Gerald Croft

"I happened to look in."

AO1: Downplays his deliberate visit to Palace Bar.

AO2: Verb “happened” suggests accident.

AO3: Respectable facade masking vice.

"I made her go to Morgan Terrace because I was sorry for her."

AO1: Mix of kindness and control.

AO2: Causative “made” shows power imbalance.

AO3: Paternalistic attitude to women.

"She was young and pretty and warm-hearted – and intensely grateful."

• AO1: Attraction mixed with condescension.

• AO2: Listing emphasises idealised view.

• AO3: Reflects male objectification of women.

"I didn’t feel about her as she felt about me."

AO1: One-sided relationship.

AO2: Contrast in “I” vs “she”.

AO3: Power lies with the man.

"We can keep it from him."

• AO1: Willing to withhold truth.

• AO2: “We” builds alliance in deceit.

• AO3: Protects upper-class image.

"She told me she’d been happier than she’d ever been before."

AO1: Suggests he improved her life temporarily.

AO2: Superlative “happier than ever” shows intensity.

AO3: Temporary escape from poverty.

"Everything’s all right now, Sheila."

AO1: Wants to move past events quickly.

AO2: Reassuring tone masks avoidance.

AO3: Resistance to lasting change.

"You couldn’t have done anything else."

• AO1: Defends Birling’s sacking of Eva.

• AO2: Certainty in “couldn’t”.

• AO3: Supports capitalist logic.

"She looked young and fresh and charming."

AO1: Focus on physical qualities.

AO2: Triadic description.

AO3: Reinforces male gaze.

"Everything's just as it was."

• AO1: Embraces status quo.

• AO2: Repetition of “everything” for emphasis.

• AO3: Symbol of resistance to social change.