Sheila

• what quote shows Sheila's immaturity and sheltered lifestyle?


  mummy and daddy
• what stage direction suggests Sheila is quite childish?


  half playful, half serious
• why does Priestley present sheila as an immature and childish character in the beginning of the play?


  to not only show her character development but to show that social responsibility can come to those that make an effort
• what does Sheilas engagement to Gerald represent, metaphorically?

  • a metaphor for the nature of their marriage
  • it is founded upon the business relations between the Crofts and the Birlings, rather than love
• why does Priestley use Sheila's insecurities to warn his 1945 audience?


  those that you surround yourself with (like the Birlings) may cause you to have a warped view of the world
• what is the reason for Priestley to use Sheila as an example of the young women in 1912?


  Social commentary of their lack of rights, usually had to fulfil the domestic role of being a wife
• what else is suggested about Sheila's marriage to Gerald so young?


  Insecurity and attachment to her heavily comfortable lifestyle that can only be provided by a man
• how does Sheila reflect ability to change in the younger generation of 1912?


  near the end ,she finally put her insecurities aside and understood she also catalysed Eva's death, took social responsibility
• what does Priestley do through sheila?


  conveys his message towards his 1945 audience that suffering should be reduced and social responsibility should be increased in order to better society
• has sheila fully changed by the end of the play?


  Priestley has left it in an ambiguous fashion
• what method is 'it frightens me the way you talk'?


  reverse syntax
• what is reverse syntax? also known as inversion


  challenges that norm, restructuring sentences so that emphasis is placed on the verb or object instead. Inverted syntax is commonly used to form a question.
• does sheila fully reject Gerald's new proposal at the end of the play?


  no, it is a half rejection
• what does Sheila's half rejection show about her character?

  • on one hand, she doesn't want to accept the ring due to her newly found dislike of Gerald (after finding out about the affair)
  • however, the possibility of her acceptance of the ring reveals to us that she has fallen victim to materialistic and nepotistic manners, just like her father, Arthur
• what religious connotations does sheila uphold?


  her ability to repent and accept social responsibility
• how are sheila and the inspector similar near the end of the play?


  they begin to share beliefs of social responsibility
• what quote suggests that Sheila has realised her wrongdoings?


  i started it