Sheila Birling
Key Quotes
How Sheila is presented
"very pleased with life and rather excited"
"Look-Mummy-isn't it a beauty?"
"Half serious, half playful"
"He's giving us the rope- so we can hang ourselves"
"I'm not a child"
"Run along Sheila"
"we killed her"
"I was so happy this evening"
"It scares me how you talk"
"But these girls aren't cheap labour... they're people"
"Your daughter isn't living on the moon"
"That's the worst of it"
"You don't seem to have learnt anything"
"Don't be childish Sheila"
"I suppose we're all nice people now"
"(Miserably), (distressed)"
Act 1
Act 2
Act 3
Sheila is presented as childlike and immature, as she calls her mother "Mummy"
We see Sheila as a materialistic capitalist with her posessive admiration of the ring
Sheila is seen as a different generation to her parents as she semi-defies the etiquette expected of the young lady - "You're squiffy"-"Really Sheila, the things you girls pick up these days"
Sheila can be seen as selfish, as her first thought to Eva Smith's suicide is the effect on how happy she had been
Sheila accepts responsibility for her actions, and realises they were wrong
Sheila really gets the Inspector; she understands him better than the others
Her attitude changes; we see her as a less naive character, and see her maturing
Sheila turns hysterical- she becomes derisive- her interrogation changes her so that she understands as the others walk the hot coals
Sheila shows that she is happy to change; she accepts responsibility, and responds the way that Priestley wanted the younger generation to
Sheila shows a strong sense of independence as she forges her morals, happy to risk isolation and enstrangement from her family for her beliefs
She feels guilt and remorse, causing her to become a bit like the Inspector herself
KEY SHEILA BIRLING POINTS
She seems different to the rest of the family
Sensitive and moral
Strong minded
She seems childish at first
Language
Stage Directions
Sheila is more mature than the audience first think
She is not naive as we expect her to be
She has wise instincts
Sheila has moral standards
She realises she has abused her "power"
She says she respects Gerald for being honest
Priestley uses her as a moral judge
The Inspector's revelations change her
She realises she has changed over the evening
She changes the most out of all the characters
She becomes like the Inspector herself
She takes the Inspector's side a lot
She wants to associate herself with Eva Smith and make the others do the same
EXAM; FOCUS ON HOW SHEILA CHANGES AS A CHARACTER AND DEVELOPS