Responsibility/Sheila Flashcards
“Oh - how horrible”
Sheila is the only character who expresses genuine motion towards the suicide of Eva Smith. Priestley demonstrates this through the use of a dash, indicating Sheila’s authentic displeasure.
“I was in a furious temper” and
“It was my own fault” and “I behaved badly too. I know I did”.
Sheila is instantly open toward accepting responsibility and is self-critical of her selfish actions
“I felt rotten about it at the time”
Priestley’s use of the informal adjective “rotten” demonstrates Sheila’s lack of maturity in vocabulary. However, she also shows remorse for her actions, which she instantly knew was wrong. Arguably, this is Priestley conveying the message that maturity is proportional to the level of social responsibility you feel, rather than using formal vocabulary.
“If I could help her now, I would” and “I’ll never, never do it again to anybody”
Priestley evidences Sheila’s commitment to changing her attitude towards social responsibility
“I suppose we’re all nice people now”
Priestley uses this rhetorical device, coupled with a sarcastic tone to convey Sheila’s disapproval of her parents and Gerald’s lack of remorse. The lack of a potential criminal conviction doesn’t alleviate their immoral actions.
