Sheila

• Priestley presents Sheila as immature - the stage directions suggest she is in her early twenties but she still refers to her parents as ' Mummy ' and ' Daddy ' - Mr and Mrs Birling refer to Sheila as both a ' child ' and ' childish '
• Priestley presents Sheila as materialistic - she says she will "never let it go out of my sight" when referring to the engagement ring - Eric also says that Sheila and Mrs Birling were " talking about clothes " when they retire to the drawing room in Act 1
• Other Characters treat Sheila as inferior - Mrs Birling interrupts Sheila when she is talking to Gerald in Act 1 - Gerald tries to have Sheila removed from the during his interrogation saying " I think Miss Birling ought to be excused "
• Sheila is not treated as an equal. Why might this be?

  At the time the play was set , women were treated as inferior to men (An example of this in the play is Sheila's treatment compared to Eric's who is more immature) - Sheila's treatment reflects how women had an inferior role in a male dominated society - This attitude to women is one of the reasons for Eva's death
• Sheila is more protected and less vulnerable than Eva Smith as she is middle class
• Sheila's character changes after the inspectors interrogation - She says to Gerald " you fool - he knows " show the shift in her personality and she is no longer a little girl but a fiery woman
• Sheila's sarcasm of " you're forgetting I'm supposed to be engaged to the hero " breaks down Gerald's attempt to romanticise the story of his interactions with Eva
• By returning the ring to Gerald in a cool and calm manner , The audience can see that she has become more mature - She does not have a tantrum at the end of Gerald's confession - this implies she is a woman that is not governed by her emotions but by logic
• Priestley suggests that audience should try to be more like Sheila - they should own the mistakes they've made and make others accountable for their own mistake
• Sheila quickly learns the Inspectors message of social responsibility - unlike her parents who, when they think they've gotten away with it laugh and encourage their children to do the same - they complain that " they can't even take a joke " - The contrast between the group could be Priestley criticising the older generation who are fixed in their ways
• Sheila change in character is seen in when she changes the terms of address she uses with her parents - In Act 2 she calls Mrs Birling " Mother " and Mr Birling as " Father "
• Sheila interrupts a question aimed at Mrs Birling , stating "Yes she is. Why?" when the Inspector asks if she is on the Brumley Women's Charity Organization - a dramatic turnaround from the start of the play as it was Mrs Birling who was interrupting - The change in Sheila is dramatic and is an example to the audience of how they too can change for the better
• In Act 3, Sheila takes on the role of the Inspector (This was seen in Act 1 when she forced a confession out of Eric) - Sheila asks a series of questions to interrogate her family when the Inspector leaves - She also mirrors the language of the Inspector (" fire and blood and anguish " ) - This is Priestley's way of showing us that has learned the Inspector's lesson and taken on his role - She wants to make sure others realise their role in Eva's death
• If Sheila can transform from selfish and shallow to a person that challenges others can cares about social responsibility , everyone else can transform too