Sheila Quotes Act 1
English Lit: AQA GCSE An Inspector Calls, topic 5.3.1
Sheila - Key Quotes
Sheila says the following key quotes in Act 1:
‘Why – you fool – he knows!’
- This exclamation shows that Sheila has quickly realised that Goole is shrewd (has good judgment) and smart.
- She knows that they cannot hide anything from him, and that he knows all of the answers and how they are all involved.
- She knows he is asking them questions to get them to realise their involvement themselves.
- She shows maturity and intelligence here.
‘So I’m really responsible?’
- Sheila’s first reaction to Inspector Goole’s questioning is to accept responsibility for her actions.
- Although she is still very worried about how the experience affects her, she acknowledges that she played a key role in Eva Smith’s suicide.
- This contrasts to Mr Birling’s complete denial.
‘Is it the one you wanted me to have… now I really feel engaged’
- Sheila doesn’t feel properly engaged until she gets a ring.
- Upper-class women got a fancy ring when they got engaged to show that someone new (instead of their father) owned them.
- Now that she's got the ring - the symbol of ownership - she seems to feel the new ownership too.
Sheila - Key Quote (Act 1)
‘Mummy – isn’t it a beauty?’ Here's an analysis of this key quote from Act 1:
Stereotypical higher-class woman
- As the play opens, Sheila plays the stereotypical young, pre-war, higher-class woman whose role is to marry well and produce children.
- She is excited to be marrying a good-looking, wealthy man and shows off her expensive engagement ring.
Child-like
- She uses the noun ‘Mummy’ when talking to her mother – this language suggests that she is quite child-like at the start of the play.
- That she feels like she needs to show off her ring also suggests she is childish.
- Priestley uses this to highlight how much she changes later on.
Test yourself on Sheila Quotes Act 1
Which of these is NOT a key quote said by Sheila in Act 1?
‘Mummy – isn’t it a beauty?’
What does this quote suggest about Sheila?