Patois

a flat area of ground that is covered with a hard material (such as bricks or concrete), is usually behind a house, and is used for sitting and relaxing

noun

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patios

“This Christmas was the only time we ever met each other, Denzil and I. He was the gift that kept on giving, with his strange patois and his huge feet and the piggyback rides he conducted out on the balcony because the ceilings were too low. Outside was where he wanted to be anyway — you can tell that much from the look of infinite weariness he’s giving my dad’s left elbow.”

He wanted to change up Christmas, he was very different and fun loving.

 

 

Predate

to exist or happen at an earlier time than (something or someone)

verb

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predate

“As for the ”Natural Woman” Christmas or the ”You’ve Got a Friend” Christmas – these predate my consciousness. But they must have existed, what with Ben being a September baby and me October. Those were the sexy Noels, delivering babies like presents nine months later.”

I still don’t really understand what this passage means.

 

Pecuniary

– adjective

– Consisting of or measured in money

– “To this day articles are written, seriously and humorously, protesting against the increasing luxury and comfort of bachelor apartments for men, as well as against the pecuniary indepedence of women…”

– This passage is all about women and economics and how womens financial status are affected by marriage.

Perennial

-adjective

– Living for several years or many years

-existing or cotinuing in the same way for a long time

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perennial

– ” For it is a perennial puzzle why no woman wrote a word of that extraordinary literlature when every other man, it seemed, was capable of song or sonnet.”

– Virginia Woolf uses the word perennial as it relates to women and how they were treated back then.

Thematic

of or relating to a theme

adjective

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thematic

“I think it’s Carole King’s ”Tapestry” on the record player. But which song? ”It’s Too Late” would make thematic sense – my dad’s smile has the let’s-just-get-through-this tension of a code-red marriage.”

I understand that they the Smith family was so used to their own traditions and nothing else made sense. They were listening to a song that represented this “theme” or their Christmas.

Perilous

8)Perilous- full of danger

adjective

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perilous

“Magda was wavering in the perilous sunlight of the arena scribbling on such pitiful little bent shins.” pg2300

I understand that Magda was looking for her shawl even though it was so dangerous out.

 

 

 

Clamor

a loud continuous noise (such as the noise made when many people are talking or shouting

Noun

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clamor

“But now Magda’s mouth was spilling a long vicious rope of clamor, “Maaaaaaa-” pg2300

(This connects to perilous) I understood that Magda felt very disoriented and upset when she lost her shawl so she started to finally scream.

 

 

 

Carrion

dead and putrefying flesh(unfit for food)

noun

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carrion

“Magda was dumb. Even the laugh that came when the ash-stippled wind made a clown out of Magda’s shawl was the only air-blown showing of her teeth. Even when the lice, head lice and body lice, crazed her so that she became as wild as one of the big rats that plundered the barracks at daybreak looking for carrion, she rubbed and scratched and kicked and bit and rolled without a whimper.” pg2300

I understand that Magda sort of lost all her human like qualities.