Sheila Birling

• Mouthpiece of Goole and Priestley
• Sheila has hope for the future
• Sheila has an instinctive feel for the truth
• Sheila Is patronised by men
• Sheila is socially aware and described as ‘inspector-like’
• Sheila is envious
• “Look mummy, isn’t it a beauty” - suggests she’s immature and childish at the beginning of the play
• “These girls arent cheap labour, they’re people”- suggests she’s accepting her actions and feels guilt
• “Sorry it’s just I can’t help thinking about this girl” - she’s empathetic towards Eva and she feels guilt towards what her actions have led to
• “It frightens me the way you talk”
• “Mother, I think it was cruel and vile” shifts to being independent and understanding what shes done
• “It’s you two who are being childish trying not to face the facts”- she says this to her parents which shows she’s accepting responsibility and she’s progressing to a mature woman : more mature than her parents because she seems to accept fate but they don’t
• “No he’s giving us the rope so that we’ll hand ourselves” - metaphor, imagery of Gooles manipulation using the motif of a rope to convey manipulation because ropes and usually used to tie around something
• “I behaved badly too”- accepting the wrong in her actions and accepting responsibility
• “I know I’m to blame“- responsibility
• “If I could help her now I would” - shows she’s empathetic towards Eva
• “I couldn’t be sorry for her”-shows she’s bitter towards Eva
• “now i really feel engaged”, sheila says this when she receives the engagement ring, showing she’s materialistic
• socially aware
• “it’s you two who are being childish trying not to face the facts”- responsible and aware
• “if i could help her i would”
• “sorry it’s just i can’t help think about this girl”
• ”run along” she is patronised and commanded by men
• “i know im to blame” she’s responsible and taking authority over her actions
• “i behaved badly too.”
• she is transformed