Top Grade Analysis of Gerald in An Inspector Calls Mr Salles

Summary

In this video, the analysis of Gerald's character from J.B. Priestley's play is explored, focusing on his role in socially conditioning women and his deceitful nature, demonstrated through sophistry. Gerald's actions, including his exploitation of women and his insincere grief for Eva's death, are scrutinized. The video argues that Gerald represents the capitalist exploitation of women in a patriarchal society, and Priestley uses him as a symbol of the upper-class men who profited from both World Wars. The discussion invites viewers to critically assess Gerald's behavior and its societal implications, aiming to inspire moral outrage and a rejection of such capitalist attitudes.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video discusses the character Gerald from J.B. Priestley's play 'An Inspector Calls', focusing on his role and the moral implications of his actions.
• 🔍 Gerald is initially portrayed as not entirely negative, showing some affection for Eva, which aligns with Priestley's own views on infidelity.
• 👀 The video suggests that Gerald's actions are a form of social conditioning, reflecting the patriarchal society's acceptance of male infidelity for financial security.
• 🗣️ The concept of 'sophistry' is introduced, where Gerald argues convincingly for things he doesn't believe in, such as the identity of 'the girl in the photograph'.
• 🏡 Gerald's provision of a flat for Eva is criticized as a form of sexual exploitation, using the guise of helping her while actually serving his own interests.
• 💸 The video argues that Gerald represents capitalist exploitation, particularly of women, and is a symbol of the upper class's disregard for the consequences of their actions.
• 😢 Gerald's apparent grief for Eva's death is questioned, with the video suggesting it's a facade to discredit the inspector's authority.
• 👮‍♂️ The inspector's leniency towards Gerald is contrasted with Priestley's deeper moral outrage at the systemic exploitation and dishonesty.
• 🔮 The video concludes that Gerald is the true villain of the play, embodying the capitalist attitudes Priestley criticizes and urging audiences to reject.
• 📚 The analysis is intended to help viewers understand the play's themes and achieve high grades in their studies or discussions of 'An Inspector Calls'.

Q & A

What is the conventional view of Gerald presented in the video?

The conventional view of Gerald is that he is not too bad, as he had some affection for Eva and made her happy for a time, which is a perspective that the inspector also seems to share.

How does the video suggest Gerald's role in socially conditioning Sheila and women in general?

The video suggests that Gerald plays a role in socially conditioning Sheila and women by accepting infidelity in exchange for financial security and social status, reflecting the patriarchal society's influence.

What is the concept of 'sophistry' as it relates to Gerald's character?

Sophistry refers to the ability to argue something that one does not believe in but does so convincingly that it sounds true. Gerald is seen as a master of sophistry, particularly in his deceitful arguments about the identity of the girl in the photograph.

How does Gerald's treatment of Eva reflect his deceitfulness?

Gerald's deceitfulness is shown through his actions with Eva, such as getting her drunk before feeding her, exploiting her vulnerability, and later denying the connection between the girl in the photograph and Eva despite the overwhelming evidence.

What does the video argue about the authenticity of Gerald's grief for Eva's death?

The video argues that Gerald's grief for Eva's death is fake, as he uses it as a pretense to seek validation and prove the inspector's non-existence, thus avoiding responsibility for his actions.

How does the video interpret Gerald's actions in the context of capitalist sexual exploitation?

The video interprets Gerald's actions as a representation of capitalist sexual exploitation, where he takes advantage of Eva for his sexual desires without any significant cost to himself, symbolizing the broader exploitation of women in a patriarchal society.

What is the significance of Gerald's reaction to the inspector's departure in the video's analysis?

Gerald's reaction to the inspector's departure is significant because it reveals his true character and intentions. He uses the opportunity to check the inspector's authenticity rather than genuinely mourning Eva, highlighting his lack of empathy and self-centeredness.

How does the video link Gerald's character to the broader critique of capitalism in the play?

The video links Gerald's character to the critique of capitalism by suggesting that he represents the capitalist class that profits from the exploitation of others, particularly during times of war, and justifies his actions through sophistry.

What is the video's stance on Priestley's portrayal of Gerald and his actions?

The video suggests that Priestley portrays Gerald as a villain and a symbol of the kind of capitalist he wants the audience to reject, highlighting the social issues of the time and encouraging a shift towards a more socially responsible perspective.

How does the video analyze the inspector's attitude towards Gerald?

The video analyzes the inspector's attitude as being less critical of Gerald, possibly reflecting Priestley's own views on infidelity, but also subtly suggesting that the inspector's leniency is a societal view that Priestley is critiquing.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Analyzing Gerald's Character and Role in Conditioning Women

This paragraph introduces the character Gerald and his role in the narrative. Gerald is initially portrayed as not entirely negative, with some affection for Eva, which earns him a relatively lenient judgment from the inspector. However, the paragraph delves deeper into Gerald's actions, suggesting that he is socially conditioning Sheila and women in general. The concept of sophistry is introduced, where Gerald is accused of arguing convincingly for things he doesn't believe in, making them sound true. The paragraph also discusses Gerald's deceit in relation to the girl in the photograph, using his own words to argue against his own claims, and his feigned grief for Eva's death, which is suspected to be insincere. Finally, Gerald's character is linked to capitalist sexual exploitation of women within a patriarchal society, setting the stage for a critical examination of his actions and their societal implications.

05:02

💬 Gerald's Sophistry and Exploitation of Eva

The second paragraph focuses on Gerald's use of sophistry to deceive and exploit Eva. It details how Gerald gets Eva drunk to make her more suggestible and then feeds her information that matches what the Birling family knows about her, yet later denies that they are the same person. This is seen as a form of sophistry, where he argues something he knows to be untrue convincingly. The paragraph also discusses how Gerald exploits Eva by installing her in a flat lent to him by a friend, which is described as a 'nice' place for his sexual adventures. The narrative suggests that Eva is aware of her exploitation and saves money in anticipation of the affair's end. Gerald's actions are contrasted with the idea of paying for sex at a bar, implying that his method is a more deceitful form of exploitation. The paragraph concludes by suggesting that Priestley uses Gerald to symbolize the upper-class men who exploit women both sexually and economically.

10:04

😤 Gerald's Self-Justification and Priestley's Critique of Capitalism

In this paragraph, Gerald's self-justification and Priestley's critique of capitalism are explored. Gerald claims to be an honorable man who acted out of affection, but his actions are revealed to be premeditated and self-serving. He is shown to be dishonest about his grief over Eva's death, using it as a means to prove the inspector's non-existence and, by extension, to absolve himself and others of responsibility for Eva's fate. The paragraph argues that Gerald is a symbol of the capitalist class that profited from both World Wars, in contrast to the Burling family. Priestley is portrayed as deeply critical of Gerald's behavior, viewing him as the true villain of the play and a representative of the capitalist exploitation that he wants the audience to reject. The paragraph concludes by suggesting that Gerald's actions and the societal conditioning that allows them are the real targets of Priestley's critique.

15:04

🏛 The Impact of Gerald's Actions and Priestley's Message

The final paragraph summarizes the impact of Gerald's actions and Priestley's overarching message. It highlights how Gerald's exploitation of Eva and his dishonesty about his grief are paralleled with the exploitation of upper-class men over their wives. The paragraph emphasizes that Gerald's attempt to prove the inspector's non-existence is a form of sophistry, meant to evade responsibility for his actions. It concludes by asserting that Gerald is the true villain of the play, representing the capitalist interests that Priestley wants the audience to reject in favor of a socialist government. The paragraph ends with a call to action for viewers to achieve high grades by understanding the complex themes and character dynamics presented in the video.

Keywords

💡Sophistry

Sophistry refers to the use of clever but fallacious arguments, especially with the intention to deceive. In the video, Gerald's use of sophistry is highlighted when he argues that the girl in the photograph is not Eva, despite the overwhelming evidence suggesting otherwise. This is a key concept as it illustrates how Gerald manipulates truth to serve his own interests, which is a central theme in the video's critique of his character.

💡Patriarchal Society

A patriarchal society is one that is dominated by men and in which men hold primary power. The video discusses how Sheila, as a woman in a patriarchal society, is conditioned to accept infidelity and the objectification of women in exchange for financial security and social status. This concept is crucial for understanding the societal norms that the video critiques, particularly in relation to the treatment of women.

💡Infidelity

Infidelity is the act of being unfaithful to one's spouse or partner. The video script mentions Gerald's infidelity as a central point of discussion, exploring how it is both a personal moral failing and a reflection of societal norms that condone such behavior. The concept is used to critique Gerald's character and to explore the broader implications of such actions within the context of the play.

💡Sexual Exploitation

Sexual exploitation involves treating someone as a sexual object, often for personal gain or benefit. In the video, Gerald's actions towards Eva are described as sexually exploitative, as he uses her for his own sexual desires without considering her well-being or autonomy. This concept is used to highlight the power dynamics and the objectification of women, which are central to the video's critique of Gerald and the society he represents.

💡Capitalism

Capitalism is an economic system based on private ownership of the means of production and the pursuit of profit. The video connects Gerald's actions to capitalist exploitation, suggesting that his treatment of Eva and his self-justification are emblematic of a broader capitalist ethos that values profit over human relationships. This concept is integral to the video's argument that Gerald represents a form of capitalism that Priestley, the playwright, seeks to critique.

💡Inspector

The inspector in the video is a character who challenges the moral values of the other characters, particularly Gerald. While the inspector's authenticity is questioned, his role serves as a catalyst for the characters to confront their actions and beliefs. The concept of the inspector is used to explore themes of accountability and the societal norms that enable or condone unethical behavior.

💡Affection

Affection, in the context of the video, refers to the emotional connection or care one has for another. Gerald is described as having some affection for Eva, which is used to partially excuse his behavior by the inspector. However, the video argues that this affection is superficial and used to justify his exploitative actions, highlighting the complexity of emotions in moral decision-making.

💡Social Conditioning

Social conditioning is the process by which individuals are influenced by societal norms and expectations to adopt certain behaviors or attitudes. The video discusses how Sheila and women like her are socially conditioned to accept infidelity and the patriarchal norms that define their roles. This concept is key to understanding the internalized acceptance of oppressive structures within the society depicted in the video.

💡Grief

Grief in the video is explored in relation to Gerald's apparent reaction to Eva's death. However, the video suggests that his display of grief is insincere and a form of sophistry, intended to manipulate others' perceptions of him. This concept is used to critique the superficiality of Gerald's emotions and to highlight the disconnect between his actions and his expressed feelings.

💡Class Exploitation

Class exploitation refers to the economic and social advantages that one class has over another, often to the detriment of the less privileged class. The video uses Gerald's actions as an example of how upper-class men exploit those of lower classes, particularly women, for their own benefit. This concept is central to the video's argument about the systemic nature of exploitation within the society.

Highlights

Gerald's character is analyzed as not being too bad, according to the inspector's view.

Gerald is seen as having some affection for Eva, which makes him less blameworthy.

The inspector's leniency towards Gerald might reflect Priestley's own views on infidelity.

Sheila's words suggest a societal acceptance of infidelity in exchange for financial security.

Gerald's role in socially conditioning Sheila and women is examined.

The concept of sophistry is introduced to describe Gerald's deceitful arguments.

Gerald's words are used to argue that the girl in the photograph must be Eva, despite his claims to the contrary.

Gerald's apparent grief for Eva's death is questioned as being insincere.

Gerald represents the capitalist sexual exploitation of women in a patriarchal society.

Sheila's acceptance of Gerald's honesty reflects the patriarchal society's conditioning.

Gerald's exploitation of Eva is detailed, showing his premeditated actions.

The 'nice little set of rooms' is revealed as a place for Gerald's sexual exploitation.

Eva's saving money indicates her awareness of being sexually exploited.

Gerald's behavior is paralleled with how upper-class men exploit their wives.

Gerald's dishonesty about his grief is exposed through his actions post-inspector's visit.

Gerald's character is a symbol of the capitalist exploitation Priestley criticizes.

The video aims to help viewers understand Priestley's critique of Gerald's character and the societal implications.

Transcripts

hello and welcome to another quick ish

video aiming to get you the very top

grades with Gerald it is incredibly easy

because there's so much to argue about

and as soon as you start talking about

more than one interpretation you are

automatically moving into grade 7 and

above so we're going to start with the

conventional view of Gerald that he's

actually not too bad as the inspector

says he at least had some affection for

her meaning Eva and made her happy for a

time so Gerald gets off quite lightly

from the inspectors blame but we're

going to look at Gerald's role in

socially conditioning a Sheila and women

then we're going to look at this idea of

a sophistry the idea of being able to

argue something you don't believe in but

because you argue it so well it sounds

true so he's actually incredibly

deceitful we're going to look at all the

reasons the girl in the photograph must

have been either and we're going to use

Gerald's own words to prove it even

though he's the one who suggests that

they're not the same girl then we're

going to look at the apparent grief that

he shows and for Eva's death which is a

fake and then finally we're going to

look at how he represents the capitalist

sexual exploitation of women in a

patriarchal society and you will

understand all of that over the next 12

minutes so the inspector isn't

particularly critical of Gerald and that

sounds like Priestley isn't now this is

possibly I've written he himself I mean

Priestley himself was openly unfaithful

in his marriage and so he didn't

disapprove of Gerald having an affair

you know having sex outside marriage was

not a big deal to Priestley he believed

that that was the right way to behave

so that explains why the inspector is

reasonably complimentary of Gerald

because he represents Priestley's views

but something deeper is going on here

so now let's look at Sheila's words and

so she says to Gerald

and now at least you've been honest and

I believe what you told us about the way

you helped her at first just out of pity

so it seems that she Lo is also the

voice of the inspector and also

therefore the voice of Priestley is also

forgiving of Gerald therefore we

shouldn't be too critical of him but I

think Priestley also invites our moral

outrage about this Sheila in this

quotation is prepared to accept this

honesty because the patriarchal society

that means a society ruled by men in the

interests of men has conditioned her to

accept infidelity that is having affairs

a condition der to accept infidelity in

return for the financial security and

social status of marriage so rich women

from powerful families are still treated

as in some ways objects that their

husbands possess and the trade-off for

these women is well it's better to be

the object of a rich husband who you can

at least influence than it is to be the

property of your father

and your parents and this is the

position that Sheila has and to a bigger

extent Eva has they will accept quite

appalling behavior from men because it's

better than the alternative and I think

priestly is actually morally outraged at

this so when the inspector seems to

forgive Gerald a little bit that's

giving society's view about his behavior

towards Eva but actually he's very very

disgusted about the way that Gerald lies

about his affair and I'll show you what

I mean now so this word sophistry

remember was being able to argue

something that you know is untrue but to

do it in such a brilliant way that it

sounds true and we see Gerald's

deceptions as a four

of sophistry so when he first meets Eva

he gets her drunk before he feeds her

now he can clearly see that she's down

on her luck and therefore considering

prostitution and therefore short of

money and obviously she's going to be

hungry in order to make this for her

terrible decision and to start looking

for male company in exchange for money

but Gerald exploits that he takes her

off and pretends to care for her or

cares for her a little bit but he makes

sure he gets her drunk first because

this will make her more suggestible she

then tells him so many details which

match exactly what the burling's already

know about her but once the inspectors

gone he still pretends that they are all

different girls and the reason he does

that is to say well if we all did

something to different girls doesn't

really matter

and obviously Eric and Sheila don't

accept that the inspector wouldn't

accept that although he's not on stage

Priestley wouldn't accept that he wants

us to be really critical of Gerald's and

sophisticated argument that it doesn't

really matter because of course it does

so quite apart from her appearance which

is brown haired brown eyed attractive

and young all these things also exactly

match what we know from the burnings and

what Eva told Gerald so that she'd lost

both parents that she came originally

from somewhere outside Brumley in the

countryside that she'd had a job in one

of the works here and that she'd had to

leave after a strike and she said

something about a verse shop - now I've

put the because that is mill words not a

shop the exact shop so you know it would

be an extraordinary coincidence wouldn't

it far beyond what we'd be expected to

believe that this girl was in fact made

up of loads of different girls when

everything about her fits exactly

everybody else knows so general

suggestion that it could be different

photos of different girls is sophistry

yes in theory that could be possible but

in actual fact no the probability is

just too great now let's go back to his

words all the inspectors words that say

Gerald treated Eva with some kindness

well in some ways he did but he said he

never meant to have a mistress and he

never meant to have an affair but let's

look at the evidence he installs her in

a flat which is lent to him by his

friend and look at his words it happened

that a friend of mine had gone off to

Canada for six months and had let me

have the key of a nice little set of

rooms now look at the word nice here as

in or I could put that to some nice use

it would be really convenient or what

for Gerald's got somewhere to live well

obviously in order to have a sexual

adventure in order to install a woman

there rent free a very little cost and

have her available whenever he wanted

her so now we can see that these rooms

are actually all about sexual

exploitation so let's consider a

different meeting with Eva in the palace

bar where he decided that actually he

was going to pay for sex well every time

he wanted sex he then have to pay for it

compare that to the nice little set of

rooms where he can install her for

nothing for free it doesn't cost him a

thing and he persuades her that he's

making this grand gesture to help her

out obviously she's grateful and then he

can have sex with her when he wants and

not make it seem like a grubby monetary

exchange but of course it is a grubby

monetary exchange because as soon as his

friend comes back from Canada

he doesn't pay for her to go to another

apartment oh no he just boots her out he

does it in a way that makes him feel

less bad about himself so he says he'd

given her an allow

which is obviously less than he'd have

to play at the palace bar and she'd

lived very economically and what I'd

allowed her so she'd saved

why was she saving well she knew that

she was being sexually exploited she

knew this relationship wouldn't last

she knew what Gerald was up to and

therefore she had to save money for when

the affair would end even with this and

his parting gift to her she can only

fund two months stay in the

bed-and-breakfast at the seaside and

then all her money runs out this is much

less than he would have had to have paid

to rent a flat in Bromley to put her up

in now Priestley does this to symbolize

how Gerald is like all upper-class men

not just that they're happy to pay for

sex but also that they see any

relationship as a way for them to

exploit women in economic ways so even a

wife Sheila is going to be exploited in

the same way she will have to put up

with his infidelities he's having

affairs she will have to put up with his

way of treating her in some ways as a

possession because that's all that

society allows and Priestley's raged

about this self-justification where

Gerald can say that actually he's an

honourable human being and that he's

doing it out of affection and care when

obviously he isn't he's premeditated

this and he's just kicked her out as

soon as it's become inconvenient to pay

for her in any meaningful way now he

makes a great show of his emotions when

he goes out he says the inspectors do

you not mind if I leave as I seem to

have been affected from more by this you

know I've only just taken in the EVAs

dead well the inspector lets him go but

what does he do well he says that he

found a sergeant that he knew well is

his complete rubbish and sergeants

didn't go out pounding the beat they

would stay at

police station so what's Gerald

obviously done he's actually gone

straight to a police station and to

speak to a sergeant to find out if the

inspector is real he suspects all along

that the inspector isn't real because of

how rude the inspector was to him and

he's used to being treated as a man of

status coming from an upper-class family

so he pretends to be upset by the death

in order to prove that the inspector

isn't real and to expose him and

therefore to claim that what they did to

Eva didn't make any difference because

it's not real inspector well obviously

as Sheila points out doesn't matter that

he wasn't a real inspector and even Eric

says he inspected us all right

meaning and it doesn't matter that he

wasn't a real inspector we all did what

we did but Gerald wants to pretend that

what they did to Eva has no consequence

of the inspector is not real there's a

word for that hopefully you remember it

there it is it's sophistry presenting

something as though it's true when you

know it's not so why is Priestley

potentially so angry with Gerald well

I'm going to argue that he is a much

greater symbol of capitalism and the

burling's Gerald if you think about it

is the real face of capitalism in 1945

because in 1912 when the play takes

place and he's over 30 years old he's

going to be old enough to escape the

first world war in 1914 he's not gonna

be made to enlist and also he's probably

going to be used for the war effort

running his father's textile company

Crofts limited and so he will be needed

at home to make sure that all these

soldiers have their uniforms that will

be the business so obviously he'll be

able to show he's supporting the war

effort and also he'll be able to show

that he's a bit old to be going off to

fight so he is the exact kind of

capitalist who has exploited the country

between the two world wars an awful lot

of businesses

Kame incredibly rich off the back of

them the war jeralds business would have

been one of them along with the

burling's but here's the key thing he

would still be running that business

during the second world war so he is the

kind of capitalist who is profiting from

both world wars whereas the the Burling

parents and the Croft parents certainly

won't be running the business and

probably dead by 1945 so the capitalism

that Priestley is attacking in the play

is Gerald and Gerald is the person who

says one thing but actually believes

something else he is the person who

Priestley wants us to reject and he is

therefore the symbol of the kind of

capitalists who've made a profit out of

the blood of young men that is the fire

and blood and anguish that the inspector

was talking about so this is quite a

difficult argument but I hope you've

managed to follow it

although the inspector doesn't seem to

blame gerald once the inspector goes

Gerald's next actions show Priestley's

real view that we are socially

conditioned to accept this kind of

appalling behavior from upper-class men

but actually the way they justify it is

a form of sophistry he proves that by

making Gerald himself describe so many

details about Eva to prove that they

must be the same girl he lets us know

that there was a huge element of

premeditation in him taking on this flat

and therefore installing a woman in it

in order to sexually exploit her he

draws this parallel between the way eva

is exploited and the way upper-class men

exploit their own wives we then see how

dishonest he is about his grief at Eva's

death and he is in fact gone out to try

and prove that the inspector is not real

because Priestley's point is it doesn't

matter whether the inspector was

or not it matters what they did and the

person who has been doing that all the

way since 1912 till 1945 in the play in

the world of the play will be Gerald not

the burling's and not Gerald's parents

for Crofts so Gerald is the true villain

of the play he is the capitalist that

Priestley wants the audience to reject

when they vote for a socialist

government in 1945 so hopefully you can

now nail that grade seven or eight or

nine thank you very much for watching

and subscribing see you soon on my

channel