Wilde explores the subject of morality frequently within the play and the conflicting ideas surrounding the topic. Wilde particularly explores the idea of women ‘falling from grace’. This can be seen in the character of Mrs Arbuthnot. The character is quite obviously a good, strong woman who has taken her misfortunes in stride and not let them bring her down too much, as well as raising her son to also be a good person. Many people would argue that the blame for her misfortune should solely lay on Lord Illingworth, who, it is obvious to the audience, used her for his own pleasure and satisfaction, abusing her love and trust.
Its just I cant help thinking about this girl-destroying her life so horribly.’ This shows Sheila feels commiseration and sensitivity towards Eva and her death which comes across as genuine regret when she realises she could be linked to her suicide. Mr Birling interrupts her questioning by becoming even more aggressive when trying to defend her daughter. The phrase ‘why the devil do you want to go upsetting a child like that’ that he uses shows he is more concerned that his daughter has been affected by feelings of guilt and shame for what they might have done to Eva Smith. He doesn’t realise the depth of the familys involvement and still feels able to be bitter and outspoken towards the inspector. However, this does impact the inspector at all because he continues his questioning with Sheila further.
Elizabeth’s coldness was the main cause of her husband’s disloyalty but she forgives him and does what is possible to keep her family together which is the most significant thing to her. Abigail and Elizabeth had both positive and negative characteristics. Abigail is a really good leader. She is also a liar and manipulates all her friends
She looks down on most people and expects the Inspector to treat her with the upmost respect she often treats the Inspector as inferior. Sheila the young pretty daughter, she is for filling her father’s dream of becoming upper-class by marrying an upper-class man Gerald. She is deeply affected by Eva Smith’s death she is initially very naive to suggest that someone can drink disinfectant by accident “Oh- how horrible! Was it an accident?” however later on she shows her own jealousy and bad temper causing Eva Smith to lose he jobs but she always accepts responsibility this reflects Priestley’s faith in the new generation that it will be filled with young socialist caring people who work
She is first to criticize her father’s decision to discharge her from his works stating ‘I think it was a mean thing to do. Perhaps it spoilt everything for her’ and realises ‘these girls aren’t cheap labour-they’re people’. The audience discover that Sheila ‘used the power as a daughter of a good customer and also of a man well known in the town to punish the girl’ by getting her sacked from her job after ‘having caught sight of this girl smiling at Miss Francis’ and admits ‘If she’d been some miserable plain creature, I don’t suppose I’d have done it. But she was pretty and looked as if she could take care of herself’. Although Sheila’s thoughts don’t immediately change, she comes to realise the consequences of her actions and accepts some blame unlike her
She grew up very close to her father, but didn’t have too much of a relationship with her mother. Her mother favored Maudie more than Peyton. As stated by Hadaller “Helen ostensibly devotes herself to Maudie, but at the expense of her marriage and in so doing she takes on a martyr complex, becoming self-righteously indignant that she is not recognized in her role as a devoted and caring mother.”(Hadaller29) Helen often acted jealous of her. “Helen Loftis has been seen by various critics as a woman filled with “insane jealousy” that leads to her acts of “great cruelty” toward her family and as a mother who wears a “hypocritical mask” of love and understanding when in reality she feels naught but jealousy and hostility.” (Hadaller35) The parents’ preferences put a strain on Peyton. It was hard for her to receive so much attention from her father, but have her mother abandon her emotionally.
She was portrayed to be cooperative and compliant to her husband who had took away the happiness in Minnie Foster’s life. In the story, two neighbor women slowly began unmasking the evidence and truth of Minnie Fosters’ conviction, the murder of her husband. Surprisingly, the neighbor women covered the evidence from their husbands because of Minnie Foster’s hard and sad life. In this story, and what must have held true in some instances, even though women respected and obeyed their husbands, they held value and perhaps felt pity for themselves and other women alike. The neighbor women were more observant than their husbands who had been given the same opportunity to unmask the truth.
Although it is easy to hate Briony because she falsely accuses Robbie, due to her childish naivety and innocence, her belief is that she is protecting Cecilia. She tries to formulate conclusions to what she sees, but misinterprets the adult world and believes Robbie Turner is a threat to her sister. When she matures, the realization of her mistake causes her extreme guilt, and she dedicates her life to finding atonement. The fountain scene is the first scene in which Briony’s innocence and naivety leads her to misunderstand Robbie Turner. She does not know what is going on, but she attempts to understand.
Even though a girl has committed suicide in a horrific manner as a result of her personal prejudices, she feels no remorse, completely ignoring any sense of being part of a community. She may have been running a charity at the time but in reality, it was run as a way for the rich to reduce their guilt for ignoring the poor around them, while barely scratching the surface of poverty. Sheila Birling is completely different to both her parents. Although she played a major part in Eva Smith’s suicide in the form of jealousy, she is genuinely distraught over the whole situation. She willingly takes responsibility for her part in the suicide and even wishes to change her ways after hearing what the Inspector has to say while going against her parent’s carefree behaviour after the inspector has left.
She is as duped by her husband, Iago, as much as the rest of the cast and she tries to amend her wrongdoings in the end by telling the truth to Othello although she is too late to save her mistress, Desdemona. Bianca on the other hand is women who I believe is in on the whole plot to ruin Othello. In my readings I think that Iago uses this women for his