KEY QUOTES

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

  - frustrated tone at her parents as they see their workers as objects and not humans

  - challenges her father's capitalist ideologies recognising working class people are humans

  - sympathises with them and recognises their hardship

  - socialism

  - ironically, despite belonging to the upper class she is a socialist and is the most progressive character in the play

  - although this axiomatic statement would be a truism for the modern audience, it is common in the Edwardian society that working class women are possessions
• "that won't bring Eva Smith back to life, will it?"

  - rhetorical question conveys a more dominant and frustrated tone

  - challenging her care-free attitude in the exposition, she is defying the social constructs of women and having an opinion which in 1912 was unusual for women
• "i'll never, never do it again to anybody"

  - fully aware or her actions and accepts full responsibility
• (she hands back the ring)'

  - symbolic of her conversion from capitalism to socialism, challenges the misogynistic society, suffragette movement!

  - she starts to see beyond materialism and sees how the working class people are suffering just for the sake of the avaricious upper-class citizens

  - revolutionary because it marks the change the more 'impressionable' youth can bring, she is uniting with the plebeians

  - highlights bravery as she undermines Gerald's masculinity and male chauvinism by refusing marriage, also defies social constructs built up in Edwardian Era of females being subservient by tolerating infidelity
• (half serious, half playful)'

  - flirtatious and jestful tone covering up her relationship worries, foreshadows conflict to come

  - Priestley uses Sheila here as a symbol of sexism and oppression of women, she does not know whether to be serious or playful with Gerald

  - being serious defies the Edwardian construct of women but because of her insignificance she has to be playful to be a good marriage option
• "now i really feel engaged"

  - materialism
• "it was my own fault"

  - accepts responsibility

  - personal pronoun 'my' reinforces her own reflection upon her actions
• "I must obviously be a selfish, vindictive creature"

  - the imperative verb and adverb 'must' and 'obviously shows the indisputable certainty

  - she is passively victimising Gerald by projecting how she feels about herself onto Gerald

  - alternatively, 'creature' could show Sheila's tone seems to overwhelm with self-deprecating humour which could be hyperbolic

  - Priestley's use of zoomorphism may be used as a lighthearted exaggeration, this leads to a paradox with Gerald as he cannot product a satisfactory response due to the ambiguity
• "mustn't try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl"

  - response to her mother's defensive and non-compliant attitude towards the Inspector about Eva

  - metaphor for her maturing as a character, trying to separate the truth from fantasy

  - Sheila now understands that regardless of class, everyone is the same

  - 'mustn't' shows her change of language from being one to accept her father reprimands to telling her parents what to do
• "(taking out the ring) Oh - it's wonderful! Look mummy - isn't it a beauty?"

  - she is happy and content in exposition , carefree and in love through the fragmented structure

  - 'wonderful' highlights sheer happiness at the prospect of marriage

  - 'beauty' emphasises how she is moved by the ring, materialistic, shows her mother first showing greater female empathy and ability to comprehend exteriors

  - imperative verb 'look' illustrates her desperation to show off proposal and wealth represent by the ring

  - in 1912, wealthy women were expected to become wives, mothers and managers of the household

  - 'mummy' shows her childish nature
• "A pretty girl in her early 20's, very pleased with life and excited." and "She was a very pretty girl too... that didn't make it better- I couldn't feel sorry for her" are similar why??

  The first statement describes Sheila, in the beginning of the play, as an innocent and naïve girl, sheltered fully in a world where dresses and rings are her only care. - childlike.

  The second statement, boldly illustrates Sheila's jealousy towards Eva- showcasing how she judged her based upon her appearance which is key in context to this time.
• "You don't seem to have learnt anything"

  You don't seem to have learnt anything'

  Although she's heard about the horrible consequences of their actions, Sheila is annoyed that Mr and Mrs Birling do not seem to have learnt anything about themselves and how they should live their lives.
• 'I suppose we're all nice people now'

  This statement boldly shows Sheila's maturity, awareness and change as she sarcastically comments to her family .

  This is ironic as it reveals Sheila's generous nature - the sins others have committed have still taken place.

  "nice people now"> suggests Sheila clearly realises that they all need to become more socially responsible whether or not the particular scenario was a true example. She is in stark contrast to her father who has not learned this lesson.