At Milward (which is a shop) Sheila wasn’t feeling in the best mood. She picked out a hat that she thought suited her, but her mother and the assistant thought otherwise. Sheila refused to listen to other peoples’ opinion and tried it on anyway. The assistant suggests to show Sheila how the dress may look like. Eva puts on the dress and it suited her. Sheila became jealous as it looked better on Eva than it did on her. Frustrated, Sheila took the dress and attempts to force it on her own head knowing it wouldn’t suit her. From the reflection in the mirror that Sheila was facing, Sheila thought that Eva Smith was laughing at her. At this point Sheila had enough, she stood up and stomped towards the door. Using her family power she tells the manager that Eva was very impertinent and that if they don’t fire Eva then Sheila will never go near the place and she will try and persuade her mother to close the account they have there.
Initially, Sheila says she felt – “Rotten about it at the time…” but she doesn’t take any action about it. This is because she got told that the young girl didn’t matter and that she was only a shop worker – “I’ve told my father- he didn’t seem to think it amount much…” This shows that a lower class person means nothing to the Birling family and they don’t really need caring about. This make Sheila feel worse. Sheila seems to own to her part of the blame, she says – “Did it make much difference to her?” – Sheila doesn’t run away from her problems and she is willing to take the blame –“So I’m really responsible?” – This tells us that Sheila has a conscience and she knows right from wrong unlike the rest of her family that are willing to deny it.
When Sheila tells the Inspector about the Milward incident we realise in the situation she was very spoilt and she was in a ‘temper.’
At that time Sheila was jealous of Eva Smith because she was really pretty but this is ironic as Eva would be jealous of Sheila’s luxurious lifestyle. Sheila admits that she was wrong and she is now ashamed and she has learned from her mistakes – “It’s the only time I’ve ever done anything like that, and I’ll never, never do it again to anybody. I’ve noticed them giving me a sort of look sometimes at Milward- I noticed it even this afternoon – and I suppose some of them remember. I feel now I can never go there again. Oh- why had this happen?” This is also telling us that other people look at her as a spoilt child and someone of temper.
At the time of the Milward incident Sheila seems very selfish and she likes to be known as the best. She got told something wouldn’t suit her but she wouldn’t listen to anyone else; she was very arrogant.
Sheila says – “I couldn’t be sorry for her” Sheila seems to have no feeling for anyone but herself at that time. She has changed from taking the blame and wanting to know how the girl died to not even having any concern about Eva Smith. Sheila again is acting like the rest of her family who don’t care about the lower class. This may give us the hint that half her heart is with the lower class but because she was brought up by capitalist parents the other half of her heart has no concern for the lower class.
After Sheila tells the Inspector what happens the inspector harshly tell Sheila “It’s too late. She’s dead” He is saying that Sheila should have thought about her actions at the time. We get the impression that Sheila is really sorry and she means what she says.
The inspector also mentions to Sheila about ‘her power’ – “So you used the power you had as a daughter of a good customer…” This is saying to us that we shouldn’t abuse the position we are in but we should use for it for good purpose.
Sheila takes the incident seriously, while everyone is denying that the family has nothing to do with it but Sheila refuses to deny the incident and wants to get the case solved and wants everyone to confess as much as the inspector does.
We notice that she is quite perceptive – “We can’t leave it at that.” She realizes that Gerald has done something wrong but he wouldn’t admit it.
Gerald hides the relationship that he has with Eva Smith (also known as Daisy Renton). Sheila knows the inspector isn’t stupid - “Why – you fool – he knows. Of course he knows.” There is “triumph” for Sheila as her status in the relationship has change has she is now telling Gerald what to do. Sheila refuses to defer to Gerald as she wants everything out in the open. She wants to know what the rest of her family did as well as her. Sheila knows that the inspector knows about the secret relationship.
In act 1 we learnt that Sheila is pleased with life at the moment but she is also a spoilt child. At the time of the Milward incident, Sheila was wrong about something; everyone knew it except for her, she doesn’t want to listen to other people’s opinions for example at Milward she says she had gone to try something on. It was an idea of hers – her mother had been against it and so had the assistant – But she insisted. At Milward Sheila is in a furious temper and she ended up taking the temper out on Eva Smith by getting her sacked. Sheila was petulant because of her social position she was allowed to get away with what she caused.
Instead of using her power of her position in a good way, she abused her power just like her father. The actions Sheila took out of anger consequently deprived Eva of her livelihood.
Sheila realized her mistakes and confesses to her role in Eva’s fate. She expresses her regrets for her awful behaviour and actions and does not try to hide her behaviour.
At the end of the scene, Sheila ends up taking on the inspector as she interrogates Gerald to tell the inspector the truth; Gerald says to keep it from the inspector but Sheila says – “…He knows. Of course he knows. And I hate to think how much he knows that we don’t know yet. You’ll see. You’ll see.” Sheila refuses to keep her knowledge ‘a secret’; instead she brings out the more mature side of her.
In the beginning of Act 2 Sheila continues to argue with Gerald about her wanting to stay and continue listening but Gerald refused he wants her to get out of the room so she won’t hear his secrets.
Sheila has changed from the girl that was obeyed everything Gerald said to her to her being in charged of the relationship that she as with Gerald. Sheila as started to stand up for herself instead of listening to what other peoples about what she should or shouldn’t do. Sheila reason for staying is because she wants to know the truth; she wants to know why Gerald wasn’t with her that summer.
Sheila at that moment was feeling all the blame; she wants to know who else is to blame for the young girl’s death.
The inspector told Gerald that Sheila alone feels responsible for the death of that girl. Sheila agree she says that she is the one to blame and that she is terrible sorry for what happen but she won’t believe that alone she drove the girl to commit suicide. The inspector says – “...We have to share something....we’ll have to share our guilt.” Then Sheila says – “Yes. That’s true. You know....” this shows us that now Sheila is now moving towards the inspectors side sharing his point of view.
As Sheila is agreeing with the inspector she is beginning to wonder who the inspector really is; Sheila says – “Stares at him wonderingly...” this shows Sheila curiosity, she wants to know more about this inspector and who the inspector really is and she is the only one that wants to know. As Sheila is staring at the inspector, Sheila says – “I don’t understand about you.” – This shows that she is quite inquisitive; she doesn’t have full trust in the inspector.
Gerald explains to everyone about how he came across to know Eva Smith. Gerald says that he picked her up from a bar after he saw that she was been harassed by this man, he felt pity for her so that is why he picked her home. Then he found out that she didn’t have a home after they had dinner together, so he decided to let her stay in his friend’s house. Over the summer they became close but he was also busy with work. Finally it was the first week of September and he had to go away for a business trip for several weeks and so Eva Smith knew it was going to and end; so Gerald broke up with her definitely and after she says she was going to move to Brumley he never saw her again.
Sheila listened carefully and calmly to the story been sarcastic in-between; after Gerald had told his story he wanted to go for a walk and then that was when Sheila gave him the engagement ring back to him as she as decided to end the relationship Gerald. This is ironic because before everything the started happening Sheila says – “I’ll never let it (ring) out of my sight.” This makes us realize that Sheila as changed from what she was like in the beginning; she also realise this herself – “We are not the same people who sat down to dinner here...” this tells us that she knows that she has changed from the girl that only cared about herself to a girl that is more aware of her actions and now cares about people around her.
After ending the relationship and giving back the ring to Gerald we realise that Gerald is pretty fair to Gerald. Sheila gives Gerald credit for been honest. Sheila says to Gerald that she respects him for been honest and she also says – “And it was my fault really that she was so desperate when you met her.” This tells us that Sheila accepts partial blame because if she didn’t get Eva sacked then she wouldn’t have gone to the haunt and Gerald wouldn’t have met her. We realise that Sheila accepts that Gerald was initially honourable when he first met Eva because he was only trying to help Eva out of pity. When Sheila means she wants to end the relationship she mean not for good but she wants to start again and reassess the relationship.
After the end of Act 2 we find out that Sheila knows things which shows that she is quite perceptive. It’s almost like she is working alongside the inspector. Sheila shows that she is an inquisitive person for example questioning Gerald about Eva Smith and how he knew her. She often echoes the inspector’s point of views which shows us that she as changed that what she use to be like in the beginning where she was childish and cares only about herself. But as we read on she becomes mature and more responsible for her actions. We also notice that she is trying to protect her family from getting hurt by pushing them to confess to their own mistakes instead of letting the inspector force it out of them.
After Gerald had left Sheila recaps the story of what happen to the young girl, making sure that everyone knows that they have a part in the death of Eva Smith. Sheila tries to sum up their sins as well as trying to make her family owe up to what they have done.
Sheila wants things to be fair between her and her family she as done for part by confessing to what she as done she is waiting for her family to do the same.
The inspector shows Mrs Birling the picture of the girl and he asked Mrs Birling if she knew the girl, Mrs Birling strongly denied she had anything to do with the girl but the inspector knows that she was lying and so Sheila also pressures her mother to tell the truth as she also knows that the inspector somehow knows what had happen. The inspector stated that Mrs Birling is a prominent member of the Brumley Women’s Charity Organization and Mrs Birling agreed and the inspector caught her.
Mrs Birling was a member of an organisation for distressed women that needs help and Eva Smith did come and see her but Eva stated her name has ‘Mrs Birling’ which disgusted Mrs Birling and at that time Eva was pregnant. Mrs Birling admit that she was been prejudice against Eva Smith’s case and so she turned her away because according to Mrs Birling, Eva was telling a pack of lies. Mrs Birling told Eva to go and look for the father of her baby and that it’s his responsibility.
Sheila’s reaction to the fact that Eva was pregnant when she got turned away was shocked she says – “(horrified) No! Oh-horrible-horrible...!” - Sheila was shocked about this, but this was a contrast to between her and the rest of her family; as her family felt no emotion not a surprised or shocked expression in the room.
Sheila was so shocked and disgusted about what her mother did she ended up turning on her mother – “Mother, I think it was cruel and vile.” This shows us what Sheila really feels about her mother and she uses strong words against her mother’s actions, but if we go back earlier Sheila would never turn on her own mother but because she wants everything to come out and she now see her mother for who she really is.
When the inspector told Mrs Birling what she did was completely wrong and what if it happen to her, Sheila was shocked but Mr Birling mind wasn’t really on what Mrs Birling did but was on if the press get hold of the situation –”The Press might easily take it up-“this shows us that Mr Birling takes up his own self interest, this tells us that he is a selfish man, he doesn’t care about Eva but cares about the reputation of his family.
In the beginning of Act 3 Eric comes in knowing that the family now knows of his drinking problem. It was Sheila that told the family about Eric, this made Eric angry and he feels that Sheila betrayed him – “You little sneak.” This shows us that Sheila was being open about everything not keeping anything a secret which means she is an honest person. It also showed the relationship between Eric and Sheila because this mean the must be very close as the Eric told Sheila his secret trusting Sheila.
When Sheila told Eric that she kept the secret for months – “I could have told her months ago, not of course I didn’t.” This shows that Sheila as protected Eric and shown loyalty to Eric by not telling their parents.
Eric revealed how he came into contact with Eva Smith. Eva and Eric met in a bar and they had a few drinks but they got drunk and Eric insisted to stay with her for the night and that is when they slept with each other. They met again in the same bar and they talked with each other and they slept with each other again. Eric admitted that he wasn’t in love with her but he liked her. They met up again and she told Eric that she was pregnant. Eva didn’t want to get married because she knew that Eric didn’t love her. He realised that Eva didn’t have a job so stole some money from small banks his father’s companies had and he gave it to Eva but when Eva discovered the money was stolen so she stopped collecting the money. Eva didn’t want to see Eric no more.
Eric was wondering how come everyone knew that Eva was pregnant and he asked if Eva told them and Sheila said – “She told mother.” This shows that Sheila is quick to let everything out in the open not letting anyone get away with anything.
Eric was furious at his mother telling her that she killed her own grand-child. Before the fight got out of hand the inspector told them all that they all had a part in killing Eva Smith. He told them not to forget it. Telling them what they did exactly and telling Sheila that she didn’t start the problem but Birling by not accepting her request. He told them how they all got to look after everyone else.
After the speech the inspector leaves, leaving the family in disbelief. The family started again to have disagreements blaming it on each other. But they wonder if the inspector was a real inspector. Sheila says it doesn’t matter who he was. The whole point of the inspector coming was to make the family think about their actions.
We notice that Sheila’s character changes after the inspector leaves. She starts to talk back to her parents, she becomes angry at them – “(flaring up)...” this shows us that she as started to stand up to her parents. Sheila tells her parents that they are being ‘Childish.’ This shows that she has turned the tables on her parents making them see it’s their fault as well as Eric’s and hers.
Later Gerald had turned up at the Birling’s house. Gerald told the Birling family that Inspector Goole doesn’t work for the police. This made the family puzzled. Gerald challenged the Birling family asking them is it the same they all saw which may not be true. They may not even know the same girl.
The Birling family don’t even know if there is an incident today. Mr Birling looks at them triumphantly and puts the theory altogether. They all came up with a conclusion that it was all a hoax. Mr Birling says – “I’m convinced it is. No police inquiry. No one girl that all this happened to. No scandal”-Then Sheila says - ...”No suicide?” this tells us that Sheila is very thankful that there is no death or unborn life on her conscience but the rest of Sheila’s family still don’t care about Eva Smith, they only care that they is no public scandal.
Mr Birling told Sheila that it was all over, Sheila says that everything did really happen but it didn’t end in a tragedy so lucky for them she also says –“But it might have done” This tells us that Sheila is still thinking of what may have happened if there was a girl that died and that they should just make it has a joke.
But Mr Birling mocks the fact that a girl might have died and he starts to mimic the inspector’s last speech. He tells Sheila to go to bed and she says “...It frightens me the way you talk.” This shows that Sheila is now disagreeing with her family values; she thinks that her family hasn’t changed a bit since Inspector Goole was there. Sheila doesn’t want a repeat of what happen again, she wants her family to change for the better.
Sheila confronts her parents on how they are behaving – “You’re pretending everything’s just as it was before.” This is telling us that Sheila is quite upset that her family is pretending that everything is okay but her and Eric learnt their lessons.
Unlike the rest of the family Sheila is calm and level-headed.
Gerald holds up the ring to Sheila. This is history repeating itself as earlier in the story Gerald gave Sheila a ring announcing their engagement but this time Sheila says – “No, not yet. It’s too soon. I must think.” This tells us that she is not ready to step into her old role it also shows that she still doesn’t agree with her family value and she knows her as to think about her this time and know what she wants instead of her parents pushing her to marry Gerald someone rich and of high class. So she turns Gerald down.
In the beginning we portrayed Sheila as a very superficial person who was only knows the obvious. She is also a selfish and self-centred person like when she went to Milward only thinking about herself she got Eva Smith sacked from her she also said “I couldn’t be sorry for her.” - She heard that she got sacked and she showed no care for other people but herself. She was also an immature, childish and naive person. Sheila was at the bottom of the family which meant she was to answer if she was spoken to. She abused her status to get what she wanted like at Milward where she said she would persuade her mother to close the account they have with Milward unless they sack the girl. She is also a spoilt and inconsiderate person; she can get what she wants if she just uses the power that she has of an upper class citizen. We could see that she was very detached from reality; she didn’t know what was going on in the outside world where there were people from the lower class and working class. Sheila doesn’t really speak for herself – “...You talk as of we are responsible-“ Then Birling says – “(cutting in) Just a minute Sheila ...” This shows that her father won’t really allow her to express her own point of view.
As we come to the end of the story Sheila’s character changes dramatically as she finds out who else was responsible for Eva Smith’s suicidal death. Sheila is an independent and takes responsibilities of her actions – “I know. I had her turned out of a job. I started it.” Sheila is willing to take part of the responsibilities of the death of Eva Smith. She is also a changed woman – “You and I aren’t the same people who sat down to dinner here” - this also shows that she know as well that she is a changed woman. She is also very perceptive and inquisitive she is knows what her mother had done before her mother admitted and she is very inquisitive saying to the inspector – “I don’t understand about you.” Sheila now also listens to her conscience knowing when Eva was said not to be true she had no death on her conscience but she still felt that the story was really and that there was an Eva Smith. She is an honest deep thinker who thinks about the consequences of her actions on the day of Milward and how that led on to other unfortunate events. Sheila is not anymore as heartless as the others but she is sensitive she doesn’t listen to the rest of her family when they say that the inspector was hoax and when they said that there was no suicide – “You’re pretending like everything’s just as it was before.” The rest of Sheila’s family act like the inspector coming was a dream but Sheila isn’t. Sheila is critical of family values she doesn’t believe that the family can use their position in a manner that is not useful to other people around them. Finally, she is unwilling to revert to her pervious self; Sheila says to her family – “...You’re ready to go on in the same old way.” And Mr Birling says – “(Amused) and you’re not, eh?” Sheila says – “No, because I remember what he said, how he looked and what he made me feel.” This is saying that she as learnt a lot from the inspector and she is never going to return to her old self. Sheila even rejects the ring offered back by Gerald because she knows that she is not ready yet and she needs to think.
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