Sheila

• PRIESTLEY'S MESSAGE

  -Eva and sheila are very similar throughout the play intentionally, in their gender, age and appearance. both in "early twenties", commented on as attractive, Eva and Sheila both "pretty looking girl" and "attractive girl", both characters undermined by the word "girl". Yet their stories and lives play out so entirely differently because of the social hierarchy and class, their life outcomes, although almost entirely similar in every other regard, are influenced by the exploitation of society. Whilst one is "happily celebrating" her engagement to a lord, the other lays "burnt out on a mortuary slab

  -Priestley does this to directly confront the effect of class, and flaws/exploitations the system of capitalism is capable of in the morbid reality that many ignore. The confrontation of the Birlings actions is a microcosm for what Priestley believes as upper/middle class english should conceptualize.
• "but these girls aren't cheap labour - they're people"


  -A key point presenting sheila's moral development, she grasps the concept of social responsibility and challenges the dehumanisation of the lower classes in her fathers capitalist scruples. The contrast between "cheap labour" and "people" reinstates the value of human life from the former quote reflecting the exploitation of workers and loss of meritocracy by industrialists like MR B. The bold move of challenging her father would be perhaps celebrated by a 1945 audience, post - war. The shared loss and grief such devastating violence imposed on society saw a social change, wherein human life was valued so much more and people saw through differences in class as these capitalist ideologies (which were overtly blamed) were disregarded, and often met with fuelled anger from a freshly post war country.
• "but these girls aren't cheap labour - they're people"


  Furthermore, Priestley, a socialist figurehead surrounded by 40% of adult listeners to radio in his speeches was perhaps in contact with clement attwood, and clearly aligned his values of which the labour party pushed for. With the consideration of a welfare state around this time, its important that Priestley consolidates for an audience their questioning of pre war societal values, and to realise the flaws in capitalism so history does not repeat itself. Directing the anger of war to the capitalist microcosms in an inspector calls, and celebrating the moral development in characters.
• "(Laughs rather hysterically) Why-you-fool-he knows, of course he knows"


  Priestley utilises Em dashes to assert a rapid pace to her speech, a slightly unhinged state of mind as she leaves the naivety of her character early in the play and becomes more perceptive of the people around her, she understands now her own flaws and her family's hypocrisy, enraged they wont acknowledge it themselves. Her increasing knowledge of morality separates her from the rest of the Birlings. She is the first character to fully embody the socialist message and greater significance her actions have on those around her. The verb "hysterically" showing her overwhelming emotional response to her disbelief, she understands the inspectors omniscience and strong argument and sees the pointlessness in hiding from your own actions, directed at Eric.
• "Mother I think it was cruel and vile"


  Sheila has switched from a materialistic jealous girl to an independent socialist voice, opinionated and justified. During 1912 the younger generation weren't expected to intervene, simply to stand obedient to an elder, even if they were wrong. Sheila discards this in order to display her moral standing, a power struggle ensues between her mother and herself, unprecedented for 1912 society. She emphasises her maturity here, switching from "mummy" in the earlier acts to the firm and formal regard of "mother", it amplifies her opinions and displays the logicality and perception behind her viewpoints. She accepts her actions and loses respect for each of the Birlings which do not follow suit.
• "Very pleased with life and rather excited"


  -She's presented as a stereotypical upper class girl, unplagued with worries in her luxury of life, and to be engaged and solidify family connections to please her father.

  -Priestley just before this also highlights the similarities between eva and sheila, both very much similar in regards to appearance, age and gender, yet so far apart in their viewpoints and opportunities in life. She has never had to experience the dark sides of society, shielded in the ignorant capitalist bubble, leading her to look away and ignore when seeing the working class, as it does not include her (reflection of Mr Birlings upbringing in "a man has to look after himself and his own"