Gerald - Exploitation

Question 1

How does Gerald link to exploitation?

Answer 1

• Makes Eva her mistress and takes advantages of her vulnerability.
• Exploitation and dominance of men in Patriarchal society.

Question 2

‘Was very pretty’ ‘Looked young and fresh and charming and altogether out of place down there’ (Act 2, Page 34-35)

Answer 2

• Sensual and romanticised descriptions imply his sexual attraction.
• Semantic field of beauty through ‘pretty’, ‘young’, ‘fresh’ shows his desire to befriend her because of her looks.
• Constant focus and repetition on her looks perhaps alludes to his ulterior motive to exploit her.

Question 3

‘Intensely grateful’… ‘became at once the most important person in her life’ (Act 2, Page 37)

Answer 3

• Dependency.
• Eva was so lonely and desperate that Gerald’s status as an upper class made him ‘important’.
• Adverb ‘intensely’ and superlative ‘most’ show Eva was dependent on Gerald so much.
• Her life depended on him and as a result Gerald’s treatment of her became a form of sexual exploitation.
• Reference to male gaze and Edwardian gentlemen.

Question 4

‘I didn’t install her there so that I could make love to her’ (Act 2)

Answer 4

• Objectification.
• Dynamic verb ‘install’ connotes machinery and property’.
• Repetition of pronoun ‘her’ emphasises lack of identity and individuality.
• Double standard of Edwardian gentlemen.