How Does Priestley Present Gerald As An Upper Class Man...

How does Priestley present Gerald as an upper-class man? An Inspector Calls is a play written in 1945 by J.B Priestly. It was set in 1912 where there were strong distinctions between the upper and lower classes. Therefore, to convey the socialist message, Priestly portrays characters from the upper class in an exposed manner. He definitely doesn’t hide any of their flaws. Gerald Croft is one of the main characters in the play that Priestly has done a great job at showing the thoughts of the upper class. Gerald Croft is an aristocrat; the son of ‘Lady Croft’. Aristocracy was social class considered the highest of that society. Therefore, he is above the Birlings socially. At the beginning of Act 1, Mr Birling told Gerald that his mum, ‘while she doesn’t object to my girl, feels you might have done better socially’. Mr Birling knows that his parents were not particularly impressed by the engagement ,which may be why they declined the invitation to the dinner, and he tries to impress him by saying how he might get a knighthood. Mr Birling sees Gerald as an asset for not only his company (as Gerald works at his father s company, Crofts Limited, which is both bigger and older than Mr Birling’s company) but an opportunity for him to climb higher in the social system. This attitude contrasts to Gerald’s attitude a bit because he was prepared to marry Sheila, despite her lower social position. The fact that Gerald is younger than Mr Birling cou ld be the reason for him being nonShow MoreRelatedArthur Birling Says: â€Å"If We Were All Responsible for Everything That Happened to Everybody We’d Had Anything to Do with, It Would Be Very Awkward Wouldn’t It?† How Does Priestley Present Ideas About Responsibility in an Inspector Calls?1009 Words   |  5 Pageswouldn’t it?† How does Priestley present ideas about responsibility in An Inspector Calls? In An Inspector Calls, one of the main themes is responsibility. Priestley is interested in our personal responsibility for our own actions and our collective responsibility to society. The play explores the effect of class, age and sex on peoples attitudes to responsibility, and shows how prejudice can prevent people from acting responsibly. In this essay I am going to explain how Priestley presents the themeRead MoreEssay on Mrs Birling in An Inspector Calls1437 Words   |  6 Pagesessay is going to explore how J.B. Priestley creates such a disagreeable character and why the audience feels this way about her. Priestley represents Mrs Birling, as a very posh and high class woman. She, like her husband, can be very self-important, for example, when the Inspector says, Youre not telling me the truth and she replies, I beg your pardon! She seems horrified that somebody could speak like that to a lady of her class. This is not only an example of how she is portrayed as self-importantRead MorePriestleys Main Aim in An Inspector Calls2899 Words   |  12 Pagessociety. I am going to explore the way Priestley communicates these messages. An Inspector Calls was written in 1945, however is set in an earlier time period of before World War 1. The first impression we get from the play is that it is a typical detective story. This is due to the fact that a dinner consisting of the Birling family and their guest Gerald Croft, is interrupted by the arrival of an inspector who presents the news that there has been a suicidal deathRead MorePriestley’s Main Aim in An Inspector Calls Essay1420 Words   |  6 Pagesresponsible for each other’. This is something Priestly felt strongly about and he succeeded in representing his views through the character of the Inspector in the play itself. He wanted to communicate the message that our actions, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, always affect others. He uses the downfall of Eva Smith and a chain of events to demonstrate this. This leads to a very convincing and well-devised play, which puts across JB Priestley’s views clearly and Read MoreEssay on ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B.Priestley3562 Words   |  15 PagesHow has watching a production of ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B.Priestley enhanced the script and furthered your understanding of the play? Refer to themes and characters in your analysis. ‘An Inspector Calls’ – J.B. Priestley ===================================== Twentieth Century Drama Coursework ---------------------------------- Task: How has watching a production of ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B.Priestley enhanced the script and furthered your understanding of the play? Refer toRead MoreTheme of Responsibility in an Inspector Calls3878 Words   |  16 PagesBut who is Inspector Goole? And who is the girl whose suicide he is apparently investigating? Priestley deliberately set his play in 1912 because the date represented an era when all was very different from the time he was writing. In 1912, rigid class and gender boundaries seemed to ensure that nothing would change. Yet by 1945, most of those class and gender divisions had been breached. Priestley wanted to make the most of these changes. Through this play, he encourages people to seize theRead MoreByj.b Priestley s An Inspector Calls2350 Words   |  10 Pagesis a definitive play written by J.B Priestley. Published in 1946, however set in the early years before The First World War, this play explores the many aspects of society that were diminishing during Priestley’s life. It stages, the Birling Family – high class and respected within their society, however frankly their false faà §ade, was slowly stripped away revealing, their inner, hidden, corrupt morals. Whilst having a riveting and uncanny twist, the play does indeed, explore many themes, in whichRead MoreAn Inspector Calls By. Priestley1741 Words   |  7 PagesJB Priestley wrote ‘An Inspector Calls’ in 1945 during the Second World War, however the play was set in 1912 just before World War 1 and the sinking of the Titanic. He did this to show the audience that society wasn’t equal. Both authors write in times that present issues of sexism, racism and soc ial divide between the working class and the upper class. The play was first performed in 1946; Priestley became increasingly aware of social inequality of life in Britain and believed that people shouldRead MoreEssay on The Role of the Inspector in An Inspector Calls4710 Words   |  19 PagesThe Role of the Inspector in An Inspector Calls An Inspector Calls is a play with many social and political messages. J. B. Priestley believed a great deal in socialism and he used several of his plays to try and influence people to be Socialist as well. It was written in a time when Britain was ruled by a Labour government and socialist policies were seen as the way forward. It was a popular way of thinking at that time so Priestleys aim for the play was probably to teach the unconvinced. Read MoreJ.B. Priestleys An Inspector Calls1765 Words   |  8 Pages An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley is set in an industrial city, Brymley in 1912, just before the First World War. The Inspectors dealings with the Birling family cause some of the characters in the play to re-evaluate their position in society, whilst others remain unaffected. J.B.Priestley criticises middle class oppression of the working class by showing how the Birlings and Gerald Croft are involved in making a young working class girls life a misery. Act