Author: Diana Galvez

Scimitars (noun): a saber having a curved blade with the edge on the convex side and used chiefly by Arabs and Turks.

Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary (online).

“One day as Delia came down the kitchen steps she saw his chalky-white fangs curved like scimitars hung in the wire meshes.” As the snake is living in Delia’s house, Zora N. Hurston describes the snakes fangs like curved swords. Delia fears snakes, even small earth worms. But as this snake live in her house, she learns to fear him (or her) less. Hurston continues by saying that Delia no longer run away wide-eyed. I like how Hurston uses curved blades from a sword to describe a snakes fangs. It really helps build the scary image Delia sees in a snake.

Diana Galvez

Acquiescence (noun): consent without protest.

Source: Webster’s New World 4th Edition (pocket dictionary).

In Glaspell’s A Jury of Her Peers the county attorney and sheriff are trashing Mrs. Wright’s house. They complain on how bad of a housewife she was because the house is messy when they look for evidence. So Mrs. Hale gets mad and almost offended as if it were her home. She even says in a mad tone that she would not like it if someone came to her house and criticized how she kept it and made a mess of it. “‘Of course it’s no more than their duty,’ said the sheriff’s wife, in a manner of timid acquiescence.” Her shyness does not allow her to protest or speak up. She is a more submissive wife than Mrs. Hale.

Diana Galvez

Gallantry (noun): brave and noble; polite to women.

Source: Webster’s New World 4th Edition (pocket dictionary).

Susan Glaspell says the following “‘And yet,’ said he, with the gallantry of a young politician.” But before this, she mentions that the county’s attorney seemed to have remembered his manners. This helps to understand the meaning of gallantry even better. “Remembering his manners” implies that gallantry has to do with being polite. Honestly, I feel like it was used sarcastically because of how the men were treating the housewives.

Diana Galvez

Denigrate (verb): to attack the reputation of : defame.

Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary (online)

“But these cultural activities are often denigrated as un-masculine by preadolescent and adolescent boys.” This quote is found in Andrew Reiner’s Teaching Men To Be Emotionally Honest. Prior to the quote, sociologist have noticed that boys who participate in music, art, drama and foreign language tend to have higher grades than the boys who don’t participate in them. That is why this quote tells us that these activities “attack the reputation of” what it means to be masculine. Masculinity standards were set by young boys who were taught by their parents, particularly their fathers or other male role models.

Diana Galvez

Mirth (noun): gladness or gaiety as shown by or accompanied with laughter.

Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary (online).

   Sweat by Zora N. Hurston is about a couple whose relationship is falling apart. Sykes, the husband, messes with his wife, Delia all the time and abuses her. One day he throws a whip on her shoulder. She get frightened by the shape of it because at a fast glance it looks just like a snake. He knows she fears them which is why he threw it at her in the first place. At that moment, he laughs because he finds it amusing. Hence, Hurston’s use of the word mirth.

Diana Galvez

Chauvinism (noun): an attitude of superiority toward members of the opposite sex; also: behavior expressive of such an attitude.

Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary (online)

In The Boys at the Back, Christina Hoff Sommers says the following: “I became a feminist in the 1970s because I did not appreciate male chauvinism. I still don’t” (4). In Sommers statement, she implies that the word “chauvinism is more closely associated to a negative connotation. I first thought it meant like some sort of hatred, but the definition helped to understand that it refers more to the status and superiority of a male. Since (most) men believe they are above women, this is the reason Christina became a feminist.

Diana Galvez

Misogyny  (noun): a hatred of women.

Source: Merriam-Webster (online).

Ms. Valenti begins her article What Feminists Can Do for Boys by talking about how feminism ironically “coincided with the rise of extreme misogyny.” Misogyny is mentioned here because feminism resulted in more hatred in women. It is as simple as that and that is precisely why it is an appropriate word she used.

Diana Galvez

Emulate (verb): to strive to equal or excel.

Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary (online)

Mychal Denzel Smith wrote, “…and we have raised families and created culture that is emulated (and stolen) the world over.” What he means by this is that, for a long time Black people have strived to reach equal within the world. Before this half of a sentence, Smith mentions the struggles Black people went through. These struggles they went through motivates them to create a culture that approaches the nearest equality (from what I understood).

Diana Galvez

Impugn (verb): Dispute the truth, validity, or honesty of (a statement or motive); call into question.

Source: oxforddictionaries.com

In the essay Michael Ian Black mentions “I got dozens of messages impugning my manhood; the mildest of them called me a “soy boy””. Here he means that people began to question his manliness. So they mock him by calling him “soy boy”. I understand he is trying to convey the doubt he received from the people who mock his masculinity.

Diana Galvez