Character

• Moral Ambiguity and Self-Interest

  Gerald is caught between self-interest and moral responsibility. While he feels guilty about his affair with Eva and his role in her life, he is primarily concerned with protecting his social status and reputation. His belief that he did the “right thing” by giving her money shows his limited understanding of morality.
• Detachment and Objectification

  Gerald’s relationship with Eva is characterized by detachment. He objectifies her, viewing her more as a "symbol" than a real person, and he remains emotionally distant, even as he feels a sense of duty toward her. This reflects the class divide and the way the upper class viewed working-class women as disposable.
• Resistance to Social Change

  Gerald’s resistance to the Inspector’s socialist ideals and his reluctance to accept the idea of collective responsibility reflect his alignment with traditional, upper-class values. He represents the mindset of the pre-war aristocracy, which was resistant to change and reform.
• Failure to Learn

  At the end of the play, Gerald is one of the characters who fails to undergo any significant change. When the family realizes that the Inspector was a fake, Gerald is eager to return to normalcy, showing that he hasn’t learned from the experience and will likely continue his privileged, self-serving lifestyle.