Sheila Birling Flashcards
Who is Sheila?
the Birlings’ daughter. She
represents the impressionable, socially-aware younger generation and the feminist movement
“Oh - how ……”
“Oh - how horrible” - ACT 1
Sheila is the only character who expresses genuine motion towards the suicide of Eva Smith.
Priestley demonstrates this through the use of a dash ‘-‘ makes it shocking for her to hear
(RESPONSIBILITY)
“But these girls aren’t …… …… - they’re ……”
“But these girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people” - Act 1
- Priestley demonstatrates Sheilas instantaneous recognition of the Inspectors message, as she doesn’t agree with her fathers dehumanising and capitalist approach to business
(Capitalism vs Socialism)
“I suppose we’re all ….. …… ……”
“I suppose we’re all nice people now” - Act 3
Priestley uses this rhetorical question with a sarcastic tone to convey Shelia’s disapproval of her parents and Geralds lack of remorse. They don’t care because Eva was of working class - inequality.
(RESPONSIBILITY)
“I was in a […..]” and “It was my own [……]” and “I [….] badly too. I know I did”
“I was in a furious temper” and “It was my own fault” and “I behaved badly too. I know I did” - ACT 1
Sheila is instantly open towards the idea of accepting responsibility and is aware of her selfish actions
(RESPONSIBILITY)
“It’s you two who are being […..] - trying not to […..]”
“It’s you two who are being childish - trying not to face the facts” - ACT 3
- Sheila recognises her parents faults
- Priestley uses irony to expose the lack of responsibility and immurity of Mr and Mrs birling, as Sheila (the child) labels her parents as ‘childish’
“Pretty?”
ACT 1
- Can be inferred that Sheilas sadness and jealousy was due to Eva being pretty
- This demonstrates Sheilas warped view of the world, as the value of someones life depends on their outward beauty
“You and I aren’t the [….]“ - to gerald
“You and I aren’t the same people“ - ACT 2
- Sheila has gained maturity sincer her intial engagement with Gerald. Shelias perception of Gerald has changed and she can no longer ignore the injustices of society.
(MATURITY)
“You don’t seem to have [….]”
“You don’t seem to have learnt anything” - ACT 3
- Sheila accepts the purpose of the inquiry (moral teaching)
- Priestely does this to portray the older generation as stubborn and opposed to changing their stance on responsibility
(MATURITY)
Topic sentences
● Priestley explores the superficial nature of Sheila’s engagement with Gerald and the transactional purpose of their relationship to... ● Priestley explores the detrimental effect of the class-system through the similarities between Sheila and Eva Smith and the differing experiences of upper and lower-class backgrounds. ● Priestley explores the character of Sheila as the ideal recipient of the Inspector’s message, as her role as the Inspector’s proxy is Priestley’s preferred response from the audience.
Sheila’s dialogue share (structure)
Noticibly larger amount of dialogue compared to Mrs B, suggesting her rather unconventional behavior. A subtle hint as being different to the older Birlings
Mrs B- ‘The things you girls pick up nowadays’
‘nowadays’ is a subtle suggestion that things are starting to change in society, as women have more freedom.Further suggestion of Sheila being a somewhat unconventional woman.
Perhaps being unconventional means that she is less likely to stick to conventional capitalist attitudes providing her with a key element in her reformation- her capacity to change
Structure
Presented as the stereotypical spoilt and overprotected upper class woman, but later uses her to reveal youth’s ability to change
Introduced as a highly privileged but immature young ‘girl’
- ‘very pleased with life’ - contrasts Eva’s agony, who are similar, albeit from different classes therefore pointing out that class can lead to detrimental inequality
- ‘pretty girl’ - not only demonstrates her immaturity but also superficiality — childish colloquialisms (mummy + daddy) — ‘now I really feel married’ Gerald - superficial, viewing the ring as the symbol for her marriage. This is done to criticize how upper-class women were brought up with a childish and superficial nature, ignorant to the lower classes suffering
Somewhat unconventional for her gender
-structurally more dialogue (defying gender roles)
- ‘the things you girls pick up nowadays’ temporal phrase nowadays- subtly suggest changing society, not fully indoctrinated into capitalist ideologies which allows her to change
After learning about Eva’s death
Sheila is presented as very emotional-
- ‘oh- how horrible’- genuine emotion but clearly an understatement (poor lexicon/euphemism in household) feminine hysteria, but Priestley shows this is need to empathies (allows her to change)
- ‘but these girls aren’t cheap labour- they’re people’ - empathizes with them, embraces socialism
- ‘-and I’ve been so happy tonight. Oh, I wish you hadn’t told me’- reveals her self-indulgence and immaturity through the pronoun ‘I’, wants to remain ignorant but this later change ‘morbid curiosity’, no longer ignorant.
During interrogation, Sheila is presented as genuinely emotive and responsible but still expresses signs of immaturity and ignorance
- sobs- expresses genuine emotion after realizing that she has ruined Eva’s life by getting her fired
- ‘I was in a furious temper’- childish, unable to control her emotions
- ‘I behaved badly- I know I did’ - instantaneously accepts responsibility
-Acts as an extension to the inspector to interrogate the inspector, making her the idea recipient- Gerald contrasts her acceptance of responsibility ‘we can keep it from him’. Sheila is presented as more intelligent and aware than the other characters- ‘why- you fool- he knows - she understands that the inspector knows everything
-described as ‘impressionable’ demonstrating how the youth have the capacity to change.
-Rejection of Gerald’s ring- symbolic rejection of materialism, breaking free from Ouspski’s theory
End of play- Sheila has clearly understood the inspectors message, unlike the older Birling’s- showing true remorse along with Eric
- ‘It’s you two who are being childish- not trying to face the facts’ - infantilisation of the older Birlings reveals the shift in power and rapid maturity facilitated by the inspector- no longer uses childish colloquialisms and stops her childish arguments with Eric
- ‘I suppose that we are all good people now’ - sarcastic disapproval of Gerald + older Birling’s lack of remorse contrasting the younger Birling’s
Does this to convey to his audience that the youth are the futures of society and have the capacity to become harbingers of change for a better society
