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- NAIVE - The stage directions at the beginning state that Sheila is 'very pleased with life and rather excited' - this could potentially show how she is naive: it is later revealed/hinted to her that her father's wealth comes from 'cheap labour'
- IMMATURE - Shown through how she addresses her parents as 'mummy' and 'daddy' - this hints at her upbringing (Mrs Birling later says that Eric is 'only a boy' when in fact he is a young man)
- SELFISH - When the news of Eva's suicide is broken to Sheila and she admits her role in Eva's death, she says 'I feel I can never go there again. Oh - why had this to happen?' - although this shows that Sheila regrets her actions and feels ashamed, she is selfish because she is concerned about not being able to visit her favourite shop, which is inappropriate considering that Eva is dead
- COMPASSIONATE - Her reaction to the news of a suicide shows that, despite her parents' indifference, Sheila is compassionate - she says 'oh - how horrible!' She also argues that young girls 'aren't cheap labour - they're people'
- SELFISH (again) - When she first hears of a suicide, Sheila says 'I've been so happy tonight. Oh, I wish you hadn't told me' - this is selfish because despite there being a death, Sheila is concerned about the inconvenience of it affecting her engagement party
- INTELLIGENT - Unlike the others, Sheila quickly grasps the Inspector's way of going about the investigation, and says 'we've no excuse now for putting on airs and if we've any sense we won't try'
- MATURE - Sheila is one of the characters that develops and learns a lesson; she says in Act 3 that she's ashamed of her parents' attitude, and that 'if it didn't end tragically, then that's lucky for us. But it might have done'
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- Who is she? - Sheila is engaged to Gerald Croft, and very excited to marry him. She bickers with her brother in Act 1, showing their immaturity despite being in their twenties. In addition, the way her mother and father speak to her is important as it shows that their treatment of her may well have impacted her attitude at the beginning
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- Sheila's growth and development is shown through how her relationship with Gerald changes in the play - at the beginning she was excited and a little immature, but she deals with Gerald's situation in an adult manner, saying 'I rather respect you more' and 'you and I aren't the same people who sat down for dinner' - this shows that she is accepting
- Growth is also shown through her relationship with her brother Eric. In Act 1 they bicker and she says 'you're squiffy' (drunk), and when Eric later finds out that Sheila admitted to Mrs Birling that he often drinks heavily he was angry. By the end of Act 3, however, the characters bond because only they have learned something from the evening. Sheila even supports Eric, saying 'Eric's absolutely right. And it's the best thing any one of us has said tonight'
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- Sheila is Mr and Mrs Birling's daughter, and sister of Eric. We can infer that she has led a sheltered life through the way she is treated by her parents, how she addresses them as 'mummy' and 'daddy', and also through how in Act 1 she fails to make the connection that her father's wealth is through exploiting the girls (who she says 'aren't cheap labour - they're people')
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