Sheila Birling: The Conscience
Sheila undergoes the most dramatic transformation in the play. Initially, she's materialistic and dependent, calling her engagement ring "isn't it a beauty?" with infantile language that shows her immaturity despite being an adult woman.
However, Sheila quickly becomes the Inspector's ally, understanding his methods better than anyone else. Her metaphor "he's giving us the rope - so that we'll hang ourselves" shows sharp intelligence, while her frustrated "why - you fool - he knows" reveals her growing awareness.
She directly challenges her family's attitudes, telling them "you mustn't try to build a wall between us and that girl." Her declarative statement "those girls aren't cheap labour - they're people" marks her complete ideological shift from capitalism to socialism.
Sheila's broken speech when accepting blame - "I'm desperately sorry but I can't believe - I won't believe" - shows genuine emotion and remorse. Unlike the older generation, she truly understands the Inspector's message about social responsibility.
Key Point: Sheila represents hope for the future - the younger generation's ability to learn, change, and embrace social responsibility.