Tag Archives: word #14

Ravenous

Ravenous (adjective) – very eager or greedy for food, satisfaction, or gratification

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

From “The Shawl” By Cynthia Ozick

I came across this word while reading “The Shawl” By Cynthia Ozick. It appears around the beginnning of the reading, as the author talks about how the girl is trying to feed the baby but she isn’t nourished enough to produce enough food for her. It caught my interest because it’s a word that i’ve heard before but isn’t used quite often. So i’m curious as to how it ties in with the sentence and the author’s overall point.

“There was not enough milk; sometimes Magda sucked air; then she screamed. Stella was ravenous.” (Ozick).

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 girl really wants food not only for herself but so she can feed the baby.

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