Inspector Calls Quotes For Sheila Flashcards
“They’re not cheap labour, they’re people.”
She doesn’t see the importance of Eva by how much she costs to employ, she sees her as a person just like her. Show’s different views to her dad. Show’s how she is against the capitalist view.
“The point is – you don’t seem to have learnt anything”
Sheila is calling her father out on his lack of empathy and his failure to learn anything from the Inspector’s visit. Shows how selfish Mr Birling is. However for Sheila she see’s the death and Inspector’s visit as a new way of looking at life and for the people around her. Inspector’s messege carries through to Sheila even when the inspector leaves.
“I’ll never, never, do it to anybody again.”
Show’s Sheila’s feeling of regret and sympathy for the death of Eva Smith. Repetition of the adverb “never” emphasises her immense sense of regret that she feels for her actions. The repetition also reflects an obsessive feeling and that remorse has overcome her speech.
“Oh how horrible! was it an accident?”
Her reaction to being told by the inspector that a young woman has died. It is a human reaction. She does not know who the person is or their social class or anything about them but her natural human reaction to hear of the death of a fellow human being is compassion and sadness. There is good in Sheila and others like her from the wealthy elite in society, if that goodness can be drawn out more and used to call for change in society it can make Britain a fairer place. This is what Priestley wants.
“I tell you - whoever that Inspector was, it was anything but a joke.”
Shows how Sheila has seriously taken on the inspector’s messege.
Shows how Sheila is deeply affected by Eva’s death, she accepts responsibility straightaway and promises to never behave in such a way again.
Preistly uses characters Sheila and Eric to show how he saw younger generation as the ones that could bring change.
“Mother, I think that was cruel and vile”
The synonymous adjectives ‘cruel and vile’ emphasises the animosity Sheila feels towards her mother.
Shows how Sheila changed and matured as she now refers to Mrs Birling as ‘mother’ rather than ‘mummy’ at the beggining of the play.
Show’s how the younger generation can change and being more equallity in Britain.
Character of Sheila
Initially very selfish and vain. (Holding similar capitalist veiws to her parents.)
Her veiws change quickly after meeting the inspector and she adopts more socialists views.
At the end of the play she understands the idea of social responsibility as she changes from capitalist to socialist views.
Seen as a character JB Priestly wants us to model ourselves on. Sheila symbolises how the younger generation can change viewpoints.
