How does the character of Sheila Birling, develop throughout this play?

An Inspector Calls: J B Priestly

After studying the play, An Inspector Calls, by J. B. Priestly, we now know that Sheila Birling’s character, changes a lot throughout the play, but how, why, and when does it change?

The play opens, with the celebrations of the family, for the engagement between Gerald Croft and Sheila Birling, in the Birlings’ dining room, in Brumley, 1912. During their party, Inspector Goole arrives, bringing the news of the suicide of a young girl named Eva Smith. She had swallowed some disinfectant and died. Each connection alone was not too terrible, but putting them together, they amount to a lot. Two years earlier, 1910, when she worked at the Birling Factory, Eva Smith, had been dismissed by Arthur Birling, for asking for a pay rise. She soon got a job, working as an assistant at Milwards, an admirable shop. After just two months of working there, through one of Sheila’s bad tempers, she got the sack. She then became Gerald’s ‘mistress’, and for a while, she was happy; but that was all to come to an end in September 1911, when Gerald called off the affair. Two months after that, she met Eric Birling, and she becomes pregnant. She has no money, and will not accept Eric’s, as she knows it was stolen. She then goes to Mrs Birling, who works for the Charity Committee, for help, and she is turned down. Finally, she had had enough, and she took her own life, and this is when the Inspector arrived. He forced the knowledge upon each one of them, that they each held some responsibility for her death. When the Inspector leaves, it is thought that maybe he was not a real Inspector, and it is revealed that no girl named Eva Smith had died that night. Mr and Mrs Birling, and Gerald, then act as if nothing has changed, but Eric and Sheila’s faith in their parents, is destroyed, along with their happiness. This shows, that some people change, and others do not.

The message that J. B. Priestly was trying to put across, was that all actions have consequences, and unfortunately for all involved, the actions carried out by The Birling family and Gerald, built up, to have disastrous ones.

The film made in 1953, by Guy Hamilton, showed Sheila as a pretty, well adjusted to life, young girl. This was reflected in my reading and understanding of the play. Guy Hamilton, put her across, in a different way to what I originally thought she would be like. When I first read it, she seemed like a happy, but fairly self-centred young girl, and conscientious, but from watching the film so early on in my studies, my view of her was altered. I think that J. B. Priestley wanted us to think that she was selfish, because then, the changes that we see in her during the play would be more dramatic.

In act one, the Birlings and Gerald, are celebrating in the dining room. The easy, light-hearted conversation shows Sheila, as excitable, youthful, and enthusiastic. They are laughing and joking, and everyone seems relaxed. Then Gerald says that he has been trying for a long time, to enter this family, and Sheila’s reply, is the first indication of what her character is like.

Sheila: “Yes - except for all last summer, when you never came near me, and I wondered what had happened to you. (Act 1, page 3)

This shows, that Sheila is still thinking about the past. At the time when it was going on, she had not found out what Gerald had really been up to, and now that it is nearly a year later, she is still curious. This shows that there is not complete trust in their relationship.

When Gerald produces an engagement ring, her reaction was,

Sheila: Now I really feel engaged. (Act 1, page 5)

This shows just how spoilt she is. She could not feel the true feeling of love, or being engaged, before she had something material, to signify it. It takes rings, clothes, and fancy foods, to feel happy about getting married, and this is what it is like for everything in her life.

A sign of how naïve the family is, is when Mr Birling mentions the Titanic.

Mr Birling: Why, a friend of mine went over this new liner last week - the Titanic - she sails next week - forty-six thousand eight hundred tons - forty-six thousand eight hundred tons - New York in five days - and every luxury - and unsinkable - absolutely unsinkable. (Act 1, page 7)

Nobody contradicted him, and said that there was always the possibility that it might sink. This showed how wrong and gullible Mr Birling and the rest of his family ...

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A sign of how naïve the family is, is when Mr Birling mentions the Titanic.

Nobody contradicted him, and said that there was always the possibility that it might sink. This showed how wrong and gullible Mr Birling and the rest of his family could be. Yes, money could by a ticket for a liner, and luxury, but it could not by happiness, or love. Although he Birlings were rich, what they did not understand, was the fact that they could not buy anything, that had any real meaning. This was all an example of the use of dramatic irony in the play. Mr Birling had been so sure of what he was saying, and as the audience know, he was completely wrong. He had two wars, and the titanic did sink! Dramatic irony was one of Priestley’s methods, of putting across his message of Community Responsibility.

Sheila did not think that anything could spoil her night, but her happiness was soon to be destroyed, as was her faith in her family.

When Sheila had returned from the other room, she got a surprise to see her father and fiancee, speaking to a Police Inspector. Growing up, Sheila had always been protected by her parents, and even now, in her twenties, her father is trying to stop her from getting involved.

Mr Birling: We shall be along in a minute now. Just finishing. (Act 1, page 17)

Sheila: What’s all this about? (Act 1, page 17)

Mr Birling: Nothing to do with you, Sheila. Run along. (Act 1, page 17)

This really shows Mr Birling as the ‘head of the house’. Sheila, being the Birlings’ only daughter, is still seen as a child at this point. She is actually very strong willed. She wants to be included in the discussions, and she will not leave. The Inspector tells Sheila to stay, and then tells her that a young girl, had died that night at the infirmary, from swallowing some disinfectant.

Sheila: Oh - ho horrible! Was it an accident? (Act 1, page 17)

This shows such innocence in Sheila. Most people’s thoughts would be ‘why did she kill herself’, because from what the Inspector had said, they would have assumed that it was deliberate. However, Sheila has been so separated from the real world, and she was unable to see ‘why’ anyone would want to take their own life, as she has such a wonderful life, and she had never stopped to think that anybody else’s might be different. So, it does not even cross her mind that it may have been intentional.

Sheila: I can’t stop thinking about this girl - destroying herself so horribly - and I’ve been so happy tonight. (Act 1, page 17)

Suddenly, we see a totally different side to Sheila. She feels awful that while she had been having such a good time, somebody else had been having completely the opposite. We can now see her as a caring and warm girl, but that is not to last.

Sheila: Oh. I wish you hadn’t told me. (Act 1, page 17)

She is swiftly thinking about herself again. We see her being selfish again. It’s almost as if the girl has ruined her evening! She has stopped thinking about the dead girl, and is now thinking about her having a good time. Even if it was just for a second, she should not have thought of herself at that time. If she had not been brought up the way she was - spoilt - that would not have crossed her mind.

As the Inspector speak of the girl, and asks questions, one of the things that he says, is,

Inspector: The girl’s dead though. (Act 1, page 18)

Sheila: What do you mean by saying that? You talk as if we were responsible. (Act 1, page 18)

Sheila was annoyed that the Inspector was maybe accusing them of something. It just had not even crossed her mind, that she might actually have done something wrong. It was not even an issue - she just did not think, that maybe she was responsible for the girl's death.

When Sheila learns that her father dismissed the girl, she was distressed by the news, and thinks that her father’s behaviour was unacceptable.

Sheila: I think that was a mean thing to do. Perhaps that spoilt everything for her. (Act 1, page 19)

This shows that although she is close to her family, she knows that her father was wrong, and she is ready to say so.

The next thing that shows us that Sheila is at this point very caring towards the girl - warm and loving, is when the Inspector refers to working girls, as ‘cheap labour’. Sheila says,

Sheila: But these girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people. (Act 1, page 19)

This shows such respect for Eva Smith, and Sheila did not hesitate to stand up for her.

When Sheila is shown the photograph of the girl, she recognises it, and gives a ‘half-stifled sob’ and then she runs out. This is the time that she realised it was her ho had been the customer who had got her the sack, and in an instant, she regrets what had happened. When she returns, the Inspector tells her that she is only partly responsible, and this shows a very caring side to the Inspector, because this is supposedly his job, and he deals with this kind of situation day in, day out, yet he still finds time to care about Sheila’s feelings. He does not want her to feel entirely guilty, as he knows that it is not all her fault. Sheila readily agrees that she behaved very badly, and insists that she never meant the girl any harm.

Sheila: It didn’t seem anything too terrible at the time. Don’t you understand? And if I could help her now, I would - (Act 1, page 24)

Not only is Sheila prepared to admit her faults, but she also appears anxious and keen to change her behaviour in the future.

Sheila: I’ll never, never do it again to anybody. (Act 1, page 24)

However, even though we have seen this change in Sheila, she goes on to say,

Sheila: I’ve noticed them giving me a sort of look sometimes at Milwards - I noticed it even this afternoon. I suppose some of them remember it. I feel now I can never go there again. (Act 1, pages 24-25)

This really brings Sheila’s selfish streak back out. Despite just realising that she is responsible for a young girl's death, she is thinking about how she feels too embarrassed to shop at Milwards any longer.

As we see when Gerald recognises the photograph of the girl, Sheila is sharp, because from his face, she can tell that he knows her. She is then curious about how he knows her, and she has a right to be.

Sheila: You not only knew her but you knew her well. Otherwise, you wouldn’t look so guilty. (Act 1, page 26)

As we can see from the quotation above, Sheila is sad that not even her future husband can be true to her. She is beginning to realise that money cannot buy love or trust, and she now knows that her relationship with Gerald needs work. Through this time, she has become very assertive.

Gerald: I don’t come into this suicide business. (Act 1, page 26)

Sheila: I thought I didn’t, half an hour ago. (Act 1, page 26)

Sheila now understands, that there is no point trying to hide any facts from the Inspector, as he already knows so much anyway. She understands how Gerald is feeling, because just half an hour ago, she was in exactly the same position herself. She now understands that Gerald is involved, and considering she has just found out that her fiancé knew another woman very well, she is relatively calm.

Sheila: I hate to think how much he knows that we don’t know yet. (Act 1, page 26)

Sheila is realising, that the Inspector knows more than he is letting on to her family. She knows that there is a lot more that her family is responsible for, than just giving her the sack twice, which is bad enough! She and the Inspector seem to be on the same ‘wavelength’, and understand what the other is trying to say.

When the Inspector has finished with Gerald, Sheila goes to talk to him. She returns the engagement ring to him, and says,

Sheila: I don’t dislike you as I did half an hour ago, Gerald. In fact, in some odd way, I rather respect you more than I’ve ever done before. (Act 2, page 40)

This shows great maturity in Sheila. She has really grown up, and she now knows that getting angry at Gerald, and taking out her guilt on him, will only make things worse. The remains calm about the breaking up of her engagement, and this is something that would not have happened an hour earlier.

During the time that Mrs Birling was telling her story, and the fact that she thought whoever was responsible should be sorely punished, Sheila and her, unconsciously change places. Sheila becomes the mother, and Mrs Birling, the child. Throughout Mrs Birling’s elucidation, Sheila is trying to stop her from saying something that she will later regret. Mrs Birling just will not listen to Sheila, and she is acting just as a child would - disobediently. Sheila is trying to protect her family. She does not want others to get involved, although she knows that they will, but she also knows that her mother is making things a lot worse for everybody. This is the place in the play, where Sheila’s maturity is most obvious. Near the end of Act 2, they discover that the man who had got Eva Smith pregnant, was there own Eric. Obviously this affected Sheila, firstly because she knows that now every person in her family is partly responsible for someone’s death, and secondly, because she now knows, that that baby would have been her niece of her nephew.

Sheila: Mother - I begged you and begged you to stop. (Act 2, page 49)

This was the last line of Act 2, and by this point, everyone knows that everyone in the family played a part in killing that girl, and there was no escaping it. By saying the above, Sheila was blaming her mother for part of the situation. Sheila is not trying to take away her guilt, and put it on her mother, but she needs her mother to understand that she has done wrong.

After the Inspector has spoken to Eric, and heard his side of the story, Sheila is the one who tells Eric what his mother had done - she had turned her away. At this news, Eric is absolutely furious. Sheila is the grown-up in all of this. She is the one who explains things, who helps people to understand the situation, and to say what has to be said.

Inspector: And you can’t even say ‘I’m sorry, Eva Smith’. (Act 3, page 56)

Sheila: That’s the worst of it. (Act 3, page 56)

Here, this was the first time that I actually saw Sheila as a totally selfless person. She was not talking, or even thinking about herself. The worst part of all of it, was not that her engagement with Gerald had been called off, or that her evening had been spoilt, but the fact that she could not say that she was sorry, and for Sheila, this was a complete transformation from who she was in the beginning.

After the Inspector has left, the family continue to talk about it all. Mr and Mrs Birling are blaming Eric, and he is accepting that. However, Sheila seems to be the only one, who actually understands the predicament.

Sheila: I behaved badly too. I know I did. I’m ashamed of it. But now you’re beginning to all over again to pretend that nothing much has happened. (Act 3, page 57)

This reveals, that Sheila does have strong feelings for Eva Smith, who has died because of what her family has done. She regrets the mistakes that she has made, and she feels very guilty, but she believes that her parents are acting very irresponsibly.

As Sheila and Eric listen to what one another have to say, they become one mind, they both feel the same way, and their parents are a complete contrast to that. We also learn here just how intelligent Sheila is. She is the first person to pick up on the fact the Inspector may be a fake.

Sheila: Is that when the Inspector came, just after Father had said that? (Act 3, page 58)

She soon after this, says,

Sheila: It doesn’t much matter now, of course. (Act 3, page 58)

She then continues to make a very relevant speech. Her views and opinions were very close to the Inspector’s, as I said earlier, and this is reflected in her speech. This shows that she was listening carefully to what he had been saying that evening, which shows him a lot of respect.

Sheila: If all that’s come out of tonight is true, it doesn’t much matter who made us confess. (Act 3, page 59)

This illustrates, that Sheila feels that everything her family had done, has still been done, whether the Inspector was real or not. She has now taken over the Inspector’s role, reminding each member of the family, of their role in contributing towards Eva Smith’s death.

Once Gerald has confirmed that the Inspector was a fake, Mr and Mrs Birling are so happy, while Eric and Sheila still strongly believe that they have all behaved in an entirely inappropriate manner. Birling copes with the situation through aggressiveness, unlike the calm and composed attitude of the younger generation.

Sheila shows her annoyance and infuriation with the older generation, by saying,

Sheila: Don’t let’s start dodging and pretending now. Between us we drove that girl to commit suicide. (Act 3, page 66)

This shows that Sheila knows that the girl’s death should be priority, and not trying to pass blame. Following this, Gerald then questions the fact that a girl actually committed suicide, by saying,

Gerald: I say - there’s no more evidence we did than there was that that chap was a real Police Inspector. (Act 3, page 66)

At first, the family members do not see how this could be possible, but as Gerald then explains how it could be true, they begin to listen to him, and start to understand his point. This shows Gerald’s awareness and intelligence at this point in the play.

The confirm his beliefs, Gerald then makes the phone call to the Infirmary, and finds out that no girl has died that night from swallowing disinfectant. People react in different ways to this news. Mr and Mrs Birling have learnt nothing throughout his whole experience,

Mr Birling: the whole story’s just a lot of moonshine. (Act 3, page 70)

Mrs Birling: In the morning they’ll be as amused as we are. (Act 3, page 71)

They are still as they were in the beginning. However, Sheila has changed.

Sheila: But you’re forgetting one thing I still can’t forget. Everything we said had happened really happened. If it didn’t end tragically, then that’s lucky for us. But it might have done. (Act 3, page 70)

Again, this shows maturity and intelligence. Mr Birling and Sheila, both think that the opposite generation is talking nonsense, but the audience know that Sheila is right. She has learnt from her experience - Mr Birling has not. The play ends, with Mr Birling taking a phone call, saying that a girl had just died in the infirmary, from swallowing some disinfectant.

In summary, Sheila’s mature attitude was shown throughout the play, and her guilt and willingness to learn from her mistakes was also displayed. She came through, as a caring and thoughtful character, and an intelligent and realistic girl. Sheila did put forward her feelings, but unfortunately, her parents would not listen. If the whole family had acted similarly to Sheila, then maybe the outcome would not have been so tragic.

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