Sheila And Gerald Flashcards
Ts1: Even though they are generationally similar, they have very different ideologies about the treatment of workers and the view on lower class.
‘They’d be all broke- if I know them’
‘These girls aren’t cheap labour, they’re people’
Ts2: Sheila has remorse for her actions even though they find out the Inspector was lying all along, where as, Gerald believes everything is all fine after hearing that news and believes their actions are undone.
‘Everything’s all right now Sheila. What about this ring?’
‘You’re beginning… to pretend that nothing much happened… you don’t seem to have learnt anything?’
‘I know I’m to blame’
Ts3: Sheila is presented as more mature than Gerald as she accepts responsibility for her actions.
‘I know I’m to blame’
‘You and I aren’t the same people’
Topic sentences:
Ts1: even though they are generationally similar, they have different ideologies about the treatment of workers and the view on lower class.
Ts2: Sheila had remorse when they find out Inspector was lying all along but Gerald believes everything is all fine now and that their actions are now undone.
Ts3: Sheila presented as more mature than Gerald as she accepts responsibility for her actions.
‘They’d be all broke- if I know them’
C= reflects class prejudice that WC are irresponsible with money. In fact, it’s the Birling’s and Gerald who are irresponsible. L= WC presented as collective other- pronoun ‘they’, not as individuals. Supports Mr B’s capitalist views so shows differences between S+G. Gerald has a very capitalist view and is Priestley’s construct that embodies capitalist attitudes, where as, Sheila is Priestley’s construct, embodying socialist views through the course of the play. They have very different views, even though they are generationally similar.
‘These girls aren’t cheap labour, they’re people’
C= Sheila begins to realise that her father’s workers aren’t just a collective workforce, but individual human beings and deserve to be treated with respect. L= adj ‘cheap’ normally applied to goods. I/D= reflects Marxist interpretation- human beings reduced to means of production in capitalist society. Even though they are generationally similar, S+G have different views on the treatment of workers.
‘Everything’s all right now Sheila. What about this ring?’
Unlike S+E, Gerald had not changed as a character and he has learnt no moral lesson that has changed his view of how he treats the WC or those with less power and wealth than him. C= he assumes S will accept his proposal as it is a good business match regardless of his infidelity(being unfaithful to a partner). Reflects expectations of women in Edwardian society.
‘You’re beginning… to pretend that nothing much happened… you don’t seem to have learnt anything?’
Unlike G, S changes and realised they have responsibility for others. Reflects Priestley’s view that the younger generation needs to change to help the world morally in the future. S is P’s construct which embodies and believes in socialist views which is P’s aim for the younger generation, realising their moral responsibilities, just as S did, to change the world for the better and turn to socialist views. L= links to cyclical structure of the play that they are doomed to repeat mistakes until they learn from them.
‘I know I’m to blame’
Unlike G, she accepts she is partly to blame for Eva’s death. C= reflects P’s belief that hope for social change lies with the younger generation. R= many of younger generation watching play post WW1 so want to change world (e.g. NHS 1948)
‘You and I aren’t the same people’
S has changed over the course of the evening and can no longer be with Gerald as she had learned truth about him. I= feminist interpretation- Sheila has gained independence and maturity- Suffragette movement (C)
Ts4: their rel conveys expectations of women at the time
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Ts5: Gerald stays with Eva even though he knew it couldn’t last, damaging his relationship with Sheila also due to affair and poor treatment of Eva
‘That’s what you say’
‘She knew it couldn’t last’
‘Gave me a glance that was nothing less than a cry for help’
