The Old Wives’ Tale · Character

Gerald Scales

A handsome, glib commercial traveller whose charm wins Sophia Baines and whose fecklessness slowly reveals itself as a kind of weather she must live inside.

major

Also known as Gerald, Mr. Gerald Scales, Mr. Scales, Scales, young Scales

First appearance: ii the tooth

As a major figure in The Old Wives’ Tale, Gerald Scales is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

A commercial traveller for Birkinshaws who arrives during the Wakes and speaks with Sophia in the shop.

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Gerald Scales arrives in Bursley as a bright smile and a lively gesture, the sort of man a shopgirl is warned against and a proud daughter cannot resist. He is irreclaimably a fool and a prodigy of irresponsibleness, resentful of his wife's height and her dignity, ready to suggest she write home for money. His weakness is the engine of Sophia's long exile, and his presence haunts the novel even when he is absent from it.

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The fuller portrait of Gerald Scales sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Gerald Scales in ii the tooth

Character Web

32 connections

A slice of how Gerald Scales sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Bursley shop and family
Minor and background characters
Sophia's Paris circle
Minor Bursley acquaintances

+27 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this excerpt, Sophia reaches an emotional and psychological low point of apathy and entrapment, loathing he…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Sophia Baines
romantic · negative
Passionate but ultimately destructive romantic relationship, with Gerald as a charming… How this plays out →
Madame Foucault
social · negative
Sophia Baines
romantic · negative
Passionate but ultimately destructive romantic relationship, with Gerald as a charming… How this plays out →
Madame Foucault
social · negative
Sophia Baines
romantic · negative
Passionate but ultimately destructive romantic relationship, with Gerald as a charming… How this plays out →
Madame Foucault
social · negative

Sophia Baines
Passionate but ultimately destructive romantic relationship, with Gerald as a charming but unreliable suitor who abandons Sophia.
Madame Foucault
Acquaintances through Sophia's Parisian life, with Gerald's visits to Madame Foucault's pension causing tension.
Sophia Baines
Passionate but ultimately destructive romantic relationship, with Gerald as a charming but unreliable suitor who abandons Sophia.
Madame Foucault
Acquaintances through Sophia's Parisian life, with Gerald's visits to Madame Foucault's pension causing tension.
Sophia Baines
Passionate but ultimately destructive romantic relationship, with Gerald as a charming but unreliable suitor who abandons Sophia.
Madame Foucault
Acquaintances through Sophia's Parisian life, with Gerald's visits to Madame Foucault's pension causing tension.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Gerald Scales in ii the tooth

In the story

Gerald Scales appears across 13 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Elephant
A commercial traveller for Birkinshaws who arrives during the Wakes and speaks with Sophia in the shop.
VI: Escapade
Gerald Scales is the object of Sophia's passion; his brief encounter with her in Wedgwood Street sparks her secret joy.
VII: A Defeat
Elopes with Sophia after inheriting twelve thousand pounds from an aunt.
Book III: Sophia
Sophia's husband; his reckless spending leads to the loss of their fortune.
I: The Elopement
Gerald initially leaves Sophia but returns, overcome with desire and emotion, agreeing to marry her and arranging a boardinghouse.
II: Supper
Gerald is proud, drunk, and careless. He abandons Sophia at the restaurant and later lies about his bleeding lip, adopting a magisterial tone to deflect blame.
III: An Ambition Satisfied
Gerald is embarrassed by the orgy, hides the execution from Sophia, and remains cool toward her after the previous night's events.
A Crisis for Gerald
Abandons Sophia after borrowing money from Chirac, returns to demand she write for money, then leaves permanently.
Fever
Mentioned in Sophia's thoughts as the man she eloped with, now viewed with disdain and seen as having vanished from her life.
VII: Success
Mentioned as the source of the two hundred pounds Sophia used to build her fortune.
Book IV: What Life Is
Gerald's influence lingers as a symbol of fate and the irreversibility of choices, particularly through his relationship with Sophia.
I: Frensham’s
No word from him; his past with Sophia is alluded to in her fears of being recognized.
IV: End of Sophia
His death is confirmed via a letter from Mr. Till Boldero.

Chapter companion notes

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