Gerald Croft Flashcards
(12 cards)
How is Gerald described in the stage directions at the start of the play?
“an attractive chap”
“easily well-bred young man-about-town”
How is Gerald presented before the investigation?
- sycophantic, yet clever
- perfect manners, polite
- charming
What quotes show Gerald is sycophantic, yet clever?
“Not even to my mother? I know she’d be delighted”
“Hear, hear! And I think my father would agree to that”
What quotes show Gerald is charming?
“I don’t pretend to know much about it”
“I drink to you”
“an attractive chap”
What quotes show Gerald is polite and has perfect manners?
“Absolutely first class”
“I believe you’re right, sir” -> agreeable
How is Gerald presented during the investigation?
- patronising/dismissive disregard for
female employees that make his wealth - evasive
- over privileged
- vanity
- callousness
What quotes show Gerald has a patronising/dismissive disregard for female employees that make his wealth?
“Not if it was just after the holidays. They’d be all broke - if I know them”
“You couldn’t have done anything else”
What quotes show Gerald is evasive?
“(startled) What?” gives himself away
“(trying to smile) Well what, Sheila”
“I didn’t”
“Why should I have known her?”
What quotes show Gerald is over privileged?
“I hate those hard-eyed dough-faced women”
“We went along to the County Hotel, which I knew would be quiet at that time of night.”
What does J.B Priestley want to show through Gerald’s character?
The way in which wealthy young men treated working class women. How they used them for labour and sex. Their double-standards and deceit. Their ability to lie and cheat and get away with it. But the dawn of a new age: the welfare state, which would change life for working class women.
What quotes show he has apparent regret for what he has done but is deceitful?
“I am rather more - upset - by this business than I probably appear to be”
went outside to find policeman, cunning way he lied to the policeman, the ironic lie he tells during his telephone conversation with the infirmary
What quotes show Gerald is unable to change?
tries to charm Sheila into taking the engagement ring back again
