Bungled
verb – past of bungle

to act or work clumsily and awkwardly

Source: Merriam-Webster

“My words bungled out thick as molasses.”

From “The Bell Jar”, by Sylvia Plath – chapter 4

The word describes how Esther told the person knocking on the door to wait a minute. She was feeling sick in the bathroom and wasn’t feeling strong enough to speak properly, so she had to mumble.

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Slunk
verb (past participle of slink)

to move in a way that does not attract attention especially because you are embarrassed, afraid, or doing something wrong

Source: Merriam-Webster

“I slunk down on the middle of my spine, my nose level with the rim of the window, and watched the houses of outer Boston glide by. As the houses grew more familiar I slunk still lower.”

From: The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath – chapter 10

The understanding of the word “slunk” is fundamental get the sense of shame and embarrassment that is being conveyed. Esther was explaining how she felt diminished by the fact that she hadn’t made the writing course, which wasn’t expected.

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Veld
noun

a grassland especially of southern Africa usually with scattered shrubs or trees
Source: Merriam-Webster

“Travel posters plastered the smoke-dark walls, like so many picture windows overlooking Swiss lakes and Japanese mountains and African velds, and thick, dusty bottle-candles, that seemed for centuries to have wept their colored waxes red over blue over green in a fine, three-dimensional lace, cast a circle of light round each table where the faces floated, flushed and flamelike themselves.”

From: The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath (Chapter 7)

The definition of this word makes it easy for me to understand the scenario that is being described, which is the imagery present in a poster on the wall of the restaurant where Constantin took Esther to.

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