Character Analysis Of Gerald From 'An Inspector Calls'

At the start of the play, we are introduced to Gerald, with upbringing from an affluent background, who is Mr Birling’s soon to be son in law. He is described as an ‘easy well-bred young man about town’ who would firmly illuminate capitalist ideologies that were common in the early 1900s, which included ‘looking after himself and his own’. Mr Birling, a devout capitalist, gives Gerald his exploitative, dehumanising agenda for achieving higher profits through the ‘lower costs and higher prices’. Gerald adheres to this in his optimistic, almost elated tone by saying ‘Hear, hear! And I think my father would agree to that’. By using the verb ‘hear’, this can draw a political allusion to the parliament setting which derived from the 18th century,

Gerald had clear intentions not to have an affair. He further claims that ‘it happened that a friend of mine had gone off to Canada for six months and had let me have the key of a nice little set of rooms’. His alluring, euphemistic language by using the adjective ‘nice’ suggests that it can only be convenient for sexual pleasure. This idea is reinforced by the affection of Eva having ‘big dark eyes’ suggesting that he doesn’t consider her psychological traits. However, when his friend eventually comes back from Canada, he cancels the affair abruptly rather than provide her accomodation. Perhaps, Gerald does this as he subconsciously knows that being found by family or friends with a lower class girl, would be totally frowned upon as it goes against class hierarchy, therefore he must protect his status. Although Gerald is of high wealth he gave her a very tight budget as she ‘lived very economically on what I’d allowed her’. The imperative verb ‘allowed’ implies how superior he feels which heavily contrasts with the little amount of money he gave, which he feels is a marvellous gesture. Priestley does this to challenge the idea of how Gerald is like the typical upper class men within Edwardian era who see

He strongly believes that ‘we’re respectable citizens and not criminals’. The adjective ‘respectable’ can suggest how in Gerald’s eyes, it is acceptable to have affairs, acceptable to abandon your soon to be wife, acceptable to exploit women. It’s arguable to say that Gerald shouldn’t be blamed for his way of thinking because of the patriarchal society which has brainwashed his mind to accept such behaviour as normal. Furthermore the inspector breaks through the barrier of social hierarchy being an obstacle for committing an offence by saying that ‘I wouldn’t know where to draw the line’ suggesting that capitalists are inhumane and criminal as they interact with other people. Priestley does this to try to break the stigma with criminal behaviour only being associated with the lower classes and that, the unnoticed crimes that are committed by capitalists in society. As a modern audience we would take on the same message due to a large inequality between those who are penurious and commit crime compared to those that are rich and get away with such criminal acts - no matter a person’s wealth, they should be