Vocabulary
Morose
Having a sad or withdrawn mood.
How does Christopher's father react when he finds out about Christopher's investigation?
He tells Christopher to stop investigating. He doesn't want Christopher bothering the neighbors. When he finds out that Christopher is still investigating, he tears up his book.
How did Sheila and Eric respond to the Inspector’s questions?
Pragmatic
Focused on practical solutions and real-world results rather than abstract ideas or theories.
What does Christopher uncover about his mother's supposed death?
She isn't dead. She abandoned Christopher and his dad and Christopher's dad lied to Christopher about it.
How did Mr. and Mrs. Birling and Gerald respond to the Inspector's questions?
They tried to deny any involvement or even that they knew Eva. They were offended by the Inspector's questions. Gerald shows some regret but ultimately never seems to understand his impact on her.
Portentous
Serious and trying to be very important in a way that shows arrogance and conceit.
What is the final revelation about Mr. Shears and Christopher's mother?
They were having an affair and are now living together in London.
List how each character was involved in what happened to Eva.
Mr. Birling fired her from his factory.
Sheila got her fired from her job at Millwards.
Gerald abandoned her after giving her a place to live and money. She was heartbroken.
Eric forced himself on Eva, resulting in her pregnancy. He stole money to try and help her but she didn't want stolen money.
Mrs. Birling persuaded her charity to deny Eva's request for help.
Tenacious
Not easily discouraged; holding firmly to a goal, belief, or task with determination.
What is Christopher's reaction to the overwhelming stimulation of the train station?
He sits on a bench and closes his eyes and tries to think about math.
Impertinent
Rude and not showing respect towards someone older or in a higher position than you.
Christopher often prefers logic and reason to emotion. How does this help him in some situations but make other situations harder to handle?
Logic helps Christopher make sense of his world. It helps him to feel more in control and calm when things are chaotic or when scary or new things happen. It gives him a sense of normalcy and purpose and helps him know how to make decisions.
His over reliance on logic sometimes leads him to make choices that are not that thought out or are maybe dangerous. Christopher gives a very logical explanation for why he needs to runaway from home, but this could have been a very dangerous situation.