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English Lit Inspector Calls AQA EXAM TOMORROW!!!

Its my GCSE AQA English Lit modern text exam tomorrow and my Sunday is basically consisting of looking at past paper questions and answering them. I was just wondering if anyone could give me a developed answer on how I could improve my exam answer and what grade i'm working at!

How does Priestley present the change in Shelia during the course of the play an inspector calls? How do you think this change reflects some of Priestley’s ideas?
Shelia is one of the youngest characters within the play along with her brother Eric, who both reflect on their actions and portray a remorseful attitude to their wrong doings. Shelia is portrayed as round character one that changes over the course of the play. Overall Priestley uses her voice as an example of what he intends to influence the post war generation to be like. Not only does she change she breaks the limitations set upon her by her parents of what is socially expected especially of a female of her class and status in 1912. She becomes the image of what Priestley wants the future generations to be like, however she has flaws in order to reflect the change that has occurred in her sense of morals.
In the opening stage directions we begin to develop an insight into Shelia’s mannerism, she is described as being “very pleased with life” which we can only assume is because of her lifestyle that of which means she does not need to work due to social class and social expectations of a woman like her in her “early twenties”. The idea of Shelia being “very pleased with life” directly contrasts with Eva’s life as due to her lack of wealth and social status she is excluded to the hard working class life style that Shelia herself is not exposed to. However over the course of the play we recognise that as the inspector’s interrogation continues Shelia develops a social conscience that of which can be seen in the remorseful attitude she has towards her actions. That of which she would not have considered if the event was never to have taken place. Shelia shows that she is impacted by the incident even before she acknowledges she had a role to play in what happened. This can be seen in the fact she considers “I can’t help thinking about this girl…” during her father’s interrogation. Even after she acknowledges she impacted Eva’s life for the worst she unlike her older counterparts does not try to excuse herself from what she did, instead she admits her wrong doings and tries to change. Here she directly addresses how the “young are more impressionable” than their older counterparts, portraying the inspectors statement and overall portraying Priestley’s socialist ideals. I believe Priestley overall intended Shelia to be a round character in order to portray how the “young are more impressionable” therefore they can change and adapt to socialist ideals which can make the world a better place by helping those less fortunate than ourselves. The fact Shelia has the ability to change makes us a feel as a reader that we too can change our ways, therefore aiding us in what Priestley intended us to do. Alternatively it also makes us feel like we should accept responsibility for our actions as it is a good moral to abide by. Shelia therefore embodies everything Priestley wishes people to be, impacting how we act. Overall Shelia is presented as a fuel for change in society, presenting the influence the youth have over the future.
Shelia then follows on later within the play to find out about her fiancés love affair with Eva or at the time to Gerald was more formally known as Daisy Renton. From this point onwards Shelia begins to develop more as a character as she has acknowledgement of her actions as stated when she states to Gerald “between us we killed her” ; not only this but the fact she finds out about her fiancés love affair begins to reshape her as a female character. Looking into social and historical context we know that females where belittled in a early 1900’s society and where seen as objects who could be married off. In Shelia’s case she was lucky that she loved Gerald, but as the relationship begins to fall apart she calls of the engagement therefore defying her family’s decision and defying their authority. The fact that she defies their authority reflects the way Priestley believed that things should be for everyone, that people should have the rights to do what they please no matter what differentiates them. In this case it was gender. I believe Priestley intended to present the theme of social expectations in order to highlight what we need to change in society in order to make it a better place for the youth of tomorrow. The young should not be exposed to the elders ideals as they were brought up differently.
Thats an amazing answer - very well structured 28/34
Grade 8 i assume

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