In the play "An Inspector Calls" by JB Priestley, the characters Sheila and Eric are used to represent the younger generation of Edwardian England , a time when traditional Victorian values ​​were beginning to become obsolete. Priestley uses these characters to critique and contrast with the older Birlings, and as a result they have a large impact on the layman's course and are both complex characters themselves. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayPriestley depicts Sheila as a typical upper-class woman at first, but allows her to become an empowered and experienced woman through her experiences with the Inspector. We see in the opening set pieces that Priestley describes his character paralinguistically as "young" and "naive" as well as "excited." Additionally, Sheila is completely submissive to her father and Gerald, and even when she dares to criticize, she is only half-serious. These descriptions of Sheila show her adapting comfortably to the expected role of a rich man's daughter in the Edwardian; to be seen and not heard. At the end of the play, however, Sheila's performances contrast sharply with the beginning; she speaks “bitterly” and “interrupts” even her male family members. She feels she is able to do this because of the moral superiority she gained by accepting her responsibility for Eva Smith's death, thus demonstrating Priestley's own view of accepting guilt and learning from experience as empowerment. Priestley then takes Sheila's development a step further by having her take on the role of the inspector and conduct her own "moral" inspection of the Birlings. She encourages Gerald to confess to his affair and even warns Mrs Birling of the consequences of lying, using the metaphor "putting up a wall" which the inspector will "bring down". This idea is reinforced by another metaphor concerning the inspector: "give them a rope to hang themselves", again uttered by Sheila. Sheila's self-knowledge elevates her above the other Birlings and allows her to become morally superior. This transition is epitomized when Sheila reprimands Mrs. Birling, saying that now "she's the one who's childish." The use of the word "childish" is particularly significant and ironic as Mrs. Birling had called Sheila a "child" several times early in the play. This twist dramatically highlights Sheila's growth and the importance of self-knowledge, a major theme throughout the play. Eric is initially used by Priestley to probe beneath the surface of the Birling family facade and hint at secrets that will later be revealed. . Eric foreshadows Sheila's tantrum at Milwards by warning Gerald about his "temper". It suggests that there is something more to Sheila's character than the "naive" girl initially presented. Additionally, Eric questions his father's political opinions and statements. During Birling's dinner speech, Eric asks him the question "what about the war?" ” which leads Birling to his anti-socialist speech about “eccentrics”. This is ironic since the inspector arrives immediately after the speech and Eric later points out that "one of those cranks arrived." Additionally, Eric's question of war prompts Birling to make some predictions about the future in which he dismisses the possibility of war as "nonsense". The dramatic irony would have been particularly effective for a 1946 audience.