Social Responsibility - Sheila

Question 1

How does Sheila link to Social Responsibility?

Answer 1

• Representation of the generational divide
• First to grasp shared resp.
• Represents the way society can improve.

Question 2

‘He’s giving us the rope - so that we’‘ll hang ourselves’ (Act 2, Page 33)

Answer 2

• Metaphor is macabre showing her shaken state of mind and severity of situation.
• ‘rope’ and ‘hang’ allude to execution - Inspector’s role in bringing justice and Birling’s part causing their own fall from grace.
• Sheila is open to Inspector’s messages.

Question 3

‘Probably between us we killed her’ (Act 2, Page 35)

Answer 3

• Understanding.
• Direct confession of guilt.
• Blame can be shared between them - upholds Priestley’s message.
• Pronoun ‘we’ illustrates collectivity.
• Her honesty and bluntness is a refreshing change from her parents’ deceit.

Question 4

‘I’ll never, never do it again to anybody’ (Act 1, Page 24)

Answer 4

• Shows guilt.
• Repetition of frequency adverb ‘never’ emphasises immense sense of regret for her actions.
• The repetition also reflects an obsessive feeling and that remorse has overcome her speech.
• Part of Sheila’s metamorphosis - she begins to change while others around her remain blind.