“You’re just the kind of son-in-law I always wanted. Your father and I have been friendly business rivals for some time now – though Crofts Limited is both older and bigger than Birling and Company – and now you’ve brought us together, and perhaps we may look forward to a time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together – for lower costs and higher prices”
This shows the audience that Birling is hoping to establish his company further and he hopes Gerald’s family will assist him in doing this, he tells the family how he will
“Look forward to the time when Crofts and Birling are no longer competing”
This suggests that he hopes Crofts and Birling will join together into a bigger more profitable company. This shows the audience Birlings love and greed when money is involved. It also shows selfishness and a desire to only look after himself.
Sheila is used by priestly to both examine and reject the birlings values and beliefs. She is voicing all of Priestley’s views about women’s rights at the time. She first questions her father’s judgement when she voices her thoughts about Eva Smith wanting a pay rise this lead to her loosing her job and stability. She tells Mr Birling:
“(To Birling) I think it was a mean thing to do. Perhaps that spoilt everything for her”
She also voices her frustration at the way the women were treated in the workplace:
“But these girls aren’t cheap labour they’re people.”
In both these statements Sheila questions her father’s judgement. By doing this she is beginning to change her role in the play. First she is seen to be the Birling little princess who always agrees with her Mother and Father and then she turns into the voice of conscience or the general public asking questions and rejecting the family’s values.
Sheila’s attitude towards men and marriage is different to her mothers. She wants honesty and love from her husband. She doesn’t just want a husband for a good financial backing and to be protected from the reality of a class divided country. She clearly hates lies and knows Gerald is hiding something from her about his activities last summer. When Gerald tells her his side of the story she is quick to dismiss it:
Sheila: “Yes – except for all last summer when you never came near me, and I wondered what had happened to you”
Gerald: “And I’ve told you I was awfully busy at the works all that time”
Sheila: “Yes, that’s what you say”
This is when Mrs Birling is quick to defend Gerald:
“Now Sheila, don’t tease him. When you’ve got married you’ll realise that men with important work do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on business. You’ll have to get used to that, just as I had”
These statement show the audience Sheila wants to be different and break the mould. She doesn’t just want to accept that she might not see her man all the time she wants him with her and she won’t forget easily. Whereas he mother has learned to live with these ways.
When Gerald id honest about what he has been doing in the summer he gains respect from Sheila that he didn’t previously have. After he comes clean to Sheila about the affair Sheila claims:
“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”
This shows that her respect for Gerald is increased when he told the truth even though it was bad news he told her. This shows she wants honesty from her man and not just the healthy life style most women wanted.
Priestly wants Sheila to create emotion on stage. He keeps her on stage for nearly the whole play because she becomes the character the audience feel the most sympathy for. During her revelation scene she shows genuine regret for her actions. This is to win over the audience. She shows more regret than anyone else, she tells the inspector:
“It was my own fault”
This shows genuine regret and guilt for her actions. She is aware of her wrong doing and is willing to take the full blame for her actions instead of hiding from the truth. Her father however is different and he doesn’t want any blame in the death even though it was him that sacked Eva at the beginning. Priestly is showing how Sheila youth represents the ability to adapt to change and the ability to face up to responsibility.
Priestly gives some good stage directions to the actor playing Sheila, in order to create emotion on stage. Most of these directions are during her revelation scene. When Sheila sees Eva Smiths photo, before her revelation, Priestly gives the actress instructions of how to react:
“She looks at it closely, recognises it with a little cry, gives a half stifed sob, and then runs out”
The effect of this is the emotion that is created on the stage. Emotion shows her genuine upset and shows her age. She is unlike her parents because she can not bottle up her emotions. She understands her responsibility to society.
Priestly puts more emotional language in the dialogue during Sheila’s warnings to her mother in act 2. She talks with “alarm” when addressing her mother.
“(with sudden alarm) Mother – Stop – Stop”
The repetition of “stop” shows the emotion and creates an effect she is begging her mother. The repetition also creates tension and suspense in the scene. Further on in the dialogue Sheila tells her mother:
“I begged you and begged you to stop”
The word “begged” shows Sheila was desperate for her mother to stop. Maybe this word is used because Sheila symbolises Eva Smith. Eva Smith “begged” for help from Mrs Birling’s committee but her plea was also ignored. This suggests that Sheila is the voice of conscience.
Sheila Birling is important in the play because she creates conflict and adds suspense. On a few occasions she creates conflict by arguing with members of her family. She comes out of her shell and really speaks her mind. The first this is when she I questions her fathers judgement when she found out the circumstances in which Eva Smith was sacked she protested:
“I think it was a mean thing to do. Perhaps spoilt everything for her.”
Her questioning her fathers judgement creates conflict and shows she is learning and thinking about what is happening before her. She is also correcting her fathers judgement and telling him the correct way to have dealt with the problem.
At the end of the play Sheila is Priestly’s hope for the future. Sheila represents youth. Youth represents the ability to adapt to change and new order. At the end of the play Sheila shows we can be optimistic that the young – who shape the future – will take on board the inspector’s message unlike her parents – the older generation – who have remained with their old values.
