Shelia Birling Flashcards
What is Sheila a symbol of?
Priestley uses Sheila, along with Eric, as a symbol to represent the younger generation and socialism.
What type of character is Sheila?
Sheila Birling is Arthur and Sybil’s daughter and is in her early twenties. At the start of the play she is celebrating her engagement to Gerald Croft.
How is Sheila presented?
Priestley initially presents Sheila as a naïve, entitled “pretty girl” whose worth is determined by her appearance, who transforms into an empowered, confident woman.
How does Sheila abuse her power?
Whilst shopping in Milwards, she uses the power of her surname to get Eva Smith sacked from her job
How does Sheila show guilt?
Sheila’s assumption that Eva would manage subsequently, shows her naivety about the way people like Eva live, and her realisation that she was a catalyst in Eva’s decline create feelings of intense guilt.
How is Sheila presented as selfish?
For Sheila, her selfishness is represented by her jealousy. If Eva had “been some plain little creature” she wouldn’t have gotten her fired.
What does Sheila say about the ring?
‘I’ll never let it out of my sight for an instant. ‘ – Sheila’s engagement ring, and more specifically the line she says when she receives it, foreshadows the dark events that are to come
What themes does Sheila link to?
The central theme of the play is responsibility, and Priestley gives Sheila a significant role in making her family realise that they are all responsible.
How does Sheila accept responsibility?
She defends Eva Smith claiming that Eva and other members of the working class are ‘not cheap labour, they’re people’.
How does Sheila react to Eva’s death?
The Inspector arrives and she is very shocked by the news of Eva Smith’s death, she is also very regretful of her own involvement in the suicide.
Why is Sheila responsible for Eva’s death?
Sheila is to blame because she is cruel and selfish towards Eva.
How is Sheila socially responsible?
She represents the way society can improve, and is a symbol of the compassionate, Socialist younger generation.
What type of person is Sheila Birling?
Sheila’s position is, broadly, an empathetic one
