Sheila Flashcards
1
Q
“a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited”
A
- The fact that her beauty is the first thing that is mentioned about her demonstrates how during this time, women were as objects and their value was highly based on their appearance.
- She is pleased with life could represent how fortunate she is, contrasting with someone like Eva Smith, Sheila has never had to work hard in her life as everything was merely handed to her, she is blissfully unaware of the hardship of other.
2
Q
(half serious, half playful) Yes - except for all last summer, when you never came near me, and I wondered what had happened to you.
Gender (conforming to stereotype by being submissive) , relationship with Gerald
- this is a reply to Gerald when he says that he has been trying to be a part of the family
A
- the Juxtaposition stage directions “half serious, half playful” Priestley hints at how upset Shelia is with Gerald but due to the occasion and her status at the time, she doesn’t want to be confrontational as that would break the gender roles at the time as well as the social etiquette expected by women of her class.
- Sheila acknowledges that Gerald has been trying to be apart of the family though the answer “Yes” the hyphen following immediately shows that Sheila vacillations over that point, alluding to a discrepancy between what Gerald as said, and what Sheila knows, or thinks.
- The fact that Shelia is attempting to confront Gerald shows how she is resisting typical gender roles of the time - where women would be submissive towards their husbands which shows that Sheila is more socially progressive than her mother, due to her resistance to conforming to typical social gender roles, which outlines the theme of the generation gap and the younger generation being more socialist than the older.
- Priestley presents Sheila as brave as in the time period it was seen as unthinkable for a woman to question the man. This suggests that she is not as naive and shallow as she first appears. This quote also points out that not everything is perfect in the world of the Birling’s and that just because they have wealth, doesn’t mean they have the glamorous life.
3
Q
“is this the one you wanted me to have”
gender roles
A
- pronoun “you” suggests how Shelia had no say in the ring, which reflects on how women had little control over their lives during this period.
- ‘wanted’ creates a sense of ownership and entitlement- it is almost as though he has a right to make Sheila’s decisions for her, as her husband to be. This has been done intentionally by Priestley to represent the way in which women were treated during Edwardian England- their sole purpose was to merely support their husbands, but never by necessarily offering their own opinions or advice.
- A ring is a symbol of not only love, but a covenant between two parties- it is supposed to be emblematic of a mutual agreement between two people. Conversely, since Gerald had the final say on which ring he presents to Sheila as a supposed token of their love, this implies that their relationship isn’t reciprocal in nature, but is in fact controlled entirely by Gerald.
4
Q
“now I really feel engaged”
A
• Could suggest, that like her father, she is also very materialistic as all skepticism of Gerald’s faithfulness to her is gone once the ring is shown.
5
Q
“Nothing to do with you, Sheila. Run along.” Said by Mr Birling
A
- He treats her like a child with simple orders and imperatives, such as ‘run along’. He underestimates her significance
- Links to how during this time period upper-class women were constantly shielded and treated like children in order for them to remain innocent
6
Q
Oh – how horrible! Was it an accident?
Social class, Gender
A
- Reveals how naïve and innocent Shelia is, reflecting the naivety of upper-class women
- Questioning the inspector foreshadows her curiosity and her ability to accept socialist ideas proposed by the inspector
7
Q
I’ve been so happy tonight. Oh I wish you hadn’t told me.
Social class
A
- Slightly selfish and self-centered – still points out her own self interests
- Reflects how the upper-class only care about themselves and continue to ignore the suffering of the lower class.
- she is the product of elitist upbringing
far more concerned about the impact on her evening rather than the fact that someone has died
capitlist approach to life has been ingrained in her
8
Q
Pretty? Social class, Gender
A
- Highlights how much vanity has control over Shelia’s life, she is blinded by it
- Could be a reflection of upper-class women upbringing : they are taught that the greatest virtue is to be pretty in order to do well in life
- The absurdity of the question in such a serious situation could mirror how Priestley thinks that it is absurd for beauty to be taught as the greatest virtue for women. Helps the audience see his POV
9
Q
But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people. Social class, social responsibility
A
- Shows that she feels sympathetic towards the lower class
- Beginning to see the lower class in a more humane light, rather than focusing on the unnecessary factors such as where they were “pretty” or not
- Displays a sense of responsibility- first sign of socialist sign
- through the use of the hyphen, Priestley forces the reader to pause as Shelia realises the value of human lives.
- “Cheap labour” suggest that the upper class see the lower class as barely useful people who could easily be replaced
10
Q
recognises it with a little cry, gives a half-stifled sob
Social responsibility
A
- She is obviously upset when she realizes what she has done. Her feelings reflect her socialist views, in contrast to Birling, who shows absolutely no remorse at all.
- .Dramatic tension is created by only letting characters see the photo one by one
11
Q
(miserably) So I’m really responsible
A
- This is a sign of curiosity and growing in maturity which is part of Sheila’s character development. By using the word ‘responsible’ it shows the audience that she values the Inspectors message and is learning from it.
- Accepting responsibility makes Shelia a more likeable character and could be used as a message to show that socialism is better for society.
12
Q
Why- you fool- he knows … you’ll see. You’ll see
A
- she breaks social roles and standard as she insults him and shows power over him which is not common in the patriarchal society of the time.
- Displays her as an intelligent character as she is the first to understand how judgement is inevitable – contrast to the widespread idea at the time that women were intellectually inferior to men
- “you’ll see” and it’s repetition highlights Shelia’s high level of understanding about what is going on
13
Q
(cutting in) You’ve made up your mind I must obviously be a selfish, vindictive creature.
A
- The stage direction (cutting in) highlights the power that Shelia has gained since the Inspector has come in = she is now more confident and represents a generation of women under socialism – the audience are able to see the freedom that women will be able to have if they turned to socialism
- The use of the harsh adjectives “selfish” and “vindictive” depicts Shelia as wicked and spiteful which is enhanced by the metaphor “creature”, suggesting how she believes her treatment of Eva was inhumane. This demonstrates how regretful she is and how she is willing to take responsibility
14
Q
(she goes close to him, wonderingly.) I don’t understand about you.
A
- “wonderingly”= adverb= highlights the impression that the Inspector/socialism has on the young and how in awe she is
- By the end of the play when the mysterious nature of the Inspector is revealed, Sheila’s perceptiveness is also revealed through foreshadowing as she is the first the suggest that the Inspector is not all that he seems
15
Q
you mustn’t try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl.
- Priestley’s message
- woen’s roles
A
- Metaphorical description of a wall is a subtle message from Priestley to the audience about the need to break down class divide and instead work together
- Sheila went from “mummy” to standing up to her mother, showing how she is maturing as she learns the full moral issues of society. This could also be symbolic of how women roles were enhanced from 1912 to 1945, highlighting to the men in the audience how much more capable women are and the potential that they have, which is overlooked
“that” - subconsciously enforces class divide even when she’s against it, highlighting how deeply ingrained this ideology is in the edwardian soceity
