Sheila analysis

• Analyse "But these girls aren't cheap labour- they're people"

  • challenges her father's capitalist, exploitative views
  • challenges patriarch= challenges age division through Sheila (young) contradicting Mr B (older)
  • 'girls'- plural noun= vast amount of people in similar positions in working class, Sheila defends and humanises.
  • Alternatively, 'girls' connotes a lack of intelligence and maturity to women working which deems Sheila as socially superior, disrespectful and belittling the women.
• analyse #1 (Rather wildly, with laugh) "No, he's giving us the rope- so that we'll hang ourselves"

  • means; Inspector will elicit things from the Birlings that will incriminate themselves in the roles of Eva's tragic demise.
  • stage direction; shows her unstability in situation as it intensifies
  • allusion to execution; acknowledges not only the Inspector's role of bringing justice but also how Birlings cause their own downfall / hamartia through their wealth and power, showing those in power incriminate themselves.
  • collective nouns; collective responsibility that Sheila urges
• analyse #2 (Rather wildly, with laugh) "No, he's giving us the rope- so that we'll hang ourselves"

  • metaphor; creates visual image of how Birlings were manipulated to confessing their sins.
  • metaphor; illustrates Sheila's understandings of inspector's purpose and self-destructive nature of family's actions.
  • metaphor; 'rope' = the lesson of their poor actions, 'hang' = the guilt Inspector wants them to feel, Sheila's burden of responsibility she feels.
  • metaphor; very macabre (disturbing bc concerns death)= her shaken + unbalanced state of mind, highlights severity of the situation.
• Analyse "fire and blood and anguish"

  • polysndeton; significance of Birling's actions and consequences that they will endure, emphasises quantity of punishments.
  • repetition from Ins; Sheila = Goole's proxy, warning parents of action they committed. Inspector = socialism, Sheila transformed from capitalist to socialist.
  • religious imagery; hell, eternal punishments. Sheila = symbol of hope that younger gen = more willing to change their views.
  • foreshadowing; war, innocent lives destroyed as Birlings did.
  • Sheila desperately reinforces belligerent consequences of having no social conscience.
• "Is it the one you wanted me to have? Look - Mummy.." vs "No, not yet. It's too soon. I must think." analysis #1

  • childish, infantile, immature vs mature, assertive, responsible
  • Question; seeks validation from male links to Edwardian era of patriarchal society. Sheila doesn't have her own views, only copies them from older generation (parents) and men (gender). Contradicts the rejection of the ring, more assertive and independent, principiled enough to make her own decisions.
  • 'Mummy' infantile and childish, also seeks approval, addresses her as 'Mother' in act 3= her maturity, formality.
• "Is it the one you wanted me to have? Look - Mummy.." vs "No, not yet. It's too soon. I must think." analysis #2

  • Motif of ring; symbolic of financial security and reliant on men. physical signal of status, reputation.
  • Cyclical structure; Sheila's transformation.
  • start; spoilt, sheltered, naive (patriarchal ownership) so accepts ring which represents her immaturity and superficial mindset.
  • end; matured, untrusted man so she challenges social norms by giving the ring back and then rejecting it after she's asked again. Growing independence as unbothered by parent's views / approve