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AQA GCSE English Literature How does Priestley present Sheila as a character who learns important lessons about herself and society? Exemplar Essay£5.48
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A grade 9 AQA GCSE example answer to the question: How does Priestley present Sheila as a character who learns important lessons about herself and society?
How does Priestley present Sheila as a character who learns important lessons about herself
and society?
In Priestley’s enigmatic morality play, “An Inspector Calls”, Sheila’s character evolves as she
learns important lessons about her own behaviour and society. She begins the play as a silly
girl who has remained naïve as a result of her sheltered and privileged upbringing. However -
once she learns of her part in Eva’s tragic demise - she becomes more assertive and
sympathetic as she accepts responsibility early on. Notably, her depth of feeling and transition
are used as a device to deliver a clear message to the audience: the younger generation are
capable of change.
In the opening of the play, Sheila is an archetypal middle-class girl: childish and materialistic.
She is content to fill the role of an excited and passive wife that was expected of women in
1912 when the play is set. Post war women would likely have experienced work outside of
the home and potentially would be frustrated at the way that Sheila’s life spotlights the way
that class defined the opportunities a person was given in life. When she is given her
engagement ring, she exclaims “look - mummy – isn’t it a beauty?”. Priestley uses Sheila’s
initial empty headedness and transition to an assertive young woman to address sexism in
Edwardian society. At this point in the play, her juvenile way of addressing her parents
(despite being in her “early twenties”) reflects her immaturity. An impression is created that
Sheila has been infantilised by her parents. Notably, her use of the adjective “beauty”
demonstrates she values the objective appearance of the ring, giving no thought to the
financial value of the object – she is naïvely unaware of the hardships that ithers face. Indeed,
her focus on the ring’s appearance could foreshadow the way that she sabotages Eva’s
position at Milwards out of jealousy for Eva’s “beauty”. Another interpretation is that she is
dutifully playing her role as a subservient fiancé by attempting to please Gerald as she
compliments his ring. Furthermore, her somewhat fragmented speech conveys her shock and
admiration at the “beauty “of the ring and prideful excitement at receiving it. This only serves
to reiterate her immaturity.
As the inspector’s interrogation begins, Sheila becomes increasingly sympathetic for the
exploited working classes. Once she hears of the living conditions that Eva was forced to
endure after being sacked by Mr Birling, Sheila becomes more aware as she challenges her
parent’s bourgeois ideology. Taking on a defiant tone with the conjunction “but”, she exclaims
“but these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people”. Her transition and rejection of her
capitalist upbringing in favour of more progressive, socialist views highlights the changing
values of the younger generation. Her open questioning of her father’s avaricious attitudes
shows that Sheila has become more sympathetic and compassionate. Moreover, this
insightful and socialist statement would appeal to an audience in 1945 (when the play was
written) who had begun to embrace the socialist views becoming more prevalent in society
in place of capitalism.
Sheila’s final progression in understanding herself comes when Gerald’s affair with Eva is
revealed. From here onwards, she is assertive and freely expresses her opinions regardless
of whether they will offend her father and Gerald. Significantly, it becomes clear that she is
receptive to the Inspector teachings and has accepted responsibility for her unsavoury
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