Sheila Flashcards
Adjectives to describe Sheila
Sensitive, intelligent, remorseful, perceptive, naive, empathetic, immature, naive, capable of change, impressionable
Role in play
Represents younger generation’s potential for change and social responsibility.
“It’s you two who are being childish – trying not to face the facts.”
Role reversal: Sheila matures, while her parents regress.
Represents Priestley’s hope in the younger generation.
Highlights theme of personal responsibility.
“But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people.”
Early sign of Sheila’s empathy and moral development.
Challenges her father’s capitalist views.
Reinforces the play’s message about the value of human life.
“Cheap” shows how working class people were dehumanised
Pronounce shift from ‘these girls’ to ‘people’ represents perspective change
Before inspector
Naive and sheltered
Sheila’s development through inspector calls
Sheila is deeply affected by the Inspector’s revelations. She accepts her part in Eva’s death and rejects her old views. She grows in maturity during the play
Themes linked to Sheila
Change and Growth
Responsibility
Gender Roles
Class
Priestley’s message through Sheila
Sheila represents hope for the future. Priestley uses her to show the younger generation can change and take responsibility for others.
“Oh- it’s wonderful! Look- mummy -isn’t it a beauty”
Childish language
Shows immaturity
“Oh- how horrible! Was it an accident?”
Punctuation “-“ shows she is shocked
‘!’ and short words shows she is struggling to comprehend
Shows naivety-she cannot imagine someone would do that
Reflects her sheltered upbringing and the fact she hasn’t faced these harsh realities
The interjection “Oh” and adjective “horrible” convey emotional distress, while the question “Was it an accident?” reflects her innocence and hope that it wasn’t deliberate cruelty.
“You mustn’t try to build a wall between us and that girl”
Metaphor, figurative language
Doldrums production
“I know im to blame- and I am desperately sorry”
“Desperately” shows emotional regret
Presents her as someone who is willing to grow and learn to accept responsibility
Sheila’s transformation
Has an epiphany
Initially presented as childlike, naive, infantile
By act 3 she is more opinionated and responsible
“If she’d been some miserable plain little creature, I don’t suppose I’d done it”
-Sheila takes responsibility for her actions
- However deep down Sheila feels entitled to be superior to Eva which shows problems in class systems
- Thinks that because Eva was pretty she’d be able to take care of herself
“Oh I wish you hadn’t told me”
More empathetic than family but chooses to be ignorant
How do Sheila contribute to Eva Smith’s death
She felt insecure and jealous as she thought Eva Smith was prettier than her so abused her power to get her fired at Milwards
“Oh why had this to happen”
Passive voice making it sound like it was not her fault
Rhetorical question self pity as she is concerned that she cannot go to her favourite shop
“I behaved badly too, I know I did”
‘I’ represents leadership and taking accountability
Repetition of ‘I’ could symbolise how Eva smith was alone
“You’re beginning to pretend so over again”
Frustrated with her parents’ denial
Shows change in younger generation
It frightens me the way you talk.”
– Expresses fear at her parents’ lack of remorse; shows maturity.
- The noun “frightens” conveys real fear — not of the Inspector, but of her parents’ moral indifference. Her emotional response underlines her complete separation from their mindset.
“You talk as if we were responsible”
This quote is ironic; although she initially resists blame, she quickly acknowledges her part. The phrase “as if” shows denial at first, but this moment marks the beginning of her moral awakening.
