Sheila analysis
- Created by: Hannahd1230
- Created on: 14-05-16 16:42
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- Sheila Birling
- Strong minded: "I don't believe I will. So you be careful."
- Moral: "But these girls aren't cheap labour"
- Selfish: "you used the power you had...to punish the girl"
- Introduction
- The stage directions say she's "very pleased with life and rather excited"
- She uses slang such as "squiffy" to remind the audience she is of the younger generation.
- She's very excited when she gets the ring "look-Mummy-isn't it a beauty", again very childlike.
- She jokes with Gerald "half serious half playful". Childishness hides "serious" concerns about their relationship.
- "Is it the one you wanted me to have". When Gerald gives her the ring, shows women didn't have authority in those days.
- Selfish: "I wish you hadn't told me"
- Curious: "last summer, when you never came near me"
- Throughout play
- "I'm not a child" tells us she is maturing throughout the play.
- Theme: Learning about life. Priestley makes Sheila seem young and childish at first. it makes involvement in Eva's downfall seem the result of immaturity. This makes it easier to forgive her.
- She acknowledge she used her "power" to "punish" Eva but regrets her actions and is eager to learn firm the consequence- mature
- On the inspectors side, wants to know the truth, reveals Eric's drinking problem to mother, contradicts and undermines parents, tells her father "don't interfere"
- End
- Able to admit "probably between us we killed her" the others don't
- respects Gerald for being "honest"
- Knows the family must stop these "silly pretences"
- Represents hope and change in the new generation.
- Sheila and Eric are the only ones that see they have to change. Sheila changes the most
- Begins to refer her mother as "mother" instead of mummy" which reflects change in behaviour.
- When her parents "pretend nothing much has happened" she says "it frightens me the way you talk"- she sees her parents in a new unfavourable light.
- She immediately starts to change when she hears of her fathers treatment to Eva. She sows compassion.
- Her social conscience has been awakened and she is aware of her responsibilities. The old Sheila has vanished forever.
- Perceptive
- Ill tempered
- Excitable
- Repentant
- Sympathetic
- Repentant
- Excitable
- Ill tempered
- Perceptive
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