Discuss the way in which Sheila changes throughout the play Essay

Discuss the way in which Sheila changes throughout the playThe Birlings are a middle Edwardian class family. The play is set in1912, in the house of the Birling family in the North Midlands. Atthat time a womans role was considered inferior to the mens as itwas always presumed that the man was the distributor point of the house. Women werealso not thought of as organism able to take part in seriousconversations, and that they needed to be protected.At the beginning of the play, Sheila is set forth as young,attractive, girly and nave. Also she has just become engaged. This ismade known through the stage directions and how she reacts to certainsituations.At the start of the play, Sheila turn ins her character by being verygirly in her contributions to the conversation. As the stagedirections say Sheila is still admiring her ring and not listeningto her fathers speech. This shows that she is self-centred and isenjoying the attention that the engagement is bringing her. Also sherefers to her parents as mama and Daddy at the beginning of theplay, emphasizing her dependency on her family. The arrival of theInspector seems to be the beginning of the change in Sheila. WhenSheila says except for all last summer, when you never came near me.She does not question Gerald further on the subject though she knewwhere he was. She does not question him further somewhat it because theearlier, girly side of Sheilas character would not be able to copewith the truth. Though she knows that he has not been awfully busy atthe works, where he said he has been, but having an affair.When Sheila first finds out about the girls suicide she is genuinelyupset and shows her sensitive side in her reaction, I... ...nd of the play she is unable to accept her parents attitudeand is both amazed and concerned that they havent well-educated anythingfrom the events of the eventide as she sarcastically says So nothingreally happened. So theres nothing to be sorry for, nothing to learn.We can a ll go on behaving just as we did. By this she means that shedoes not really understand how she could have learnt more in a fewhours than her parents have in their lifetime.In the play, Priestley is trying to show that there is a change in theyounger generation. He portrays this by the characters of Sheila andEric taking responsibility for their part in the death of Eva Smithand the fact that her parents havent learned anything from the eventsof that night. He is trying to show that people should takeresponsibility and care for each other, as in the idea of a bigcommunity.