What do we, the Audience, learn about Sheila from the ways that she responds to the Inspector's visit, and how she speaks, and behaves, towards other characters?

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Ysmael Cruz

An Inspector Calls By J.B. Priestley

What do we, the Audience, learn about Sheila from the ways that she responds to the Inspector’s visit, and how she speaks, and behaves, towards other characters?

     From the play we learn that Sheila is having an engagement party and is looking forward to it. At the beginning of the play, Sheila and her Family are happily celebrating her engagement to Gerald we also notice that an engagement party is a time to celebrate wit friends and relatives but its only celebrated within Sheila’s family and none of Gerald’s family was present.

     In the opening scene of the play we realise that Sheila is involved in a conversation with her family, only speaking on the odd occasion example would be when she says ”All right then. I drink to you, Gerald“Also, we notice Sheila did not believe Gerald when he spoke of his business trip during the summer, (this is mainly because of Priestley’s emphasis on the word “you”),

     Gerald: “And I’ve told you I was awfully busy…”

     Sheila: “…Yes, that’s what you say”.

Priestley has used the word “you” in italics to emphasise the fact that Sheila doesn’t believe Gerald in other words she is being sarcastic. This could suggest a lack of trust.  This Character of Sheila corresponds with Priestley’s vague first description of her, from which we only gather that she is an excitable person looking forward to marriage.

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     As a young woman in 1912 Sheila was supposed to take on the secondary role in the marriage. The women were supposed to be “seen and not heard” in the relationship and they were expected to behave like good housewives example cooking, cleaning, looking after the husband, and not getting involved in business.

     When Sheila attempts to discuss business with the men, they treat her as though her thoughts are of no use or interest to them, laughing off the possible good or bad suggestion a women makes to business. When the men are discussing business, ...

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