Shiela and Mr Birling in an Inspector Calls

Sheila in comparison to Birling

Sheila quickly becomes a very interesting character with a differing nature to that of her other family members. This is because of the way she responds to the inspector’s inspecting and how she shows her emotions truthfully as she learns about the extent to which she is to blame for the Eva Smith’s death.
On page 23, Sheila starts to explain the event that she caused in the Milward’s shop she was visiting. It soon becomes apparent that she lacks the ignorance of Mr Birling, who tried to be vague about the part he played in the story of the girl, and admits her faults as soon as she realizes the problems she had caused. She starts by explaining in detail the event she was involved in with Eva Smith, and is very honest about her emotions, unlike her father, who seemed to show no motive. She is exceedingly honest and even self-critical as she admits she looked ‘silly in the thing’ when talking about the dress she insisted on trying on.
However almost more importantly, Sheila shows no compulsive negative opinion of lower classes, infact she compliments the girl as she says ‘it just suited her’. This is unusual for someone of her class as shown by Birling who refers to her as a ‘wretched girl’ who’s been ‘causing trouble’, without knowing the facts. Sheila contrasts greatly with her father’s views and although she did not treat the girl well, neither did she judge her or make assumptions before she became annoyed. She goes on to say: ‘She was the right type for it, just as I was the wrong type’. Not only does this suggest jealousy, but it shows a sense of equality as Sheila compared herself to the girl, which ultimately led to her angry mood and reaction. Furthermore she called her ‘pretty’, this clear compliment and the fact that she made a comparison between herself and Eva Smith based on appearance and not class shows her more open minded approach to people of other classes aswell as her lack of the instinctive negative...