You seem to be a nice well-behaved family
class, Appearance vs reality
- ironic as shortly after this their dark affairs are exposed – foreshadowing
- reflects the attitudes towards the upper class during this time – expected to be well-mannered and behaved
- emphasizes the idea of the Birling family being seen as a desirable family from the outlook whilst concealing the truth such as Eric being an alcoholic
- also supports the idea that the marriage between Sheila and Gerald is more of a business opportunity rather than genuine as the verb “seem” implies that he doesn’t know the family well
After all, y’know, we’re respectable citizens and not criminals.
class
- Ironic
- Here, Priestley criticizes he idea that being in the upper- class automatically means that you are righteous and on a moral high ground than everyone else.
- Suggest that they believe the lower class are filled with criminals
I don’t come into this suicide business.
Social responsibility
- Comparing Eva’s death to “business” shows blatant disregard for her life and draws parallels between the attitudes of Mr Birling’s and Gerald
- Shows how much he wants to detach himself from the death to maintain good public image
- Refuses to take social responsibility
favourite haunt of women of the town—
what is the inspector forcing them to face
• Even though it’s is a euphemism, such topics would not have been discussed in front for women in the middle class, but the Inspector is forcing the Birlings and Gerald to face the realities of Daisy Renton’s life
I hate those hard-eyed dough-faced women.
Class, gender
- Objectifies prostitutes – degrading, Very superficial view of women
- “those” he is referring to the entire lower class he’s saying that all of the lower classes are ugly.
Gerald is looking at the girls, he judges them by their appearance.
- The negative connotations of “hard-eyed” and “dough-faced” suggests that Gerlad is condemning prostitutes and pretends that he wants nothing to do with them
- However, he went into this bar fully aware that this was “a favourite haunt of women of the town”. His self-contradiction symbolises the contradiction between the way upper-class men would have nothing to do with lower-class women, and the exception of sleeping with them.
- Back then, women had limited options. Priestley is suggesting that it is unjust to condemn prostitutes when there were few options for them
She was very pretty – soft brown hair and big dark eyes- (breaks off.) My god! Gender, guilt
- Gerald only focuses on the beauty of Eva Smith. Like many men of the time, he only values that, which emphasises how women were ranked by appearance in the 1910s
- Priestley’s use of the abrupt break off in speech, directly after Gerald describes Eva’s beauty, reveals how Gerald was only physically attracted to her, only remebers her for Physical beauty.
“She looked young and fresh and charming and altogether out of place down there” Gender
• Suggests that he regularly goes to the place, familiar with the women there
“I insisted on Daisy moving into those rooms and I made her take some money” Gender
The verbs ‘insisted’ and ‘made’ suggest that he was very dominant over Eva and didn’t really give her much choice/ say in what she wanted to do which supports the gender roles in society at that time as men had more power over women.
I didn’t install her there so that I could make love to her
Gender, class
- The verb “install” highlights the power and control Gerald had as an upper class male and could also suggests how objectifying he was to her as the verb “install” suggest that she can be easily used as well as disposed. Here, Priestley is emphasizing how easily mistreated the lower class are, particularly lower class women.
- Gerald’s attempt to pain himself in a better light and hide the true implications of the relationship from Sheila, which underestimates her intelligence and airbrushes the facts to protect her, displaying the misogynistic beliefs Gerald posses.
because I was sorry for her,
- Pronoun “I” could emphasises how he truly cared for Eva, indicating the strong connection her had with her, generating sympathy from the audience as his love for her was sincere
- Verb “was” indicated that he used to be sorry for her but after using her for his own benefit he no longer does
I didn’t feel about her as she felt about me
class
- He exploited her for his own sexual pleasure, played with her feelings
- Further villainizes him in the eyes of the audience
- a depiction of how serious the exploitation of the lower is
I suppose it was inevitable.
Gender, class
- His justification of Daisy becoming his mistress – a very lazy and lame excuse for cheating on Sheila.
- AO2 the word ‘inevitable’ implies it was beyond his control and therefore gives him a convenient excuse to justify his actions
Everything’s all right now, Sheila. (Holds up the ring.) What about this ring?
- Naiive and immature- hasn’t learnt from the Inspector’s message
- Gerald is more concerned about getting caught rather than taking social responsibility
- Could suggest how he feels that Sheila can be bought by jewels = objectification
“easy well-bred young man about town”
- use of the rule of three with the adjectives “easy, well-bred young” establishes him as a member of the elite class, used to a life of leisure.
- adjective “young” is used when he has been described as roughly thirty years old suggests that his attitude to life is immature and thoughtless, and this foreshadows what we later learn about his irresponsible behaviour towards Eva and Shelia.
- The phrase “man-about-town” shows that he is a fashionable socialite and implies experience in the ways of the world. It also implies vanity in that he priorities himself (his appearance and his sexual needs) over helping others. And this could foreshadow the later revelation that he used Eva smith to satisfy his needs before discarding her when their relationship was no longer convenient.
(When he’s calling the infirmary) We’re rather worried about one of our employees
- Ironic, Only worried about employees when it affects their reputation.
- since Gerald embodies capitalistic ideas, Priestley demonstrates how capitalism puts money and business first (since a good reputation means a better business) at the expense of other people
