Sheila Flashcards
Give a quote about looks
“A pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather
excited”
Give analysis for the quote “build up a kind of wall” and “giving us rope so we can hang our selves”
Sheila uses imagery when she talks of her mother’s attempts to‘build up a kind of wall’; implying the metaphorical distance Mrs Birling creates between the classes. When Sheila warns the others that the Inspector is ‘giving us rope so that we hang ourselves’, she once again uses a metaphor to create a visual image of the way the Inspector skilfully manipulates characters into confessing their sins.
How does Sheila show she is a child give a quote?
“Yes, go on, Mummy”
Give analysis for “yes,go on,mummy”
Sheila’s language also reflects her increasing maturity as she
begins the play saying “mummy” using a lot of personal
pronouns to highlight her selfish, childlike attitude at the start
of the play. As the play progresses she refers to Mrs Birling as
“mother” which reflects this change and perhaps she doesn’t
feel as intimate with her mother and has lost respect for her
because of the way she is behaving.
Give a quote showing Sheila feels guilty?
“(rather distressed) I can’t help thinking about this girl- destroying
herself so horribly- and I’ve been so happy tonight. Oh I wish you
hadn’t told me.”
give analysis for “So nothing’s happened, so there’s nothing to be sorry
for, nothing to learn”
Sheila’s language becomes more passionate and she uses
sarcasm (“So nothing’s happened, so there’s nothing to be sorry
for, nothing to learn.”)
When does sheila use irony?
Sheila also uses irony when she is appalled by her parents’ attitudes to carry on as before: “I suppose we’re all nice people now”. Sheila uses irony to show that she completely disagrees with her parents and that she understands the moral consequences of her actions. The use of irony highlights the tensions that existed between the younger and older
How does sheila reminisce the inspector?
Sheila significantly refuses to take back Gerald’s ring and
interestingly she uses phrases reminiscent of the Inspector in
her reply, “not yet” and “It’s too soon” which emphasizes the
importance of timing – the telephone rings just after.
How does Priestly present sheila
Priestley uses the character of
Sheila to represent his own views
of social responsibility.
What does priestly try to show through sheila?
She offers hope for the future and Priestley uses Shelia as an example of people’s changing attitudes
towards those less fortunate than themselves. She is sympathetic towards Eva and other girls in her
position, recognising that they were “not just cheap labour but people”.
What does sheila realsie?
She accepts that her actions impacted on Eva’s life and that she cannot disconnect her
actions from the effects these have on others. She recognises and understands the Inspector’s
message that we are all collectively responsible for all that happens in the world.
How does sheila show inspector goole?
At times she acts as almost an assistant to the Inspector, in that she supports his criticism of the
other characters, becoming his mouthpiece when he has left the stage. Sheila’s character becomes
quite didactic and this can make her a character with whom the audience do not sympathise with
as her change has happened far too quickly and so she is in some ways quite unrealistic.
