Sheila Flashcards
Naïve
At the opening of the play she appears to be a little immature and easily led. Her behaviour is childish and she very much does what her parents tell her.
“I’m sorry Daddy actually I was listening.”
Sheila shows her naivety and lack of maturity in the way she reacts to her father. She is quick to apologise, it is clear that she is keen to behave well. She also refers to her father as ‘Daddy’, a childish term.
Assertive
As the play progresses, Sheila’s character develops and she begins to stand up for herself.
“I tell you - whoever that inspector was, it was anything but a joke.”
The change in Sheila here is clear. She has become more assertive, using phrases such as ‘I tell you’. The events of the evening have made her aware of the serious impact one’s actions can have.
Insightful
At a number of points, Sheila shows that she can see things that the other characters cannot.
Yes, of course it is. That’s what I meant when I talked about building up a wall that’s sure to be knocked flat. It makes it all harder to bear.”
Sheila uses the metaphor of a wall that the Inspector will knock down to show her insightful understanding of his methods. She knows that if they try to keep anything from him, it will make things worse. The other characters don’t realise this as quickly as Sheila does.
