Sheila Birling Quotes - Inspector calls

half and half

Very pleased with

life and rather excited”

ACT 1 STAGE DIRECTIONS

sheltered upper class upbringing

what was she like? Quite young”

… “pretty?”

shallow questions: fails to understand evas struggles

hyperfocus on beauty → critique of the upperclass and their detachment from reality.

But these girls aren’t

cheap labour - they’re people

• empathy, social awarness

• Emotive Language: The phrase "cheap labour" is deliberately dehumanising, while Sheila’s rebuttal — “they’re people” — re-humanises the workers, creating an emotional contrast that highlights her growing awareness.

• Contrast: Sheila's compassion is sharply contrasted with her father’s capitalist mindset, enhancing dramatic tension.

I know I’m to blame-

and I’m desperately sorry

• Acceptance of guilt – contrasts with older generation

• Adverb “desperately” – intensifies her regret

• Straightforward tone – earnestness and moral clarity

You mustn’t try to

build up a kind of wall between us and that girl

• Metaphor – “wall” symbolises class divide and emotional detachment

• Didactic tone – instructive and morally aware

• Inclusive pronoun – “us” shows collective accountability

I’ll never,

never do it again to anybody.”

• Repetition – “never, never” shows sincerity and remorse

• Personal responsibility – shows growth

• Colloquial tone – youth and emotional immediacy

It’s you two who are being childish –

trying not to face the facts.”

• Irony – the younger character calls the older ones childish

• Accusatory tone – confronts her parents’ immaturity

• Juxtaposition – reversal of expected maturity roles

gerald: ‘what about this ring’

sheila:

“no, not yet. It’s too soon. I must think”

must’ shows a need to reflect
‘yet’ and ‘soon’ relate to time; aware of long lasting impact

However, yet shows she inevitably will accept it, conforming to gender roles

→ patriarchal norms are too deeply ingrained into her

Between us we

drove that girl to commit suicide.”

• Collective pronoun – “we” highlights shared guilt

• Euphemism – “drove” softens the horror but implies responsibility

• Blunt tone – direct acknowledgment of consequences

He's giving us the rope –

so that we’ll hang ourselves.”

• Metaphor – "rope" and "hang ourselves" = self-incrimination

• Foreshadowing – suggests more revelations to come

• Colloquial idiom – adds realism and intensity

You don’t seem to

have learnt anything.”

• Accusatory tone – criticising her parents' refusal to change

• Present tense – implies immediate relevance

  • Contrast – highlights generational divide

It frightens me

the way you talk.”

• Simple, emotive language – conveys deep concern

• Tone – fearful and disillusioned

• Theme – responsibility and denial

I suppose we’re

all nice people now.”

• Sarcasm – mocks her family’s false sense of relief

• Irony – they ignore the moral lesson

• Tone – bitter and disillusioned