Key Sheila Birling Quotes Flashcards
Some stage directions on how she speaks (Act 1)
"(gaily, possessively)" "(with mock aggressiveness") "(half serious, half playful)" x3 "(severely)" "(quiet and serious now)" - With Geraldd "(trying to be light and easy)" "(excited)" - reaction to ring "(she kisses Gerald hastily)" "(admiringly)" "(attentive)" - to her father's speech "(gaily)" - enters with Inspector there "(coming farther in)" "(rather distressed)" - about Eva "(cutting in)" - to Mr Birling cutting her off "(warmly)" - for Eva "(staring at him, agitated)" - to Mr Birling firing Eva "(She looks at it closely, recognises it with a half-stiffled sob, and then runs out)" "(Enter Sheila, who looks as if she's been crying)" "(miserably)" "(distressed)" "(She almost breaks down, but just controls herself)" - when telling her story "(stormily)" "(laughs rather hysterically)" - she knows Gerald's hiding something from the Inspector, then: "(She looks at him almost in triumph)"
Last thing she says (Act 3)
“No, not yet. It’s too soon. I must think” - about Gerald offering ring again.
Reflects how she THINKS during the play - change in character
How does she describe the Inspector’s behaviour as soon as Gerald returned?
“He was - frightening” PAGE 213
How does she try and regain power over her father when he interrupts her? (Act 1)
She interrupts him:
S “You talk as if we were responsible -
B “(cutting in) Just a minute, Sheila. Now, Inspector, perhaps you and I had better go and talk this over quietly in a corner-“
S “(cutting in) Why should you? He’s finished with you. HE say’s it’s one of us now”
“He say’s it’s one of us now” Sheila says this after Mr Birling has been questioned. What can you say about this?
“us” shows her socialist views at this early point, that she will believe (as she already does believe) that everyone shares responsibility. However, she hasn’t fully adopted these views yet, as she still shay “one of us”
First words she says (Act 1)
“(gaily, possessively) I should jolly well think not, Gerald. I’d hate you to know all about port - like one of these purple-faced old men” Already taking control over relationship - not stereotypical role of woman.
Some stage directions on how she speaks (Act 2)
“(with hysterical laugh, to Gerald)”
“(bitterly)”
“(cutting in)” - to Gerald
“(distressed)” - about Eva’s fate
“(eagerly)”
“(staring at him)” - the Inspector
“(she stares at him wonderingly and dubiously)” - Inspector
“(hesitantly)” - to Mrs Birling
“(urgently, cutting in)” - Mrs Birling when on about girls of lower classes
“(slowly, carefully now)” - warning mother about what her mother says to Inspector
“(gives a short, hysterical laugh)”
“(cutting in) - Gerald, cutting him off for telling Mrs Birling the same thing she tells her immediately afterwards x2
“(urgently)”
“(rather wildly, with laugh)”
“(bitterly)”
“(coolly)”
“(cutting in, as he hesitates)” - Gerald’s story
“(with sharp sarcasm)”
“(with irony)”
“(she hands him the ring)”
“(astonished)” - Mrs Bring seeing Eva recently
“(bursting in)” - imagining Eva now
“(horrified)” - Eva was pregnant
“(with feeling)” - to her mother turning Eva away
“(bitterly)”
“(with sudden alarm)” - trying to get her mother to stop giving punishments to father
“(distressed)”
Some stage directions on how he speaks (Act 3)
“(protesting)” - because she doesn’t want to leave the room
“(frightened)” - for Eric
“(bitterly)” - for her actions
“(who is crying quietly)”
INSPECTOR LEAVES
“(scornfully)”
“(sharply attentive)” - thinking about when the Inspector came in
“(slowly)”
“(she looks a them reflectively)” - same as above
“(flaring up)” - against being called childish by Mrs Birling
“(slowly)”
“(bitterly)”
“(eagerly)” - as Gerald supports her views
“(flaring up)” - for the Inspector
“(Sheila moves towards door)” - when Mr Birling is mocking the Inspector & kids. She replies:
“(tensely)”
“(passionately)” - when Mr Birling starts to suggest Sheila takes back Gerald’s ring
Her reaction to the photo
“(She looks at it closely, recognises it with a half-stiffled sob, and then runs out)”
What is her given reason for giving Gerald the ring back?
“I rather respect you more than I’ve ever done before… You and I aren’t the same people who sat down to dinner here. We’d have to start all over again”
