- mind his own businessphraseChapter 1 →
To stay out of other people's affairs and focus only on one's own concerns; used here by Birling to argue that individuals owe nothing to society and should look after themselves alone.
“a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own—and—”
- cheap labourphraseChapter 1 →
Workers who are paid very low wages, treated as a cost to be minimised rather than as human beings with rights or dignity.
“But these girls aren't cheap labour—they're people.”
- self-madeadjectiveChapter 1 →
Having built one's own wealth and social position from nothing, without inherited money or family connections.
- Lord MayornounChapter 1 →
The elected ceremonial head of a major British city, a prestigious civic title that signals high social standing in the local community.
- fiancénounChapter 1 →
A man who is formally engaged to be married to a woman; the male counterpart of fiancée.
- wage strikenounChapter 1 →
A collective work stoppage in which employees refuse to work in order to pressure their employer into raising their pay.
- disinfectantnounChapter 1 →
A strong chemical liquid used to kill germs; swallowing it causes severe internal burning and death, making it a means of suicide in the play.
- ingestingverbChapter 1 →
Swallowing or taking a substance into the body through the mouth, used here to describe how Eva Smith consumed the disinfectant that killed her.
- elaborateadjectiveChapter 2 →
Excessively detailed or refined; Mrs. Birling uses the word dismissively to suggest Eva was putting on an act of sensitivity she had no right to claim.
“She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position.”
- scruplesnounChapter 2 →
Strong personal moral principles that stop someone from doing something they feel is wrong; here used contemptuously by Mrs. Birling to belittle Eva's sense of ethics.
“She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position.”
- absurdadjectiveChapter 2 →
Completely unreasonable or out of place; Mrs. Birling means it is ridiculous for a working-class girl to claim refined moral feelings.
“She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position.”
- frankadjectiveChapter 2 →
Completely honest and direct, even when the truth is uncomfortable or unwelcome to the listener.
“I'm sorry, but you asked me to be frank.”
- mistressnounChapter 2 →
A woman who has an ongoing sexual relationship with a man who is not her husband, typically kept secret and without the social status of a wife.
- pressingverbChapter 2 →
Questioning someone persistently and forcefully, refusing to let them avoid or deflect the subject under investigation.
- interrogationnounChapter 3 →
A formal, intense session of questioning, often with an authority figure demanding answers that the person being questioned may wish to hide.
- collective responsibilityphraseChapter 3 →
The idea that all members of a society share moral duty for one another's welfare, not just for their own individual actions.
- fire and bloodphraseChapter 3 →
A vivid image of war, violence, and mass suffering used by the Inspector as a warning of what will happen if humanity ignores its shared moral duties.
“they will be taught it in fire and blood and an…”
- hoaxnounChapter 3 →
A deliberate trick or deception intended to make people believe something false; the older characters decide the Inspector's visit was a planned fraud.
- committed suicidephraseChapter 3 →
Deliberately ended one's own life; used in the play to describe Eva Smith's act of swallowing disinfectant.
“She committed suicide. She's still dead.”
- turned out unfortunatelyphraseChapter 3 →
Ended badly or with harmful consequences; Birling uses this mild phrase to minimise the gravity of his and his wife's actions toward Eva.
“it turned out unfortunately, that's all.”
An Inspector CallsPlay by J. B. Priestley