Gerald Flashcards
(4 cards)
‘[the easy, well bred young man about town] A1
-animalistic image - for priestly contemporary audience, the stage direction ‘bred’ evokes imagery of animal breeding, conjuring a metaphorical image of Gerald as a product of meticulous cultivation, much like a carefully bred animal. This suggests that Gerald has been groomed from birth to embody the archetype of the aristocratic and charming ‘man about town’. Thus he is a victim to capitalist ideologies ingrained within him, as he is unable to escape the persona crafted for him before he even has agency over his own identity
-adjective - the adjective on ‘easy’ implies that Gerald easily assimilate pd into the higher echelon of society as he is a paragon of social superiority. This ease and comfort in his current circumstances foreshadow his resistance to change, contrasting with the more malleable qualities of other members of the younger generation . This reluctance to embrace socialist principles may stem from a fear of jeopardising his social standing and being ostracised by the elite
‘We’re respectable citizens and not criminals’ A1
-collective pronoun - the utilisation of the collective pronoun ‘were’ serves to propagate a segregative ideology, as Gerald employs it to unite the Birlings against perceived ‘criminals’. However this irony lies in Gerald’s unfounded assertion of the Birlings respectability which unveils aristocratic biases as fundamentally ignorant. Additionally it underscore ps how wealthy capitalists, consumed by materialism, often lack insight into morality or even real life itself, this belittling their perceived shrewdness
-alliteration - the alliteration of ‘citizens’ and ‘criminals
‘ creates a sense of similarity, reflecting Priestley portrayal of blurred lines between morality and criminality as one ascends the social hierarchy. Much like Priestley use of dramatic irony and satire to mock Mr Birlings he subtly ridiculed s Gerald’s pretentious demeanour, revealing how the wealthy often harbour biases that align only with their narrow worldview. Priestley highlights this is only exacerbated through capitalist ideologies.
‘Everything’s all right now , Sheila [holds up the ring] what about this ring?’
A3
-cyclical narrative - Gerald conducts the play to follow a cyclical structure , focusing back on his and Sheila’s engagement. This is reflective of his unwillingness to change and his overarching desire to absolve himself from guilt and responsibility. Despite belonging to the younger generation, he shirks accountability, disappointing the audience with his character arc. Unlike Sheila and Eric, who are impressionable and adaptable, Gerald’s obstinate nature remains unchanged.
-metonym - the use of the noun ‘ring’ as a metonymy for marriage displays Gerald’s materialistic view of marriage, devoid of any emotion or love. He reverts to this symbol of traditional power and possession in order to reassert himself
, he finds comfort in the ingrained societal beliefs which make life ‘easy’ for him
‘She looked young and fresh and charming’ A2
-noun -the noun ‘fresh’ connotes to innocence and purity which presents Eva as prey to Gerald, it introduces this not Jon of consumption which implies Gerald is acting on primal and lustful desired. Alternatively, this idea of innocence distances Eva from a typical prostitute - suggesting that Gerald did not pursue their relationship as a micheton and it was instead a heroic response to the sympathy he felt towards her.
-polysyndeton - the polysyndeton on ‘and’ serves to amplify the list of qualities that Gerald fondly reminisces about regardingEva. However, the fact that two out of three adjectives list physical attributes showcases how Eva serves as a physical fantasy for Gerald, a refuge from the constraints of his engagement and the continual pressure of up keeping his social status
