Preview

Sheila Birling Character Profile

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
421 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Sheila Birling Character Profile
Sheila Birling; character profile and responsibility
Who is Sheila Birling?
Sheila Birling is the daughter of Mr Birling of Birling & Co. Sheila is engaged to be married to Gerald Croft of Crofts Limited. She comes from a middle class family however her fiancée is of a higher class then herself. Her traits are depicted early on in the play, as she is described at the beginning as “a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited”. Although she is described to be “very pleased with life” at her engagement dinner she shows that she has suspicions as she mentions how Gerald never came near her last summer, this shows that things are not what all they seem. Even though at the beginning of the play she is shown to be a quite excitable, childish character she matures as the play continues. She is selfish and self-centred as at the start of the play she is enjoying the attention and importance her engagement brings her. Sheila is extremely perspective and curious as she realises that Gerald knew Daisy Renton from his reaction the moment the inspector mentions her name. She is interested and intrigued by the inspector and Gerald’s part in the girl’s death; she doesn’t become angry at Gerald when she learns of his affair this is an example of her maturing. As soon as Sheila hears of the girl’s death she shows compassion as she says “But these girls aren’t cheap labour-they’re people” already she is changing from her selfish ways.
What responsibility does Sheila have in the death of Eva Smith?
Sheila’s part in the death of Eva Smith was small yet full of consequences. Sheila abused her status as a wealthy, popular customer at the shop Milwards where Eva Smith worked, because Eva was pretty and laughed to the Clark about the choice of hat Sheila had chosen, Sheila insisted on Eva’s dismissal for her “impertinent” manner and said if she was not gone then she would influence her mother to close their account with Milwards. Eva Smith’s job

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    As soon as they meet in act one, Birling attempts to show his social superiority to the Inspector, boasting about his contacts in the police force, this shows Birlings character and the type of person he is, big headed and boastfull. Within the play Mr and Mrs Birling seems to be the only characters that are unable to accept the fact that they helped in the death of eva smith. In contrast to Mr and Mrs Birling Sheila has total opposite views and realises what she did was wrong, and wishes that she could go back and never get Eva sacked-…

    • 1084 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The second scene shifts to the motel room where the audience is introduced to the second character, Sheila. Their different approach to life clearly shows as Sheila is more cautious than Bridie, questioning about the interview she is about to give. Sheila’s values are formed by the English values of her ime and her religious background was Protestant. Her mother was clearly the more significant parent as Sheila was influenced by her mother to wear gloves in public, feeling superior to Orientals and Colonials and keeping up appearances.…

    • 1339 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    - At the end of the play, Sheila is much wiser. She now views her parents and Gerald from a new perspective. She now…

    • 391 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nervously, Mr Birling is able to take charge of the situation and continue his speech about the engagement. In this speech Mr Birling objectifies his daughter as “something good to be married to”. We know this because he addresses Gerald and regularly mentions how “She’ll (Sheila) make you happy”. Though Mr Birling’s power is tested when embarrassed by the Inspector. The Inspector bluntly confronts him for his terrible…

    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The beginning is almost like a red-herring, -a distraction from what is truly underneath, deceit. The engagement is as if meant to be a formality, a ring binding to households together, but no their hearts. We are let on to this fact, especially when Sybil calls both Sheila and Eric out of the dining room for assistance in something or other, which triggers off the feeling that perhaps that’s not all she is calling them out for, after all she has Edna the maid servant to be of help to her. Sheila enters the room just after Mr Birling confesses, and is shown to be more inquisitive than the rest of the family present at the scene; Sheila; “What’s this all about? Mr Birling; “Nothing to do with you, Shiela.Run along. Sheila: “What business? What’s happening?”, The above shows that Sheila is interested in what is going on and is a curious character, however her interest is brushed aside by Mr Birling, who treats Sheila like a child even shoo-ing her off as if she were a dog, yet his treatment towards her doesn’t discourage her to stop asking questions, in fact she goes on asking, showing that she is also an insistent person. She has moved on from the celebratory occasion, and doesn’t bring up the subject throughout the entire interrogation,…

    • 1254 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In act 1 The Birling family and Gerald are celebrating Gerald and Sheila's engagement in the dining room. Sheila and Eric are arguing in a not really serious way, while Gerald and Mr. Birling are talking about business, politics mostly about the Titanic. Mr. Birling is on his way to the next social class by getting an knighthood. Lady Croft has a very strong view of social classes; it looks like she isn't too happy about the fact, that her son is engaged to a girl of a lower class. Just before the ring bells and the inspector arrives, Mr. Birling shows his outlook on life to Gerald and Eric "a man has to make his own way, has to look after himself and his family". The inspector enters and tells them about the suicide. He shows a photograph to Mr.Birling. and starts questioning him. It turns out that Eva Smith had been one of Mr.Birlings. employees and later on was discharged because she asked for more money, had been refused and went on a strike along with allot of other employees, and was later fired for being one of the…

    • 529 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Act One, Sheila and her family are celebrating her engagement to Gerald Croft. Although Sheila is excited and full of joy, she can’t help but wonder why Gerald spent all of last summer avoiding her and blaming it on work, as it says on page 3, “(half serious, half playfully) Yes - except all last summer when you never came near me, and I wondered what had happened to you.” Sheila’s tone with Gerald is quite serious sometimes, even when she is trying to be playful.…

    • 998 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Even the strongest of bonds can have the heaviest of complications. The relationship between our two protagonist Bridie and Sheila is a strained one that leads to fragile results, the viewer understands this through the moments were both of them argue all the time or the cutting sarcastic remarks that are left by Bridie. the irony with the postcards send by sheila's mother "raffles bombed. daddy devastated. chin up. mother" and the message from the australian prime minister "greetings and keep smiling" the irony is then proved with the quote from sheila "they were skin and bone and covered in boils - and they'd just been told to 'keep smiling'!" of course this turns out to be immensely funny to the women and they couldnt stop laughing.…

    • 762 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Truth, honestly and candour is the central idea of the play. The idea of truth, telling the truth and recognising the truth is located in the interrelationship between the two women during the war. An example of this is when Sheila reveals her secret of ‘giving herself up to a Jap’ to save Bridie which has been kept hidden since the war. In the scene, Misto uses a combination of techniques such as lighting, music and sound to convey emotions from the audience as Sheila tells her story. The scene concludes with both characters isolating in separate spotlights and the music plays to the audience as the scene ends with tension and suspense. This then shapes the perception and meaning of concerns and experiences to make the audience think of the interrelationship between the two women and the heroic deeds of women during the war.…

    • 900 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Birlings are a family of wealth and power, who take pride in their high social position. Mr. Birling is a successful businessman, and the family inhabits a nice home with a maid (and likely other servants). The play begins with the family celebrating and feeling generally pleased with themselves and their fortunate circumstance. Throughout the Inspector’s investigation, however, it comes out that several of the Birlings have used their power and influence immorally, in disempowering and worsening the position of a girl from a lower class: Mr. Birling used his high professional position to force Eva Smith out of his factory when she led a faction of workers in demanding a raise; Sheila, in a bad temper, used her social status and her family’s…

    • 169 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Sheila Birling Changes

    • 1286 Words
    • 6 Pages

    At the end of the play, it is clear that Sheila has matured and take more authority from away from her parents. When the family learns that the Inspector wasn’t isn’t real Sheila says to her parents ‘You knew it them. You began to learn something. And now you’ve stopped.’ Priestley’s use of tripling highlights Sheila’s strong desire for change and her determination to persuade her parents to change their ideologies and spread the Inspector’s views. Furthermore, the use of the personal pronoun ‘you’ demonstrates how Sheila evidently distances herself away from her parents, insinuating her desire for a lack of association with them. She realises she doesn’t want to be influenced by their views as she knows they are wrong, therefore highlighting the contrast between Sheila and her parent’s attitudes as well as Priestley’s desire for the younger generation to understand what is wrong and actively change to make it…

    • 1286 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Priestley represents Eva as a dramatic device in the play ‘An Inspector Calls’ in many different ways, and also uses her to connect everybody to making them/(all characters) guilty for Eva Smith's death.…

    • 524 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Shoe Horn Sonata

    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The theme friendship is exemplified through out the play and is evident through the stage connection between sheila and Bridie. This is quoted when sheila states ”Guidance? You mean a barrage orders sheila- did you eat your grass? Why haven’t you drunk your charcoal water? God how I hate that stuff”. Through the use of rhetorical question the composer illustrates the level of friendship they had for each other and the bond they shared because of their traumatic experience during WW||. Consequently this quote exemplifies the struggles the two women underwent during the time they were held captive and how their friendship grew and become unbreakable due to that.…

    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    An Inspector Calls Quotes

    • 601 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Priestley uses Sheila to show that even though most rich people are snobby people who don't care about anybody but themselves there are some exceptions. Sheila is one of these exceptions.…

    • 601 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Inspector Calls

    • 768 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Sheila starts out in the play as a very spoilt girl, and also seems rather shallow. Several things give us this impression in the first scene, for example her reaction to her engagement ring: “Oh Mummy – isn’t it a beauty?!” She also appears quite naive, despite her curiosity as to where her fiancé Gerald spent his summer last year. However, as soon as the Inspector starts to interview the family, we see an altogether different side of her. She shows compassion immediately when hearing about her father’s poor treatment of Eva Smith in his factory: “But these girls aren’t just cheap labour – they’re people”. She is also horrified by her own part in Eva's story. She feels full of guilt for her jealous actions and blames herself as "really responsible."…

    • 768 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays