An Inspector Calls- How and why does Sheila change?

We’re writing a short essay on this question and I’d like to know how to improve it. I’m very tired and I feel like it’s not structured very well but I’m only in year 10 so the exam isn’t as important. My target grade is an 8/A* but I’m happy if I could at least get a high b/a at the start of the year- thanks


Priestley morality play ‘An Inspector Calls’ was written in 1945 in order to teach a moral lesson of caring for others as a society to the audience. As a socialist, Priestley was hoping for change after Labour’s landslide victory that year and he believed that his play would be an effective way to promote his anti capitalistic views. This essay will argue that Sheila, who is arguably the most changed character by the end of the play, shifted from a juvenile and selfish capitalist to a spirited, responsible socialist. This is important because Priestley wanted to show that the country should still have faith that change was possible after World War I and II.

Sheila is first presented as similar to her father, who is materialistic and follows callous behaviour. She seems to be unaware of life’s harsh realities when she pleads that if Eva Smith had “been some miserable plain little creature”, she would not have gotten her fired. The noun ‘creature’ dehumanises Eva Smith along with the rest of the lower class and shows that Sheila originally believed them to be worth less than her-or even a human. However, Priestley still hints at the possibility of her opinion altering to show when she also describes herself as a “selfish vindictive creature”. This may indicate Sheila’s hidden social awareness of where women such as Eva and herself stand in society, something many women were trying to change at the time with the suffragette movement. Shiela is described in stage directions as “half serious, half playful”. The verb ‘serious’ creates as sense of tension during the celebration, perhaps this shows that capitalism unsettles her. Eric is described in a similar way as “half shy, half assertive”, Priestley may have done this to highlight the sibling’s similarities as the younger family members to the audience.

At the beginning Sheila is also depicted as immature though the use of colloquialisms such as “mummy” and “daddy”which show her complete dependence on her parents. This may reinforce the idea that Sheila acts as if she is shielded from the outside world and is perhaps scared of growing up and accepting her true beliefs. Alternatively, this may suggest juxtaposition to Eva, a lower class girl, who has lost both of her parents. Priestley starts to emphasise the generation gap between Sheila and her parents here by making Sheila the naïve character and Mr Birling act as if he is the sensible one who is always right. This is ironic because he refers to her and and Eric as the “famous younger generation who know it all” which suggest that they are foolish, even when the adults are the ones who don’t accept responsibility later on.

But quite quickly, Shelia seems to gain confidence in herself and take control of conversations more often. She even interrupts her father by saying “don’t interfere”. She also defies Mrs Birling by telling her not to “build up a kind of wall between us and that girl”. The ‘wall’ she mentions may be reference to the extreme divide between the upper and lower class during Edwardian times, which someone from an aristocratic family like Mrs Birling would not want to change. Priestley is showing Sheila’s shifting opinion, but still makes her seem distant from Eva with the determiner ‘that’. Sheila adapts how she addresses her parents to be more formal, mature speech such as “mother” instead. It’s as if the audience watch her grow up and gain responsibility, this makes her more likeable and puts the audience on the younger generation’s side.

With her new confidence, Shelia becomes the inspector’s proxy; another voice of Priestley who exposes that Eric “drinks far too much”. This of course is something that Mr and Mrs Birling, who believe that Eric is “just a boy”, do not approve of. This further divides the family by age in order for Priestley to show that only the younger generations are willing to change and that they are the hope for the future. Towards the end of the play, she is still quite bitter and often makes sarcastic remarks about Gerald's affair with Eva 'I'm supposed to be engaged to the hero'. By mentioning the verb ‘engaged’, Sheila almost seems to be mocking marriage and her past naïve self for believing in it and trusting her parents.The audience would appreciate Sheila’s actions as she is standing for what they believe is morally right. This could also be the playwright’s way of converting the audience from capitalism to socialism, because if they feel a strong connection to Sheila, then they are more likely to also make the change as well.

Sheila shows her complete transformation when she says “it frightens me the way you talk” to Mr Birling. Despite all of his effort to force his selfish, capitalistic views back on to her, she won’t accept it and chooses to reject her class and family instead. Sheila has changed from a naive character to an assertive woman who accepts blame, unlike her parents. Throughout the play, she is referred to as ‘childish’ but juxtaposes it at the end by saying that Mr and Mrs Birling “are being childish”instead. The younger generations are more accepting of socialist ideologies, Sheila and Eric accept their part in Eva’s death and feel guilty and responsible. Priestley uses Shelia as a sign of hope to the 1946 audience that after two world wars, they have the chance to change just like she did.

We’re writing a short essay on this question and I’d like to know how to improve it. I’m very tired and I feel like it’s not structured very well but I’m only in year 10 so the exam isn’t as important. My target grade is an 8/A* but I’m happy if I could at least get a high b/a at the start of the year- thanks


Priestley morality play ‘An Inspector Calls’ was written in 1945 in order to teach a moral lesson of caring for others as a society to the audience. As a socialist, Priestley was hoping for change after Labour’s landslide victory that year and he believed that his play would be an effective way to promote his anti capitalistic views. This essay will argue that Sheila, who is arguably the most changed character by the end of the play, shifted from a juvenile and selfish capitalist to a spirited, responsible socialist. This is important because Priestley wanted to show that the country should still have faith that change was possible after World War I and II.

Sheila is first presented as similar to her father, who is materialistic and follows callous behaviour. She seems to be unaware of life’s harsh realities when she pleads that if Eva Smith had “been some miserable plain little creature”, she would not have gotten her fired. The noun ‘creature’ dehumanises Eva Smith along with the rest of the lower class and shows that Sheila originally believed them to be worth less than her-or even a human. However, Priestley still hints at the possibility of her opinion altering to show when she also describes herself as a “selfish vindictive creature”. This may indicate Sheila’s hidden social awareness of where women such as Eva and herself stand in society, something many women were trying to change at the time with the suffragette movement. Shiela is described in stage directions as “half serious, half playful”. The verb ‘serious’ creates as sense of tension during the celebration, perhaps this shows that capitalism unsettles her. Eric is described in a similar way as “half shy, half assertive”, Priestley may have done this to highlight the sibling’s similarities as the younger family members to the audience.

At the beginning Sheila is also depicted as immature though the use of colloquialisms such as “mummy” and “daddy”which show her complete dependence on her parents. This may reinforce the idea that Sheila acts as if she is shielded from the outside world and is perhaps scared of growing up and accepting her true beliefs. Alternatively, this may suggest juxtaposition to Eva, a lower class girl, who has lost both of her parents. Priestley starts to emphasise the generation gap between Sheila and her parents here by making Sheila the naïve character and Mr Birling act as if he is the sensible one who is always right. This is ironic because he refers to her and and Eric as the “famous younger generation who know it all” which suggest that they are foolish, even when the adults are the ones who don’t accept responsibility later on.

But quite quickly, Shelia seems to gain confidence in herself and take control of conversations more often. She even interrupts her father by saying “don’t interfere”. She also defies Mrs Birling by telling her not to “build up a kind of wall between us and that girl”. The ‘wall’ she mentions may be reference to the extreme divide between the upper and lower class during Edwardian times, which someone from an aristocratic family like Mrs Birling would not want to change. Priestley is showing Sheila’s shifting opinion, but still makes her seem distant from Eva with the determiner ‘that’. Sheila adapts how she addresses her parents to be more formal, mature speech such as “mother” instead. It’s as if the audience watch her grow up and gain responsibility, this makes her more likeable and puts the audience on the younger generation’s side.

With her new confidence, Shelia becomes the inspector’s proxy; another voice of Priestley who exposes that Eric “drinks far too much”. This of course is something that Mr and Mrs Birling, who believe that Eric is “just a boy”, do not approve of. This further divides the family by age in order for Priestley to show that only the younger generations are willing to change and that they are the hope for the future. Towards the end of the play, she is still quite bitter and often makes sarcastic remarks about Gerald's affair with Eva 'I'm supposed to be engaged to the hero'. By mentioning the verb ‘engaged’, Sheila almost seems to be mocking marriage and her past naïve self for believing in it and trusting her parents.The audience would appreciate Sheila’s actions as she is standing for what they believe is morally right. This could also be the playwright’s way of converting the audience from capitalism to socialism, because if they feel a strong connection to Sheila, then they are more likely to also make the change as well.

Sheila shows her complete transformation when she says “it frightens me the way you talk” to Mr Birling. Despite all of his effort to force his selfish, capitalistic views back on to her, she won’t accept it and chooses to reject her class and family instead. Sheila has changed from a naive character to an assertive woman who accepts blame, unlike her parents. Throughout the play, she is referred to as ‘childish’ but juxtaposes it at the end by saying that Mr and Mrs Birling “are being childish”instead. The younger generations are more accepting of socialist ideologies, Sheila and Eric accept their part in Eva’s death and feel guilty and responsible. Priestley uses Shelia as a sign of hope to the 1946 audience that after two world wars, they have the chance to change just like she did.