demur : verb :To voice opposition; Law To enter a demurrer.
from the story ” The Cottagette “, i demurred  a little, it was monday, Mrs. Fowler thought it was cheaper to have a woman come and wash, and we did, but it certainly made more work.
i now understand that the author was showing reluctance to Ford Mathews  request, “one day he came around early and asked me to go up hugh’s peak with him”.
Erroneous: Adjective:Â containing or characterized error.
From Women and Economics Chapter XIV “Our assumption that only married people and their immediate relatives have any right to live in comfort and health is erroneous.”
I now understand what she meant in saying this which is basically our assumptions about peoples right to live in comfort and good health was wrong.
flamboyant:Â Tending to attract attention because of their exuberance, confidence, and stylishness.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper (1899), Page 2, Line 27
” One of those sprawling flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin”
that design of the art seen stood out in a negative way, what the artist was trying to portray wasn’t seen that way.
Blasphemy; noun; irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc.
From “Young Goodman Brown” “On he flew, among the black pines, brandishing his staff with frenzied gestures, now giving vent to an inspiration of horrid blasphemy, and now shouting forth such laughter, as set all the echoes of the forest laughing like demons around him.” (p 53)
I now understand that Goodman Brown was cursing something sacred at the moment. Before, he was challenging all the demons and wizards to come forth, and was then cursing at something, maybe god himself.
forsooth: (adv.) often used to imply contempt or doubt.
Used in “Young Goodman Brown”, paragraph 31; “‘Ah, forsooth, and it is your worship, indeed?’ cried the good dame.”
This word was actually pretty funny to me when I read it and I thought I was either reading early Shakespeare or the Bible; I don’t even think the Bible has the word “forsooth” in it. I’m glad I looked it up and now know the definition because maybe I can use it in a sentence just to throw someone off. In all seriousness however, it’s interesting to me that this word is an adverb, especially because we spoke about adverbs in class. It proves that  not all adverbs are noticeable or end with “-ly.”
Querulous– Adjective, habitually complaining, fretful,whining.
From ” The Yellow Wallpaper”  I don’t feel as if it was worth while to turn my hand over for anything, and I’m getting dreadfully fretful and querulous”. ( Page 4, paragraph 8)
Now i understand that the main character has been sick for a while and she has been whining trying to make herself feel better.
Peculiarity – noun; 1) the quality or state of being peculiar – adjective – different from the usual or normal
From the story “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne “It was all as lonely as could be; and there is this peculiarity in such a solitude, that the traveler knows not who may be concealed by the innumerable trunks and the thick boughs overhead; so that, with lonely footsteps, he may yet be passing through an unseen multitude.” (paragraph 8)
Now I understand that he know it’s going to be a lonely trip but something special is waiting ahead of him after he pass through this road.
Prithee (Interjection): used to express a wish or request
From “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
“Ha! ha! ha!” shouted he, again and again; then composing himself, “Well, go on, Goodman Brown, go on; but prithee, don’t kill me with laughing!” Â (Paragraph 24)
I now understand that he was being “requested” not to continue making comments that were humorous, by the response of “Don’t kill me with laughing!”.
Conspicuous (Adjective) : Obvious to the eye or mind
I understood that it mean something being obvious, and not hidden for anyone to see and notice.
Fatuity: Noun:Â something foolish or stupid :Â a foolish or stupid quality
From the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. “Looked at one way each breadth stands alone, the bloated curves and flourishes — a kind of  “Debased Romanesque” and delirium tremens — go waddling up and down in isolated columns of fatuity.”
I now understand that she was saying that the lines in the wallpaper were moving up and down and basically all over the wall in a stupid or foolish way. Sort of like they had a violent delirium and shook allover with tremors thereby it looked like it was all over the place.
visage:noun:Â the face, countenance, or appearance of a person
From “Young Goodman Brown”:They turned; and flashing forth, as it were, in a sheet of flame, the fiend-worshippers were seen; the smile of welcome gleamed darkly on every visage. (Paragraph 62)
I came to understand that there was a light smile on every face.
Procession: noun: a group of individuals moving along in an orderly often ceremonial way.
From “The Cottagette”: “The grass swept up to the door-step, to the walls–only it wasn’t just grass of course, but such a procession of flowers as I had never
imagined could grow in one place.” (paragraph 11)
Now I understand that the grass and flowers swept in a orderly fashion or perhaps they were put there.
Unwittingly: adverb: without knowledge or intention; not knowing
From the story “The Story of An Hour”, “…and she carried herself unwittingly like a goddess of Victory
Mrs.Mallard finally got over with her husband’s death and she is ready for her new life so she got up and open the door for her sister Josephine.
Importunity: noun: insistent solicitation and entreating; request or demand
In the story of “Story of an Hour”, she arose at length and opened the door to her sister’s importunities.
I understand that Mrs.Mallard locked herself in her room because of her husband’s death news, so her sister Josephine demand her to open the door before Mrs.Mallard will do anything to harm herself.
Melancholy: noun: depression of spirits; pensive mood; a feeling of thoughtful sadness
From “Young Goodman Brown”: …he looked back and saw the head of Faith still peeping after him, with a melancholy air, in spite of her pink ribbons (line 6)
I understand that the melancholy air describes the feeling of Faith when her husband leaves the village and she is unhappy that he is leaving.
The OpenLab is an open-source, digital platform designed to support teaching and learning at City Tech (New York City College of Technology), and to promote student and faculty engagement in the intellectual and social life of the college community.
