Curriculum text vocabulary

assertive – confidently self-assured. Sheila becomes increasingly assertive as she challenges her parents.

authoritarian – demanding strict obedience. Birling’s authoritarian tone silences his children’s objections.

capital – money or resources used to produce wealth. Mr Birling boasts about accumulating capital through his factory.

capitalism – an economic system driven by private profit.

condescending – displaying a superior attitude. Mrs Birling’s condescending remarks humiliate Eva Smith indirectly.

contemptuous – showing deep dislike or disrespect. Sheila’s contemptuous look unsettles her father.

cranks – people with eccentric beliefs. Sybil dismisses Eva as one of the cranks who made strange demands on her charity.

culpability – responsibility for a fault or wrong. The Inspector forces each character to face their culpability.

cynicism – distrust of others’ motives. Birling’s cynicism about social reform reflects his selfishness.

decanter – a decorative glass container for wine or spirits. Birling pours port from a decanter during the engagement dinner.

deference – polite respect or submission. Gerald expects deference from Sheila because of his social standing.

denunciation – public condemnation of wrongdoing. The Inspector’s speech is a powerful denunciation of privilege.

detachment – emotional distance or indifference. Eric’s detachment from his parents fuels his resentment.

didactic – intended to teach a moral lesson. Priestley’s play has a strongly didactic purpose.

disdain – scorn or contempt. Birling speaks with open disdain for the working class.

elitism – belief in the superiority of a privileged group. The Birlings’ elitism blinds them to social injustice.

evasion – avoiding the truth or responsibility. Gerald’s initial evasion frustrates Sheila.

exploitation – unfair treatment for personal gain. Eva’s dismissal reveals Birling’s exploitation of his workers.

guffaws – loud, hearty laughs. Eric suddenly guffaws.

guilt-ridden – filled with remorse. Eric’s guilt-ridden confession devastates his mother.

hypocrisy – claiming moral standards while acting otherwise. Mrs Birling’s hypocrisy is exposed during the Inspector’s questioning.

idealism – belief in noble principles. Sheila’s growing idealism clashes with her parents’ pragmatism.

impertinent – disrespectfully bold or rude. Mrs Birling: “gross impertinence … prejudiced me…”

implacable – impossible to appease. The Inspector remains implacable despite Birling’s protests.

indictment – an accusation or formal criticism. The play is an indictment of social inequality.

inevitability – certainty of occurrence. The inevitability of the Inspector’s revelations creates tension.

ingrained – deeply established or fixed. The family’s ingrained prejudices are difficult to challenge.

integrity – adherence to moral principles. The Inspector’s integrity contrasts with Birling’s selfishness.

introspection – self-examination of one’s motives. The younger generation undergo painful introspection.

judgemental – overly critical of others. Mrs Birling’s judgemental nature alienates her children.

moralising – lecturing about right and wrong. Birling’s moralising about business success sounds hollow.

naivety – lack of experience or judgement. Sheila’s initial naivety gives way to maturity.

oblivious – unaware or indifferent. Birling remains oblivious to the Inspector’s warnings.

omnipresent – constantly encountered or widespread. The Inspector’s moral presence feels almost omnipresent.

patriarchal – relating to male-dominated authority. The play exposes the patriarchal nature of Edwardian society.

penitence – remorse for wrongdoing. Eric’s penitence earns him some sympathy from the audience.

philosophical – calm and reflective about serious matters. The Inspector’s philosophical outlook unsettles the family.

platitude – a trite or overused moral statement. Birling’s speeches are full of empty platitudes.

poignant – deeply moving or touching. Eva’s unseen suffering makes her story particularly poignant.

portentous – serious in a self‑important or pompous way. Mr Birling is described as a portentous man in the opening directions.

pretension – an attempt to impress by affecting importance. Birling’s social pretensions are mocked by Priestley.

prophetic – accurately predicting future events. Birling’s claims about peace are ironically prophetic in their wrongness.

provincial – unsophisticated, narrow in outlook. Stage directions describe Birling as “rather provincial in his speech.”

recrimination – mutual accusations. The family’s argument descends into bitter recriminations.

remorse – deep regret for wrongdoing. Sheila’s remorse contrasts with her parents’ stubbornness.

responsibility – moral duty or accountability. The play’s central theme is collective responsibility.

retribution – punishment regarded as morally right. The Inspector suggests that retribution is unavoidable.

self-satisfaction – smug contentment. Birling’s self-satisfaction is gradually dismantled.

socialism – political theory advocating collective responsibility and wealth redistribution. The Inspector’s speeches echo socialist ideas.

sot – habitual drunkard. Gerald calls Meggarty “one of the worst sots and rogues…”

squiffy – (slang) slightly drunk. Sheila: “You’re squiffy.”

stubbornness – refusal to change one’s attitude. Mr and Mrs Birling’s stubbornness frustrates the younger generation.

subservience – willingness to obey unquestioningly. Edna’s subservience reflects rigid class divisions.
tenacity – determination and persistence. The Inspector’s tenacity forces the truth to the surface.

vindication – proving that someone was right or justified. Sheila’s warnings about Gerald gain vindication by the play’s end.