Sheila Flashcards
How does Sheila represent a Stereotypical upper class girl in pre-war Britain?
Sheila is representative of a stereotypical upper class girl in the early 1900s as she is incredibly naive, innocent and does what she is told by the males in her life. Throughout the play however Sheila gains a sense of self autonomy and formulates her own opinions about social and economic matters. At the end of the play she openly criticises her parents and their lack of social responsibility and failure to learn from their experiences. This is vastly different to what would have been expected from an upper class girl in Britain at the time.
How is Sheila presented throughout the play?
At the beginning of the play Sheila is presented as privileged, materialistic and selfish. However, Sheila develops throughout the play to gain her own opinions and to formulate her own views on society, capitalism and the patriarchy, even going as far as to call out her own parents. At the end of the play Sheila is shown to be a more mature, more socialist and a more socially responsible character. Sheila’s character development is representative of the younger generations open mindedness and willingness to learn.
How is Sheila presented as privileged?
‘I told him that if they didn’t get rid of that girl, I’d never go near the place again and I’d persuade mother to close our account with them’ -Act 1
How is Sheila presented as materialistic?
‘Look Mummy, isn’t it a beauty’ -Act 1
“Oh - Gerald - you’ve got it - is it the one you wanted me to have?” -Act 1
How is Sheila presented as selfish?
“If she’d been some miserable plain little creature, I don’t suppose I’d have done it. But she was very pretty and looked as if she could take care of herself. I couldn’t be sorry for her” -Act 1
How is Sheila presented as more socially responsible?
“And probably between us we killed her.” -Act 2
‘ I want to get out of this. It frightens me the way you talk.’ -Act 3 (Sheila about the way her parents and Gerald refuse to take any responsibility)
How is Sheila presented as remorseful?
It’s the only time I’ve ever done anything like that, and I’ll never, never do it again to anybody” -Act 1
How is Sheila presented as having more of a socialist attitude?
‘you mustn’t try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl. If you do, then the inspector will just break it down. And it’ll be all the worse when he does’ -Act 2
“But these girls aren’t cheap labour- they’re people” -Act 1
