Zusammenfassung der Ressource
An Inspector Calls: Sheila
Birling
- THESIS STATEMENT: she supports a socialist view & gradually becomes more confident
- Sheila is described in the author's notes to be "very pleased with life" which shows
her to be a girl who doesn't seem to have many issues in life
- She is cautious even in the beginning of the play & can tell that something is
up with Gerald: "(half serious, half playful) Except for all last summer, when you
never came near me"
- She is easily impressed & is pretty materialistic, therefore doesn't show much
care about more serious things in life. This can be observed in the way she
doesn't comment during the men's conversations: "I think it's perfect. Now I
really feel engaged"
- She is genuinely distraught about hearing about Eva Smith
& some of it turns into regret: "I can't help thinking about this
girl - destroying herself so horribly - & I've been so happy
tonight"
- She is quick to stand up for the girl
who were fired from her father's
company: "But these girls aren't
cheap labour - they're people"
- She begins to speak her mind more as the play continues & often
retaliates to what the others say: "(to Birling) I think it was a mean
thing to do"
- She is not one to underestimate the
Inspector's intelligence: "Why - you fool - he
knows"
- She abused her power to make up for her insecurities: "I went to
the manager of Milwards and I told him that if they didn't get rid of
that girl, I'd never go near the place again & I'd persuade my
mother to close our account with them"
- She does regret what she
did in Milwards: "I felt rotten
about it at the time and now I
feel a lot worse"
- She is angered at how Gerald, Mr & Mrs Birling
refuse to take responsibility: "(bitterly) I guess
we're all nice people now"
- She refuses to forget what she has learnt
tonight: "But that won't bring Eva Smith back to
life, will it?"
- She understands what the Inspector's plan is - to make them
confess one by one: "He's giving us the rope - so that we'll hang
ourselves"