Throughout the play I felt the Inspector was real. I was shocked when I found out that he wasn’t. I think I did have some doubts about him. The things that triggered them off were the fact he would only allow one person at a time view the photograph at a time and how did he know so much about the family not even their own family members now.
Out of the whole family only Sheila seems to be the only one to realise how much the Inspector is getting at them. She discovers that he does not need the family to confess, as he already knows what they have done. ‘Why- you fool- he knows. Of course he knows.’
The rest of the family just think Sheila is being stupid so they do actually all confess they soon realise though that Sheila was right and they were wrong.
Throughout the play I felt the Inspector was real. I was shocked when I found out that he wasn’t. I think I did have some doubts about him.
The things that triggered them off were the fact he would only allow one person at a time view the photograph at a time and how did he know so much about the family not even their own family members now.
Out of the whole family only Sheila seems to be the only one to realise how much the Inspector is getting at them. She discovers that he does not need the family to confess, as he already knows what they have done. ‘Why- you fool- he knows. Of course he knows.’
The rest of the family just think Sheila is being stupid so they do actually all confess they soon realise though that Sheila was right and they were wrong.
Sheila Birling is the daughter of the Birlings she was celebrating her engagement to Gerald when the Inspector arrived. Sheila is in her twenties very pretty and also a very pleased woman before the Inspector arrives. Sheila represents part of the younger generation. At the beginning of the play we see the fun living and rather self-centred side of Sheila. She is enjoying getting all of the attention. We see Sheila as a attractive, honest, good sensitive a character but as the play develops and we find out she got Eva Smith the sack we realise she is a spoilt child who always gets her own way due to her status in the public but we do find that she is also quite clever as she learns to take responsibility of her actions.
I feel the Inspector affected the Sheila the most as she found the most out about her family.
Firstly she found out Gerald had had an affair with Daisy Renton in the summer when Sheila thought he was working over time. This did not affect Sheila as much even though she ended their engagement you can’t help but feel they will get back together.
The thing that got to her the most was that her parents felt they had done nothing wrong after all the revelations. Especially her father all he cared about was his reputation in the town. For example when the family found out the Inspector wasn’t real they decided to ring the infirmary to see if a girl had died due to disinfectant poisoning he said ‘ it will look a bit queer, wont it- ringing up at this time of night-.’ Meaning he didn’t want anyone thinking he was weird so in the end Gerald called.
By the end of the play all the respect and trust Sheila and Eric had for her parents had all disappeared but then again their parent no longer trust Eric after they discovered he had stole money from Mr. Birling.
Sheila was the only character to admit and apologise straight away for what she had done to Eva Smith. Sheila said ‘I know I know it’s the only time I’ve ever done anything like that and I’ll never, never do it to anybody… I feel now I can never go there again- why had this to happen.’ After she has said this us the audience realise that she is truly sorry for what she has done she deeply regrets it. I feel she is the only member of the Birling family that does really regret it. I feel she also copes well when they realise the Inspector is not real as she stands up to her father and tell him ‘nothing can be the same again’
When the family realise the Inspector is not real they are all shocked even though Mr. Birling acts as if he knew all the time. Its not until they get a phone call you know he didn’t because of his expression when the phone rings. The person on the other end of the phone is an Inspector he is just telling the Birlings that he is on his way over to ask some questions, as a girl has died on her way to the infirmary. After swallowing some disinfectant. Its as if they have just woken up from a nightmare and now they are going to have to go through it again but at least this time they know what to expect.
The questions we the audience are left wanting to now at the end of the play are, how does the Inspector know as much as he does? And was he the murderer? Nobody knows!!!