Sheila Birling Essay

1006 Words5 Pages
------------------------------------------------- Write about Sheila Birling, her role in the play, her character and her relationships! J. B. Priestly writes a thought-provoking novel which shows several characters re-playing recent events all after a sudden appearance of one man; he shows how different personalities react to guilt. The story is set one night in 1912 in the dining room of a wealthy family. Gerald Croft and Sheila Birling are celebrating their engagement, Sheila Birling is the eldest child of Mr and Mrs Birling who are of high class and incredible power, but they are forced to learn that with great power comes great responsibility. Sheila Birling at the start of the play can be described as none other than a child. As you find later in the script, shock comes from even the most common of gloomy situations, death. If it were not for her engagement at first glance, you would have read this character as a child. With a shadow over her head of reality, all she really needed to worry about was herself, making her a little selfish. After hearing that a girl called Eva Smith had committed suicide, her response isn’t that of much care or shock, but with a disappointed sadness “Oh- how horrible!” she later goes on to say “I’ve been so happy tonight. Oh I wish you hadn’t told me”, although she is a little shaken at the news she would have rather it not spoil her evening. This childish, selfish girl was interested in finding out more about this eva girl but her first few questions aren’t the norm, why did this happen, what was her situation, she instead goes straight to “Quite young?” and “Pretty?” as if she had to be pretty and young to get Sheila’s attention. So we can add superficial to the list of her characteristics. She also starts to feel a little more
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