Sheila Flashcards
How old is Sheila? What is her job/role?
Sheila is in her early twenties and is supposed to get married & have kids to her inherit her husband’s wealth
What is Sheila’s social status?
granddaughter of an aristocrat and she achieves a proper status by becoming Gerald’s fiance, however SHE IS A WOMAN, so will never be top of the hierarchy (limited agency)
“it was an idea of my own”
She is immature/snobby
possessive pronoun
symbolises Sheila’s limited agency as a woman
GENDER/MANNERS
Priestley is implying that Sheila’s actions are a result of the patriarchy
“You’re squiffy”
She is immature/assertive
colloquial langauge
Using childish teasing to imply that Eric is drunk
MANNERS/CLASS
Priestley is using Sheila to show the audience that she is different & a potential hope for the future
“very pleased with life and rather excited”
She is immature/naive
emphatic qualifier/stage directions
She hasn’t been exposed to the realities of world in the 20th century
CLASS
Priestley is criticising the luxurious lifestyle of the higher class, showing they not alot to worry about
“power…to punish”
She has moral standards/dynamic character
alliterative phrasing
She is agreeing with the Inspector that she played a role in Eva Smith’s suicide
RESPONSIBILITY
Priestley is using Sheila as beacon of hope as her character progresses and begins to embody socialist qualities
“engaged to the hero if it”
She has moral standards
sarcastic tone
She is mocking Gerald as he is supposedly presented as the epitome of the ideal gentleman but his connection to Eva doesn’t show this
GENDER
Priestley is suggesting that Sheila is a dynamic character and understands the Inspector
“probably between us we killed her”
She is understanding/has moral standards
reflective tone
Sheila knows that she and her family must take responsibility for their actions towards Eva Smith
AGE/CLASS/MANNERS
Priestley uses Sheila as the moral judge at the end of the play
“you’re wasting time”
She is strong minded
sharp rebuttol
She is more blunt towards Gerald
MANNERS
Priestley is conveying that Sheila has changed and has lost her submissive persona
“have you?”
She is strong minded
tag question
She is asked the Inspector if he is has finished asking Q’s
MANNERS
Priestley is showing us that Sheila’s tone has chnaged, as she is more on edge
