Character Analysis
A British intellectual turned expat, Gilbert is an aging elitist who voices communist doctrine and enjoys making grandiose statements. He is the quintessential example of the intellectual who uses his brains and influence to accomplish bad things:
He had been considered profound for uttering such things as: "Freedom? Do let's stop talking about freedom. Freedom is impossible....[Man] can never be free from the tyranny of nature. So why should he object to the tyranny of a political dictatorship?" (2.7.3.15).
Gilbert Keith-Worthing is rather implicitly compared in his scenes to the type of misguided scholarly people who supported tyrannical groups like the Nazis.