Category Archives: Glossary

Maudlin

Maudlin (adjective) – weakly and effusively sentimental

Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maudlin

From “You In America” by Amanda Ngozi Adichie

I came across this word while reading “You In America” by Amanda Ngozi Adichie. It appears around the middle of the reading, as the author illustrates an interection with a man and the kind of conversation you have with him. It caught my interest because it’s a word I don’t hear quite often and didn’t know it’s meaning, so i’m curious as to how it ties in with the sentence and the author’s overall point.

“After your shift of that day, he was waiting outside, leaning by a pole, asking you to go out with him because your name ryhmed with hakuna matata and The Lion King was the only maudlin movie he’d ever liked.” (Adichie).

After reading the definition of the word I better understand the context of how the author was using it in that part of the text. As seen in the quote, the author is discribing how the man views the movie The Lion King and what it means to him.

Monotonously

Monotonous (Adjective) / Monotonously (Adverb)
– lacking in variety; tediously unvarying
-dull, tedious, and repetitious; lacking in variety and interest

Taken from Louise Erdrich’s “The Shawl”

“If she could have thrown off that wrong hearted love, she would have, but the thought of the other man, who lived across the lake, was with her always. She became a gray sky, stared monotonously at the walls, sometimes wept into her hands for hours at a time. “

Erdrich used the word monotonously to show how Aanakwad lacks any interest towards her husband and that she no longer feels like doing anything anymore because she is unhappy as one can be.

Image result for monotonous person

source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monotonous

 

Rein

Rein (noun) : a strap fastened to a bit by which a rider or driver controls an animal usually used in plural

The Shawl by Louise Erdrich

“As the uncle slapped the reins and the horse lurched forward, the boy tried to jump into the wagon, but his mother pried his hands off the boards, crying, Gegogego, and he fell down hard.”

This statement explains that the wife, Aanakwad falls in love with other man and after giving birth to his child, she tries to run away from her home and she leaves her son behind as she takes her daughter and newborn baby with her on the wagon.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rein

Sullen

Sullen (adjective) : gloomily or resentfully silent or repressed, suggesting a sullen state lowering 

The Shawl by Louise Erdrich

“Her name was Aanakwad, which means cloud, and like a cloud she was changeable. She was moody and sullen one moment, her lower lip jutting and her eyes flashing, filled with storms.”

In this story, the women whose name is Aanakwad is very bad-tempered women. Her mood changes very quickly from good mood to bad mood. However, her husband loves her no matter who she is but he is also afraid of her when she gets angry.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sullen

Plaid

Plaid (noun) : a rectangular length of tartan worn over the left shoulder as part of the Scottish national costume.

The Shawl by Louise Erdrich

“Soon, she couldn’t rise to cook or keep the cabin neat, and it was too much for the girl, who curled up each night exhausted in her red-and-brown plaid shawl, and slept and slept, until the husband had to wake her to awaken her mother, for he was afraid of his wife’s bad temper, and it was he who roused Aanakwad into anger by the sheer fact that he was himself and not the other.”

This statement explains how the wife is very tough women and has a bad temper. Therefore, she got tired of the housework and she gets covered to her plaid material shawl and tries to relax for a long time. When her husband notices it and she gets very annoyed with him.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plaid

 

Dandelion

Dandelion (noun) : any of a genus (Taraxacum) of yellow-flowered composite herbs with milky sap; especially one (T. officinale) sometimes grown as a potherb and nearly cosmopolitan as a weed

The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick

” On the other side of the steel fence, far away, there were green meadows speckled with dandelion and deep-colored violets; beyond them, even farther, innocent tiger lilies, tall, lifting their orange bonnets.”

This statement describes Rose’s pain about that her daughter will die and she has no choice and let her go otherwise they all would die.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dandelion

Devour

Devour (verb) :  To eat up greedily or ravenously; devoured the turkey and mashed potatoes    To use up or destroy as if by eating; We are devouring the world’s resources.

The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick                                                                                                                          “And The time that Stella said “Aryan” it sounded to Rosa as is Stella had really said ‘Let us devour her’ ”

Rose had a daughter named Magda and her niece’s name was Stella, They were very hungry and they cant even step an inch from the line if they do the soldiers would shoot them. Therefore, Magla is a baby who is covered by the shawl and Stella is a very young girl who tries to survive and she knows that Magla won’t last long in this condition and she is jealous by how Magla comfortable covered by the shawl. Therefore, when Stella just says “Aryan” Rose hears is as “let us eat her” and gets scared to sacrifice her child.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devour

 

Serenade

Serenade:noun: musical performance given to honor or express love for someone, often by one person

Source: https://www.thefreedictionary.com/serenading

From: “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” by Sherman Alexie

“Honey Boy danced a slow circle around us and sang along with Willie. 

“Are you serenading me?”  I asked him.”

Serenade is used by the author to jokingly describe how Honey Boy is dancing, in a possibly romantic manner, with the protagonist.

Stenosis

Stenosis (noun) – a narrowing or constriction of the diameter of a bodily passage or orifice.

Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stenosis

From: “The Cheater’s Guide to Love” by Junot Diaz

“The numbness in your arms and legs increases. You return to your doctors and they send you over to a neurologist, who sends you out for an MRI. Looks like you have stenosis all down your spine, the doctor reports, impressed.”

Here, the word stenosis is used to describe a condition that the narrator is suffering from. He is unable to lift heavy weights now. This shows that the narrator is getting older and probably won’t have the ability to actively date now. Also, due to the depression from his ex-girlfriend leaving him, the narrator is gaining weight and his spine is unable to support it.

Image result for stenosis

Homely

Homely: adjective: lacking in physical attractiveness; not beautiful; unattractive

Source: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/homely

From: “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” by Sherman Alexie

” “Hey, ” I said, “you’ve got to have a home to be that homely.” He just laughed and flipped me the eagle and walked away.”

Homely is used to describe how ugly the homeless person that the protagonist is talking to, in a joking manner.