ideal husband and son-in-law due to his financial security and social status
• Gerald's social status contributes to his attractiveness in 1912 British society
• Gerald is portrayed as experienced with prostitutes, spending time in bars and socializing with them
• Gerald's guilt for his actions towards Eva Smith is short-lived, showing a lack of true remorse
• Gerald is portrayed as pragmatically moral, following a moral stance only when it suits his needs
• Priestley presents Gerald as materialistic, viewing the world through possessions and financial aid
• Gerald is depicted as patronizing and misogynistic, condescending towards women
• Gerald excludes women from the current situation and tries to oppress women's voices
• Gerald implies that Sheila is too emotional to think clearly and logically, suggesting she should leave the thinking to men
• Gerald perpetuates a demeaning cult of victimhood by suggesting that young women should be protected from unpleasant things, yet he failed to protect Eva from his own actions
• Priestley exposes that Gerald's true motive for wanting Sheila to leave is to hide his affair with Eva
• Priestley intends for Gerald to be neither hated nor loved by the audience, maintaining him as a redeemable character with relative ambiguity
• Priestley exposes the audience's indoctrination into a class-based system that favors them, showing their hypocrisy in responding to obvious suffering but ignoring subtle exploitation
• Priestley conveys that apparent changes in attitudes of the upper-class are superficial through Gerald's actions
• Gerald's monopoly on the narrative allows him to absolve himself from responsibility and adapt his story to the Inspector's knowledge
• Gerald's dramatic exit after telling his story offers interpretations of guilt or entrenched feelings for Eva, showing a different side to him compared to the Birlings
• Gerald's relationship with Eva is portrayed as predatory, with him viewing her as prey and objectifying her
• Gerald's marriage to Sheila and his pursuit of Eva highlight gender norms and class differences in 1912 British society
• Priestley uses euphemistic language to conceal Gerald's use of prostitutes, referring to them as "women of the town"
• Gerald's relationship with Eva in the play explores how women were exploited and abused in 1912 society
• There is a clear imbalance of power between Gerald and Eva in terms of social position and influence
• Priestley portrays Gerald as having a distinct emotional reaction to Eva's death, which was considered a feminine trait at the time
• Gerald disguises prostitution as charity through monetary exchanges with Eva
• Priestley reveals the internal conflict within Gerald between his emotional reaction and societal expectations of masculinity
• Priestley presents a pattern of the upper classes committing wrongful actions but convincing themselves it is acceptable
• Gerald manipulates the truth by suggesting Eva was different girls, excusing his behavior and trying to maintain innocence
• Priestley explores Gerald's initial attractive appearance and his portrayal as a husband and son-in-law
• Priestley demonstrates how the upper class can manipulate the truth, reflecting the patriarchal society
• Gerald's quote bank by theme includes responsibility, likeable appearance, capitalism, desire and lust, and class