Shiela Flashcards
What is Sheila like at the start of the play
Naive, puerile, juvenile, insecure, jealous, materialistic, superficial, ignorant, privileged, performative, capricious
What was Sheila like in the middle of the play
Insightful, empathetic
Sheila is receptive to the inspectors message
What was Sheila like at the end of the play
Reformed, assertive, apologetic regretful, virtuous, confrontational, rational, responsible
What is the purpose and function of Sheila’s character?
Shiela is the ideal recipient of the inspectors message as her role as the inspectors proxy
Demonstrate the wasted potential of women in 1912 living in a patriarchal society
A symbol for the younger generation: impressionable and follow the examples of their elders but are also open minded and have the capacity to change
“A pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited”
Sheila is initially portrayed through stage directions as living comfortably and blissfully ignorant of societies injustices
Priestly does this to develop Shiela into a more social responsible person
“destroying herself so horribly - and I’ve been so happy tonight”
Sympathetic and remorseful
Her rather not knowing and focusing on her own enjoyment and happiness shows her selfishness
“Pretty?”
Superficial and only concerned with outward beauty
Can be inferred that Shiela’s grief is greater due to Eva Smith being pretty
“Now I really feel engaged”
Demonstrates Shiela’s obsession with material objects - she needs a physical token to “really feel engaged”
Notion of the ring validating their relationship is a metaphor for the nature of their marriage - it is a strategic alliance rather than a union of love
“But these girls aren’t cheap labour, they’re people”
Priestly demonstrates Shiela instantaneous recognition of the Inspectors message
Shiela’s empathy is evident throughout the use of the plural noun ‘girls’ as she can relate to the patriarchal oppression they face
“it was my own fault”
accepts responsibly for her own actions immediately without deflecting blame onto others
accepts her own jealousy caused her to envy Eva’s beauty and mistreat her
“fire blood and anguish”
Inspector’s impression upon Shiela is echoed through her repetition of his final words
Acts as his proxy when he departs
Sheila is the ideal exemplar to the audience showing them how they should react to the inspectors message - priestly encourages the audience to take the role of the Inspector and propagate the need for greater social responsibilty
