Act 1: Arthur says to Gerald: “I have an idea that your mother – Lady Croft – while she doesn’t object to my girl- feels you
might have done better socially - ….No, Gerald, that’s all right. Don’t blame her. She comes
from an old country family – landed people and so forth – and so it’s only natural. But what
I wanted to say is – there’s a fair chance that I might find my way into the next Honours List,
just a knighthood of course.
Using your ideas from Question 1 and 2, write a paragraph explaining how Arthur is
presented as having higher social aspirations (wants his daughter to marry somebody
socially superior to him) and why he may want to do this. How will it improve life for him?
Why is he concerned that Gerald’s family might not be happy with the match? And why do
you think that Gerald is prepared to marry somebody socially inferior to him? What’s he
gaining from his marriage to Sheila?