Gerald Croft works at his father's company, Crofts Limited, which is both older and larger than Mr Birling’s company Birling & Co. He is about to marry Sheila Mr Birling’s daughter. Lord Croft and Lady Croft are Gerald’s parents, are above the Birlings socially, and it looks as if his mother criticises his engagement to Sheila. Priestly depicts Gerald as "an attractive chap about thirty ... very much the easy well-bred young-man-about-town." He
In Priestley’s view Gerald represents the selfish attitudes of the upper class. As he allegedly played a part in the ‘chain of events’, amounting to the death of Eva Smith he is interrogated by the inspector. Priestley uses Gerald’s age to lets the audience down; as the audience may have had hope that