English Literature - An Inspector Calls - Sheila Birling

How is Sheila presented in the beginning of the play?

‘a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited’

• ‘very pleased with life’ - emphasises her materialistic and objectification of life, she doesn’t understand the moral or spiritual side of her purpose of life

• ‘rather excited’ could be interpreted as foreshadowing because of her assertive stance towards the Birlings and Gerald and could also foreshadow her naivety and childishness - double meaning

How is Sheila presented as materalistic?

‘Is it he one you wanted me to have’, ‘Now, I really feel engaged’

• Ring is being introduced as a motif in Gerald’s and Sheila engagement

• Sheila says that its Gerald desire that she wants, highlights the patriarchal society of the 1912s

• Gerald needs to prove to Sheila that they’re engaged, highlights the spoilt nature and the disparity between upper and lower classes.

What are some similarities between Sheila and Eva?

• She becomes the most responsive to Priestley’s message (becomes the Inspectors proxy as soon as he leaves the house)

• Able to see the events through the disgusting perspective of Sheila - ‘These girls aren’t cheap labour, they’re people’

• Sheila is not exploited to the same level of Eva, although she does surrender her autonomy to her husband and her father.

How does Sheila show responsibility early in the play?

“I felt rotten about it at the time”

• Priestley’s use of the informal adjective “rotten” demonstrates Sheila’s lack of maturity in vocabulary.

• However, she also shows remorse for her actions, which she instantly knew was wrong.

• Arguably, this is Priestley conveying the message that maturity is proportional to the level of social responsibility you feel, rather than using formal vocabulary.

How far does Sheila really change?

‘We’d have to start all over again’

• Cyclical structure - from the beginning and the end, Sheila must decide whether to marry Gerald. Despite Gerald’s affair, Sheila does not completely reject him. This is her acceptance of nepotism, classism and patriarchy that Sheila accepts

How does Sheila challenge and reject her parents?

• Her tone changes from a childish to a serious, formal tone - Sheila used to call Ms Birling ‘Mummy’ but know she refers to her as ‘Mother’.

• She rejects the commands of her mother and father - she refuses to go to bed

How does Priestley show Sheila gaining maturity?

You and I aren’t the same people“

• Sheila has gained maturity since her initial engagement with Gerald. Sheila’s perception of Gerald has changed and she can no longer ignore the injustices in society.

  “You don't seem to have learnt anything”

• Here, Sheila acknowledges the purpose of the Inspector’s inquiry - a moral teaching. Priestley does this to portray the older generation as stubborn and opposed to changing their stance on responsibility.

  “No not yet. It's too soon. I must think.”

• This pivotal moment is where Sheila must either accept or reject Gerald and the capitalist individualism he stands for. The use of this imperative “must” is a direct message from Priestley to the audience - to think for themselves.