Grade 9 Key words Flashcards
Autonomy
The right of a person to make their own choices.
When Eric forced himself on Eva, he stripped her of her autonomy, mirroring the way the autonomy of the lower class was often minimised by the upper class.
Bigotry
An intolerance of any belief or opinion that differs from ones own.
Mr Birlings bigotry prevents him from seeing Eva as a human being with the ability to suffer as he can, leading his mistreatment of her.
Bourgeoisie
The middle classes.
-typically used to refer to the materialistic and self-serving interests of the middle classes.
The Birling Family are representivite of the way the bourgeoise exploited the lower classes.
Capitalist
Someone who believes in the economic and social concept of capitalism, which prioritises privately-owned, for-profit businesses.
-Capitalists tend to be against the idea of the government helping the poor
Mr Birling represents Capitalist ideals, including the belief that profit is a priority.
Complacency
A smug satisfaction in ones own achievements, often painted with a blatant unawareness of external danger imposed on them or others.
Mr Birling’s complacency is evident in his contentment with the status quo and the value he places on the way society is set up.
Conscience
A moral sense of right and wrong
Inspector Goole’s questioning develops Sheila’s conscience, and the guilt she feels serves as evidence that her conscience would prevent something like this from happening again
Cyclical Structure
When a text being and ends in the same place with the same idea or theme
The plot of AIC is cyclical; an inspector calls at the beginning of the text, and after Inspector Goole has questioned the family and left again, a real inspector calls to interrogate the family
Dichotomy
A division into two opposite groups to emphasise their differences.
Priestly juxtaposes the characters of Mr Birling and Inspector Goole to create a dichotomy of viewpoints on the structure of society.
Didactic
Intending to teach the reader a lesson, often a moral one.
AIC is a didactic text filled with moral messages. It teaches the reader to more carefully consider the impact of their treatment of others.
Emblematic
Representitive of a particular concept of quality. Emblematic is another word for symbolic.
Eva Smith is emblematic of the lower and working classes on the early 20th century, used to emphasise their constant oppression.
Gernational divide
The difference in opinion between people of different generations. This tends to manifest in social and political ideology.
Generational divide can be seen by the younger generation are more impressionable and accepting of their guilt, while the older generation are hardheaded and resistant to the inspectors lessons.
Infidelity
Being involved in a romantic/sexual relationship with someone who isn’t one’s partner; cheating.
Gerald’s infidelity is brought into the open when the inspector reveals that Eva changed her name to Daisy Renton.
Mouthpiece
A person or character who speaks on the behalf of another.
Inspector Goole is Priestly’s mouthpiece; he conveys Priestly’s personal beliefs through his questioning, thus teaching the characters and readers about Priestly’s ideaology.
