How is Sheila presented by Priestley in An Inspector Calls?
Petulant, superficial, infantilised, Sheila was initially presented by Priestley as a stereotypical girl under the shelters
of the classist patriarchal Edwardian society. As the play progresses, Priestley utilises Sheila as a beacon of hope.
Through the Inspector’s investigation, she remorsefully takes up social responsibility- representing hope for the
youth in the post war society and urging the younger audience members to do the same- for the betterment of
society.
Initially, at the start of Act 1, Sheila is established as a superficial, controlled character within the play; her
engagement party to Gerald drives the plot forwards as the family are gathered for this celebration. She exclaims,
“Oh- is this the ring you wanted me to have”. WIth the exclamation “oh” her reaction could convey surprise and
excitement over Gerald’s gift, therefore disclosing her superficial traits, the syntactically odd phrasing of “you
wanted me to have” and even the “-” (implying a pause due to hesitancy) could disclose how she is perhaps masking
her own emotions as Gerald is controlling within the relationship. They could suggest how Sheila remains in the
control of Gerald under the patriarchal Edwardian society. This potentially foreshadows tension within their
relationship and links in with her “[half-serious, half-joking]” accusations of Gerald’s potential infidelity. This split
in tone could imply her struggle between challenging Gerald or conforming to social expectations as she recognizes
that she is lucky to have a partner who could have guaranteed her hierarchical and financial stability under the
capitalist patriarchy. However, it could also suggest her lack of power as she is forced to conceal her confrontations
behind a jesting tone (which is also masked by the “pink, intimate lighting”) and therefore point to her ultimate
helplessness.
Further into Act 1, within the extract, Priestley further explores Sheila’s flaws, and the shaping of this. At the start
of the extract, Sheila explains “mother had been against it… but I insisted”. This on one hand suggests the reason
Sheila eventually got Eva Smith fired was due to her own argument with sybil. Additionally, the verb “insisted”
characterises Sheila as petulant and childish, perhaps due to her sheltered upbringing, linking to further in the
extract, when she is dictated to speak “stormily”- again linking to how her moods are unpredictable and have been
tolerated by her family, due to her parents’ infantilization of her. Here, Priestley could be pointing to the
detriments of Sheila’s infantilization as it results in her jealousy- which led to her contribution in Eva’s death.
Perhaps Priestley, through suggesting Sheila’s infantilization is a result of the Birling’s dysfunctional family
dynamics, invites the audience to question the toxic power dynamics in the Edwardian society: Where the Birling
family becomes a microcosm of how Upper-class members go to extremes to gatekeep power under the oligarchy.
Subsequently, the audience would recognize how it impedes interpersonal relationships, and the necessity of
deconstructing them.
Further into the extract, Priestley also suggests Sheila’s exploitation of Eva Smith through the line “you used the
power you had”. Priestley here portrays Sheila as a typical member of the middle class who abuses her power, thus
inflicting damage on the working class as a result of their selfish actions. More importantly, the Inspector’s
emphasis on “the power” could alternatively imply how Sheila is corrupted by the agency granted by her higher
social standing, but not truly unforgivable as she still has the capacity to change. This is proven as she states, “And
if I could help her now, I would.” The conditional clause suggests Sheila’s genuine remorse and desire to start
helping those in the working classes as she realises the power she holds to change the fate of the working classes. It
points to her astuteness as she is receptive to the Inspector’s message, but also foreshadows her eventual
Petulant, superficial, infantilised, Sheila was initially presented by Priestley as a stereotypical girl under the shelters
of the classist patriarchal Edwardian society. As the play progresses, Priestley utilises Sheila as a beacon of hope.
Through the Inspector’s investigation, she remorsefully takes up social responsibility- representing hope for the
youth in the post war society and urging the younger audience members to do the same- for the betterment of
society.
Initially, at the start of Act 1, Sheila is established as a superficial, controlled character within the play; her
engagement party to Gerald drives the plot forwards as the family are gathered for this celebration. She exclaims,
“Oh- is this the ring you wanted me to have”. WIth the exclamation “oh” her reaction could convey surprise and
excitement over Gerald’s gift, therefore disclosing her superficial traits, the syntactically odd phrasing of “you
wanted me to have” and even the “-” (implying a pause due to hesitancy) could disclose how she is perhaps masking
her own emotions as Gerald is controlling within the relationship. They could suggest how Sheila remains in the
control of Gerald under the patriarchal Edwardian society. This potentially foreshadows tension within their
relationship and links in with her “[half-serious, half-joking]” accusations of Gerald’s potential infidelity. This split
in tone could imply her struggle between challenging Gerald or conforming to social expectations as she recognizes
that she is lucky to have a partner who could have guaranteed her hierarchical and financial stability under the
capitalist patriarchy. However, it could also suggest her lack of power as she is forced to conceal her confrontations
behind a jesting tone (which is also masked by the “pink, intimate lighting”) and therefore point to her ultimate
helplessness.
Further into Act 1, within the extract, Priestley further explores Sheila’s flaws, and the shaping of this. At the start
of the extract, Sheila explains “mother had been against it… but I insisted”. This on one hand suggests the reason
Sheila eventually got Eva Smith fired was due to her own argument with sybil. Additionally, the verb “insisted”
characterises Sheila as petulant and childish, perhaps due to her sheltered upbringing, linking to further in the
extract, when she is dictated to speak “stormily”- again linking to how her moods are unpredictable and have been
tolerated by her family, due to her parents’ infantilization of her. Here, Priestley could be pointing to the
detriments of Sheila’s infantilization as it results in her jealousy- which led to her contribution in Eva’s death.
Perhaps Priestley, through suggesting Sheila’s infantilization is a result of the Birling’s dysfunctional family
dynamics, invites the audience to question the toxic power dynamics in the Edwardian society: Where the Birling
family becomes a microcosm of how Upper-class members go to extremes to gatekeep power under the oligarchy.
Subsequently, the audience would recognize how it impedes interpersonal relationships, and the necessity of
deconstructing them.
Further into the extract, Priestley also suggests Sheila’s exploitation of Eva Smith through the line “you used the
power you had”. Priestley here portrays Sheila as a typical member of the middle class who abuses her power, thus
inflicting damage on the working class as a result of their selfish actions. More importantly, the Inspector’s
emphasis on “the power” could alternatively imply how Sheila is corrupted by the agency granted by her higher
social standing, but not truly unforgivable as she still has the capacity to change. This is proven as she states, “And
if I could help her now, I would.” The conditional clause suggests Sheila’s genuine remorse and desire to start
helping those in the working classes as she realises the power she holds to change the fate of the working classes. It
points to her astuteness as she is receptive to the Inspector’s message, but also foreshadows her eventual
