Preview

Compare Gerald Birling Before and After the Confession

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
455 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Compare Gerald Birling Before and After the Confession
Compare Gerald before and after the confession

Before the confession Gerald is constantly trying to fit in with the Birling family. Page 6, “I believe your right sir” he Gerald has just agreed with Mr Birling’s views even though Gerald might not agree with them he is desperate to seek approval from Mr Birling and to fit in with the family. Gerald is comfortable around the family before the confession and before he realises that he has some involvement into Eva’s death. Page 8, Gerald is allowed to have port and he “helps himself to port”, this shows that he is not afraid of drinking in front of the family and he is obviously not worried about anything that he may say if he drinks too much, showing that he is comfortable and relaxed around the family. From the families view Gerald is ostensibly perfect, it is very important that Gerald acts this way in order to keep his upper class status and to be good enough for Sheila.
However, when Gerald finds out that he is connected to this girls death and his relationship with her might be exposed his character changes. Gerald becomes more distressed and anxious about the family finding out the truth. Page 23, “pulling himself together” this stage directions shown how shocked and distressed Gerald has become as he realises that he has given away that he knew the girl and realises what a dramatic impact this could have on his status and he relationship with the Birling family. Later, Gerald is still being deceitful towards Sheila, even though he made it obvious that he knew of Eva he still tries to deny it to Sheila’s face. Page 23, “why should I have known her?” by bare face lying to Sheila it makes Gerald seem like he may not love her as much as everyone thought and their relationship could just be because he wants to get a higher social status.
After Gerald has confessed he seems to become sensitive, because he tries to help Eva (by offering her money) and he admits his wrong doing. We can already tell that Gerald has

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    - At the end of the play, Sheila is much wiser. She now views her parents and Gerald from a new perspective. She now…

    • 391 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    · Page 39: "I think you know. But I'm not quite sure why're being so coy about it." - she knows that Gerard is aware that he can appeal - senses that he is possibly hiding something, which is preventing him to appeal. After realising that Gerard is beginning to take a liking towards her, it seems that she uses this opportunity to inform him that she wants to help him and to find out the truth about what really happened…

    • 2468 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Furthermore, Mrs Birling pretends to be ignorant about Eric’s drinking problem”(staggered) it isn’t true…” the paralinguistic feature “(staggered)’’ is effective as her action mirrors her false shock and pretence. Though as an audience we know that her shock is forged in order to keep her family stable, secure and protected from humiliation.…

    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tension is an element that has been intricately woven at the heart of the Birling family. The Birling’s are a family of two generations; the older assertive and callous generation and the younger ambitious generation with not yet fully sculpted minds. The lack of understanding and empathy for the younger generation (Eric and Shelia) feeds the tension at heart:-…

    • 414 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nervously, Mr Birling is able to take charge of the situation and continue his speech about the engagement. In this speech Mr Birling objectifies his daughter as “something good to be married to”. We know this because he addresses Gerald and regularly mentions how “She’ll (Sheila) make you happy”. Though Mr Birling’s power is tested when embarrassed by the Inspector. The Inspector bluntly confronts him for his terrible…

    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Despite that Gerald had also taken care of her by giving her a place to stay and some money. She ended up caring for him more than he ever cared for her and at the end he had to break it of which he then…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Birlings are a family of wealth and power, who take pride in their high social position. Mr. Birling is a successful businessman, and the family inhabits a nice home with a maid (and likely other servants). The play begins with the family celebrating and feeling generally pleased with themselves and their fortunate circumstance. Throughout the Inspector’s investigation, however, it comes out that several of the Birlings have used their power and influence immorally, in disempowering and worsening the position of a girl from a lower class: Mr. Birling used his high professional position to force Eva Smith out of his factory when she led a faction of workers in demanding a raise; Sheila, in a bad temper, used her social status and her family’s…

    • 169 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Arthur Birling and InspectorGoole's philosophies on life and society contrast throughout the play. For most of the play Sheila, Eric and Mrs Birling are fully behind Mr Birling and his philosophies, but towards the end of the play, Eric and Sheila effectively switch sides and begin to back InspectorGoole's philosophies on life and society.…

    • 762 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In act 1 The Birling family and Gerald are celebrating Gerald and Sheila's engagement in the dining room. Sheila and Eric are arguing in a not really serious way, while Gerald and Mr. Birling are talking about business, politics mostly about the Titanic. Mr. Birling is on his way to the next social class by getting an knighthood. Lady Croft has a very strong view of social classes; it looks like she isn't too happy about the fact, that her son is engaged to a girl of a lower class. Just before the ring bells and the inspector arrives, Mr. Birling shows his outlook on life to Gerald and Eric "a man has to make his own way, has to look after himself and his family". The inspector enters and tells them about the suicide. He shows a photograph to Mr.Birling. and starts questioning him. It turns out that Eva Smith had been one of Mr.Birlings. employees and later on was discharged because she asked for more money, had been refused and went on a strike along with allot of other employees, and was later fired for being one of the…

    • 529 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    inspector calls notes

    • 3464 Words
    • 17 Pages

    Sheila when she sees the ring ‘is this the one you wanted me to have.’ - emphasises that Sheila is Gerald’s possession.…

    • 3464 Words
    • 17 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gerald manipulates The Birlings by making it seem that he wants to be part of the family by saying, “I insist upon being one of the family now,” and publicly gives the ring to Sheila, as if he is trying to be the best son-in-law and forget about the business of last summer.…

    • 505 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    inspector calls

    • 990 Words
    • 3 Pages

    From the outset, Priestley uses Mrs Birling’s persona to create an unlikeable character, a woman who is described as ‘cold’ in the stage directions, displaying the attitudes she will show in the opening scene. Her attitude to class is shown by her cynical comment – ‘a girl of that class’ – a comment which implies her awareness of her social superiority. This shows the way in which she looks down upon the character of Eva Smith. Similarly, her dismissive attitude towards lower class people is demonstrated by her careful concern for social etiquette and manners. She shows disgust at Sheila’s use of colloquial language, for instance, when Sheila refers to Eric as ‘squiffy’, Mrs Birling is seemingly outraged. This suggests that she would not want to be associated with the dialect used by those of a lower social status. Her character is shown to feel a need to impress Gerald due to his upper class heritage and parenting. This could be represented by her embarrassment when Mr Birling congratulates the cook and tells him off for discussing business. This indicates that she doesn’t want Gerald to get the impression that she or her family would act in such a way.…

    • 990 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As soon as they meet in act one, Birling attempts to show his social superiority to the Inspector, boasting about his contacts in the police force, this shows Birlings character and the type of person he is, big headed and boastfull. Within the play Mr and Mrs Birling seems to be the only characters that are unable to accept the fact that they helped in the death of eva smith. In contrast to Mr and Mrs Birling Sheila has total opposite views and realises what she did was wrong, and wishes that she could go back and never get Eva sacked-…

    • 1084 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Liar by Tobias Wolff

    • 339 Words
    • 2 Pages

    He may not know it but lying is also his way of coping. Unlike with his mother, James…

    • 339 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In “First Confession” by Frank O’Connor, Mrs. Ryan’s method of teaching the negatives instead of the positives, is basically her using reverse psychology. Being taught more about hell is a way of saying if you do not do something you will be punished. The ultimate punishment of your sins is being demised to going to hell and not being forgiven by Jesus or God himself. If you were to leave out any particular sin in a confession, the Holy himself will know. Mrs. Ryan explains this by telling a story of a man who was killed in a priest house and left behind burn marks, because he was condoned as a demon. Instead of sprouting wings, the man was taken to Hell. I believe that Mrs. Ryan’s method of reverse psychology is way of getting the students…

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays