Sheila

Question 1

how is Sheila oppressed by patriarchy

Answer 1

• her oppression serves to be emblematic of the typical oppression of women within the early 20th century
• her entire being is centred around the patriarchal expectations of her : marriage to advance her family politically + socially
• we see clearly that Sheila is equally ecstatic about the marriage as she is mesmerised by the “beauty” of the ring - but she is later disillusioned to the idea of marriage proving thus marriage was not a union for her, but for her father.
• a womens naivety & oppression allowed this transaction to be more seamless - hence Sheila’s naivety is used by Priestley to indict how the patriarchal society objectified women , seeing them for their transactional value opposed to their value as humans.

Question 2

• “rather ____, with laugh] No, he’s giving us the ___- so that we’ll hang ourselves
  ACT 2
• responsibility
• old v young
• social class

Answer 2

• [rather wildly , with laugh] No, he’s giving us the rope - so that we’ll hang ourselves
• stage direction [wildly] depicts Sheila’s disillusionment with capitalist ideals & middle class etiquette - liberates herself from these constraints , embracing her unrestrained nature without apology
• coupled with her [laugh] this suggests she finds capitalism absurd, laughing at its societal significance whilst laughing at how persistently delusional her parents are - they want shirk their responsibilities & moral wrongdoings

-‘rope’ has fibers that are all intertwined , this symbolizing how Sheila has recognized that everybody in society is intertwined with their responsibilities - each individual is all woven into the fabric of our communities & society & not independent pieces , but interconnected threads creating a larger united body

• thus Sheila understands , through the inspectors symbolic gesture of the “rope” that she & her family bear a moral duty to protect the “millions & millions” that suffer.

Question 3

look ____ - isn’t it a ___
A1
- gender
- social class

Answer 3

look mummy - isn’t it a beauty
- in A1 , Sheilas speech is short & simplistic reflecting not only how society silences her as a young woman perceived as inferior but also highlighting her disenfranchisement

• lack of voice could be seen as priestleys critique of the limited political agency women had during the Edwardian era
• despite her privileged social status , Sheila remains oppressed & marginalized- her lang , marked by terms “mummy” , suggest an infantile & sheltered perspective , illustrating how her social class shields her from life’s harsh realities
• sheilas mesmerization at the ‘beauty’ of the ring is almost ironic as she is only valued for her perceived ‘beauty’ & external looks by society. The objectification extends to both young females we encounter - Sheila & Eva
• both are similarly described as ‘pretty’ showing how despite their differing social classes, they were both subject to the same oppressing & objectifying social perceptions

Question 4

“but these girls aren’t ___ ___ - they’re ___”
A1
- guilt
- capitalism v socialism
- responsibility

Answer 4

but these girls aren’t cheso labour they’re people

• ‘girls’ connotes innocence & vulnerability , suggesting Sheila now recognizes how the upper class, imbued with capitalist views , preys on the disadvantage
• this revelation , unimaginable for her sheltered past self , fuels her disgust with the dehumanizing & unscrupulous behavior of capitalists
• inspectors arrival frees her from the shackles of her oppressive privileged existence. Exposed to the human cost of excessive capitalism
• thus, A1’s docile Sheila , cocooned in a privilege , undergoes a metamorphosis under the inspectors scrutiny
• her infantile facade crumbles, revealing an emerging cha,upon for social justice - symbols advancement of womens rights in 1945, depicting womens empowerment & their role in advocating for social justice for all oppressed members of society

Question 5

what he made me ___. ___ and ___ and ___
A3
- guilt
- capitalism v socialism
- old v young
- responsibility

Answer 5

what he made me feel. Fire & blood & anguish

• following the inspectors final speech , Sheila serves as his proxy , exemplified by her precise emulation , including the deliberate repetition of the polysyndeton “and”
• illuminates sheilas desperate attempt to emphasize the relentless consequences of lacking social conscience to her obdurate parents of the older gen & her fiancé indoctrinated with capitalist beliefs
• Sheila is now a moral compass to her family , showcasing her evolution towards empathy as her use of the personal pronoun “me” shows she now experiences genuine remorse