An Inspector Calls Key Terms: Flashcards
1
Q
Alliteration
A
the repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of words in close succession.
2
Q
Allusion
A
an indirect reference to a concept or theme without explicit mention.
3
Q
Antithesis
A
the direct opposite of a concept or person.
4
Q
Archetype
A
a person or thing who is a typical example of something, usually a personality type, with clear, recognisable characteristics.
5
Q
Caricature
A
an imitation where particular notable characteristics are exaggerated to a comic or grotesque effect.
6
Q
Colloquialism
A
an informal word or phrase used in normal or familiar conversation.
7
Q
Connotation
A
an impression, idea, or feeling associated with a word or phase beyond its literal meaning.
8
Q
Dramatic Irony
A
when the audience knows more about a situation than the characters discussing or experiencing it, meaning they know whether a character’s prediction or statement is correct.
9
Q
Dichotomy
A
a division or contrast between two opposed things.
10
Q
Epithet
A
referring to a person or thing with an adjective or phrase that describes a defining characteristic (e.g. “the blue-eyed boy” or “the Once and Future King”).
11
Q
Epitome
A
a perfect example or embodiment of a concept.
12
Q
Euphemism
A
replacement of a crude or offensive expression with a more vague, mild expression (e.g. “water closet”).
13
Q
Foreshadowing
A
giving a hint or warning of a future event, either explicitly or implicitly.
14
Q
Grotesque
A
ugly and distorted, physically or figuratively, in a way that is comic or repulsive.
15
Q
Hyperbole
A
exaggerating in a way that should not be taken literally.
16
Q
Imagery
A
using language to create a visual picture.
17
Q
Innuendo
A
an implicit remark or hint, particularly one that is supposed to be suggestive or inappropriate.
18
Q
Interjection
A
a sudden remark, used often as an interruption or aside in a text.
19
Q
Juxtaposition
A
two contrasting concepts or characters placed close together in a text.
20
Q
Manifestation
A
a physical expression or realisation of an abstract idea through a character, object, place, or event.
21
Q
Metaphor
A
describing a person, object, or concept as something it cannot literally be, but that has recognisable and defining implications for it (e.g. “the sky was a stormy sea”).
22
Q
Oxymoron
A
a figure of speech where two contradictory terms are used in succession (e.g. “deafening quiet”).
23
Q
Parody
A
imitating a particular style, genre, or piece of work with deliberate exaggeration to create a comic effect.
24
Q
Sarcasm
A
saying the opposite of what one means or something that is obviously not true or reasonable, in order to mock or show contempt
25
Satire
using irony, exaggeration, humour, or ridicule to criticise someone’s stupidity or cruel behaviour, particularly in a political context
26
Semantic Field
using words that are linked by a particular concept, context, or connotation throughout a text or a section of a text (e.g. “fire”, “smoke”, “devils”, and “demons” could be a semantic field of Hell).
27
Sibilance
the repetition of an “s” sound in a word, sentence, or section of text.
28
Simile
comparing something to something else in a nonliteral way, in order to convey a particular idea or quality about the original thing.
29
Situational Irony
when the outcome of an event is different than what was expected by the characters and the audience.
30
Symbolism
using a character, object, or event to represent something else, particularly an abstract idea.
31
Book-ending
starting and ending a piece of literature with the same word, sentence, event, or idea.
32
Chinese Box Narrative/Frame Narrative
when a story is told within a story, often through different perspectives and forms (e.g. letters, diary entries, or word of mouth).
33
Chronological
when events are told in the order they occurred
34
Cyclical
when the same sequence of events repeats throughout a story.
35
Exposition
information provided through stage directions, narration, dialogue, or description, used to introduce the audience to crucial background information.
36
In Media Res
starting in the middle of the action.
37
Parallelism
using components that are similar in grammar, structure, or meaning within a sentence or multiple sentences, or throughout the text as a whole (e.g. “He came, he saw, he conquered”).
38
Refrain
a word, phrase, or sentence that is repeated throughout a text.
39
Tricolon
three parallel clauses, words, or phrases in quick succession (e.g. “Eye it, try it, buy it”)
40
Allegory
A story, character, place, or event is used to convey a hidden meaning, typically moral or political, about real-world events or issues (e.g. Eva Smith’s death is an allegory for the mistreatment of the lower classes).
41
Dialogue
A conversation between two or more people.
42
Microcosm
using a place, group of people, or event in the small-scale to represent something much larger (e.g. The Birlings are a microcosm for upper class, Capitalist society.)
43
Monologue
a long speech by one character.
44
Morality Play
a form of theatre from the Medieval era designed to teach the audience a lesson about good behaviour.
45
Mouthpiece
when the playwright places a character in the play who acts as a spokesman for their own views and beliefs.
46
Parable
a story used to teach a moral or spiritual lesson, typically told in the Bible by Jesus.
47
Realism
a form of theatre that focuses on everyday, middle-class life in order to create an illusion of reality, and suggests that individuals have the power to choose what they do.
48
Real Time
when the events in the play are happening at the same time as they would in real life, meaning there are no time jumps or periods of sped-up or slowed-down time.
49
Set
the stage, scenery, and props used to represent the setting of the play.
50
Stage Direction
an instruction given in the script of a play to indicate how a line is given, what a character should do, or how the sound effects and lighting should be used.
51
Transition
how a playwright changes between scenes or acts of a play.
52
Well-Made Play
A form of play where the plot follows a strict structure and depends on reversals of fortune, and the climax comes towards the end of the play. The story is based on a piece of information that is kept from some characters, but is known to others.
53
Whodunit
A murder mystery where the identity of the murderer is revealed at the end after a process of investigation and revelations.
54
Abuse of Power
using your position of power to commit a crime or take advantage of someone without facing consequences.
55
Accountability
being answerable for your actions or decisions, giving an explanation for them and being totally responsible for them.
56
Autonomy
the right and ability to be able to govern yourself, including your actions and decisions.
57
Bigotry
treating those who are different or have different views from yourself with intolerance or unfairness.
58
Callous
ignoring others and their needs in a cruel and insensitive way.
59
Commercialisation
managing something or someone in a way to make them available on the
market and make a profit from them.
60
Commodity
a useful or valuable object, often a raw material, that can be bought or sold in trade.
61
Complacency
a smug, confident satisfaction in yourself or your achievements.
62
Conscience
a moral sense of right and wrong that guides your behaviour.
63
Convention
the traditional way of doing things.
64
Culpable
taking responsibility and blame for a wrongdoing.
65
Decadence
a decline in morals or culture due to allowing yourself excessive pleasure or luxury.
66
Degrade
disrespecting someone and presenting them as less than they are.
67
Dehumanise
denying someone their humanity, including their emotions and independent thought.
68
Didactic
intending to teach, particularly to teach a moral lesson.
69
Disillusionment
A feeling of disappointment or dissatisfaction with something after discovering that it is not as good as you believed it was, particularly in politics and government.
70
Duty
a moral or legal responsibility or obligation.
71
Ethical
Morally right.
72
Exploitation
treating someone unfairly and taking advantage of them to benefit from their work.
73
Façade
a front or mask that is put up to disguise something or someone’s true character.
74
Farce
something that is a travesty or a sham to a comical degree.
75
Hypocrisy
claiming to have a certain standard or belief but acting against this standard or belief.
76
Ideology
A system of beliefs and ideals, typically forming a framework for a political policy.
77
Infallible
never failing, incapable of making mistakes.
78
Infidelity
being unfaithful to your partner.
79
Ignominy
public shame or disgrace.
80
Indoctrination
teaching someone or a group of people to accept a set of beliefs without question.
81
Inherent
being a permanent, essential part of someone or something.
82
Institution
an established law or practice, or an organisation founded for a social purpose.
83
Justice
The idea that people should be treated, rewarded, and punished fairly.
84
Justified
being reasonable or right.
85
Misogyny
hatred, contempt, or prejudice towards women for no reason other than their gender.
86
Morality
principles, either personal or social, concerning the difference between right and wrong, going beyond legality and often religion.
87
Objectify
treating someone, often a woman, as an object rather than a human being.
88
Oppression
prolonged mistreatment of a person or group by an authority or government.
89
Ostracised
being isolated or excluded from a group or society by everyone within it.
90
Privilege
the special rights or advantages an individual has, typically not because of their personal qualities or achievements, but because of their race, class, gender, sexuality, etc.
91
Prejudice
having a negative view or opinion of someone that is not based on experience or logic.
92
Reductive
presenting or viewing someone in an oversimplified way, typically disrespectful or crude.
93
Repression
forcefully restraining an emotion
94
Reputation
how someone is viewed by the general population
95
Scapegoat
a person who is blamed for the faults of others because it is easy to target them.
96
Secular
not linked to religion or spirituality.
97
Seven Deadly Sins
the seven sins believed by the Christian Church to be the worst sins, which lead to further immoral behaviour: the sins of pride, jealousy, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth.
98
Socialite
someone who is well-known and important in high society, and attends many fashionable social events.
99
Social Responsibility
the idea that everyone within a society has an obligation to act for the benefit of the society as a whole, and an obligation to everyone within the society.
100
Stereotype
A view or preconception of a person or thing that is fixed and oversimplified, held by most of a population
101
Stigma
the bad reputation or view associated with a certain quality, person, or action (e.g. the stigma surrounding parenthood outside marriage).
102
Toxic Masculinity
the concept that traditional male gender roles restrict emotion in men while encouraging negative, often violent traits
103
Willful Ignorance
choosing to avoid acknowledging or learning about something so that you don’t have to make difficult decisions because of it.
104
Vice
a behaviour or trait that is immoral.
105
Virtue
a behaviour or trait that is moral.
106
Bright Young Thing
a young member of high society in the 1920s and 1930s who was ambitious, fashionable, and infamous for outrageous behaviour.
107
Capitalism
an economic system where trade and industry are owned privately, rather than by the state, where the goal is to make and increase profits.
108
Conservative Party
the main centre-right political party in the United Kingdom, promoting private property and business and the preservation of traditional institutions, who were in power during the Second World War but lost to the Labour Party in 1945.
109
Cycle of Poverty
once an individual falls into poverty, it is impossible to get out of it unless there is outside intervention, because they lack the necessary means, such as money or education.
110
Disenfranchisement
not having the right to vote.
111
Generational Divide
the perceived difference in opinions and views between people of different
ages, typically as a result of different life experiences and circumstances.
112
Hierarchy
when members of a society are ranked according to their status and wealth, with the wealthy having more power than the poor.
113
Industrial Revolution
the change from manual to automatic production in manufacturing due to new technologies and processes, leading to a large increase in urban populations. It started in the late eighteenth century and continued throughout the nineteenth century.
114
Labour Party
the main centre-left political party in the United Kingdom, promoting workers’ rights and social justice, who won in a landslide victory in the 1945 election.
115
Laissez-Faire Government
economic system where the government doesn’t interfere in economic affairs, but should keep law and order, protecting an individual’s rights.
116
Liberal Party
the main central political party in the United Kingdom in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, supporting laissez-faire government and free trade, who were in power in 1912.
117
Patriarchy
a form of government or society where power is given to and possessed by men, but kept from women.
118
Social Class
a way to divide society into groups through social status and wealth, often where those in each group are assumed to possess certain characteristics.
119
Socialism
an economic system where the means of production, distribution, and trade are owned and regulated by the whole community, where the goal is to ensure equal distribution of goods and a fairer society.
120
Suffragette Movement
the movement by women to earn the right to vote in public elections, during the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century.
121
The Elite
The richest, most powerful, most successful group in society.
122
The Great Depression
a severe, worldwide economic downturn that lasted from 1929 to 1939, causing poverty and a large drop in standards of living.
123
Welfare State
a system of government where the state protects and promotes individuals’ social and economic wellbeing, following the principle that the public have a responsibility to those who cannot provide for themselves.
124
Women’s Suffrage
the right of women to vote, gained in 1918 for women who owned property over the age of 30.
125
World War I
the global war between the Triple Entente (France, Russia, and Britain) and the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy), from 1914 to 1918.
126
World War II
the global war between the Allies (beginning with France, Poland, and United Kingdom) and the Axis (Germany, Japan, and Italy), started by the Allies to stop the fascism and aggression promoted by Nazi Germany, from 1939 to 1945.
