Gerald Croft

• "easy well-bred man about town"


  This is the description Priestley gives us in the opening stage directions . He comes from a prestigious family with Sir George Croft and Lady Croft as his parents making Mr Birling keen to impress him
• "Absolutely first-class"


  Although Mr Birling wants to impress Gerald (e.g. by showing the fact that he buys the same port as his father does), Gerald also seems anxious to please the Birlings and agrees with the praise of the dinner- perhaps as he loves Sheila so much?
• "I believe you're right, sir"


  Gerald agrees with Mr Birling so shows he is of similar conservative opinions and is unlikely to change (which is why he sides with the older generation on most occasions". This limited response also shows respect to Arthur who is talking of his business even though their families have been rivals in this aspect
• "sounds a bit fishy to me"


  He is happy to side with the older generation and teases Eric with Mr Birling when he stops halfway through his sentence. Not only does this make us feel more sorry for Eric but it also makes us slightly more aware of Gerald's almost annoying tendency to do what pleases Mr Birling
• "You couldn't have done anything" "I know we'd have done the same thing"


  Gerald is quick to defend Mr Birling when the Inspector begins to question the morality behind the actions he took in firing Eva Smith. Perhaps they are just conscious business men or maybe there is an underlying issue that Priestley is getting across about the class divide at the time
• "trying long enough"


  Gerald jokes he has been trying for a long time to get into the family and hints that his patience is wearing thin, so we assume he has wanted this to happen for a long time. This is Priestley reminding us that even though Gerald did have the affair, he does love Sheila
• "And I've told you - I was awfully busy at the works all that time"


  Early on we can see that their relationship has been rocky and though we don't know it at the time in Act One, this lie is quickly dropped after Sheila shows him just how much the Inspector knows and that it will be more awful to keep up pretences
• "You're going to be a great help, I can see"


  Gerald defends himself with sarcasm in act 2 when being honest to the Inspector and Sheila about his affair with Daisy Renton (as he knew her to be). This almost immature response is most likely due to the fact that he has grown up in a wealthy and high status family and is not used to taking responsibility for his actions
• "Everything's all right now, Sheila. What about this ring?"

  Gerald must love Sheila as he isn't quick to let her go. She respects his honesty although she declines the opportunity to act as is nothing has happened
• "nothing less than a cry for help"


  Gerald's story clearly shows that he wants to be seen as the hero of the story and his response to her cry for help definitely presents him as the rescuer in the situation. He also listened to her story, bought her food, moved her into a flat and when they broke up, gave her money to live on. He clearly did want to be kind to her, even if it got out of hand
• "She was- very gallant - about it"


  Gerald shows us how brave Eva was about the relationship ending. Interestingly, he never blames her for the affair as if he realises that actually it was his fault for letting her get too close and he admits he enjoyed her gratitude
• "bit heavy-handed"


  Gerald warns the Inspector about his lack of respect as they see it and shares the older generation's view that authority shouldn't be in his possession
• "all the difference"


  He agrees with Mr Birling that if the Inspector was a fake, it changes the whole circumstance (regardless that he has just admitted having an affair even though he is engaged to Sheila). He is also pleased at himself for potentially working out the whole thing was a hoax and that there is no dead girl in the infirmary after he phones to check. Unlike Sheila and Eric, he remains unchanged
• "though he at least had some affection for her and made her happy for a time"


  The Inspector acknowledges that Gerald did make Eva Smith happy and this is important because she had such a hard time before and after knowing him