Sheila

Sheila is the daughter of Mr and Mrs Birling and is engaged to Gerald Croft.  Sheila represents the younger generation and the new ideas that they possess.

Sheila is the character that changes the most throughout the play.  At first she's self-absorbed and only cares about being the centre of attention, however, on hearing of the death of Eva Smith/Daisy Renton, she shows genuine emotion at the news and is the first to grasp that she was partly responsible for her death.

She also hints that Eric might be the father of Eva Smith's baby, due to his drinking.  Due to her knowledge, she's also the first person to realise that Eric is the baby's father:

The fact that Sheila is the first to realise what her brother might have done, tells the audience a lot about her character.  It emphasises that she is able to see past her social situation and her ability to realise that just because she's higher up on the social standings, doesn't mean she's incapable of doing wrong.

As stated before, Sheila shows she's capable of change.  She's the only person in her family that takes responsibility for the part they play in Eva's death:

Sheila also fully highlights the difference between the generations.  She stands up to her father and questions his beliefs.  She is able to see the human, rather than the cheap labour, and questions her father's handling of the situation.  She is also able to see what Gerald did and is able to respect his honesty, which shows strength of character:

Some key quotes:
"Oh - how horrible! Was it an accident?" - Shows she feels shock at the death of a young woman.  She is naive to suggest that someone could drink a fatal amount of disinfectant 'by accident', but it shows she can't imagine someone not having a lot to live for.

"I wouldn't miss it for the worlds" - Although bitter about Gerald's relationship with Daisy Renton her curiosity needs to be satisfied and she is strong enough to hear the full story.

"I had her turned out of a job." - She is prepared to accept responsibility for what she has done.

"It's you two who are being childish - trying not to face the facts" - Sheila clearly believes that it doesn't matter whether the Inspector is a real police officer of not.  Her parents are relived that they might prevent a scandal, but she is concerned that they all harmed someone.

TASK: Can you find other exams of Sheila showing the following emotions:

• Caring
• Frightened
• Gentle
• Naive
• Sympathetic
• Outraged at her family