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Author Archives: Keila Torres
Glossary Terms
Glossary write-up
- Bogey
- Eccentric
- Exalted
- Jitterbugging
- Mountainous
- Sordid
- Boudoir
- Pad Thai
- Adhan
- Telenovela
- Fringe
- Proliferate
- Bigot
- Hunky-Dory
- Shillings
While looking up these words, I realized how important it is to understand the context of the reading. Without knowing these definitions, some sentences were confusing while others flat out didn’t make sense. Understanding the meaning behind each term that I looked up helped me to grasp the meaning of the writing. Most of the words that I choose are nouns and understand them gave me insight on the work. Some were culturally or socially related such as telenovela, bigot, and jitterbugging. Others were unusual words such as bogey or adhan that I wasn’t familiar with I now understand. Knowing these definitions have helped me with identifying words from other non-school related articles.
Shillings
Shillings (noun)
Definition: a British coin used before 1971 that was equal to 1/20 of a British pound.
Source:Â http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shilling
Found in: Professions for Women by Virginia Woolf
Quote: “by a litter from an editor containing a cheque for one pound ten shillings and sixpence.”
The article is explaining when she first received money from her job as a journalist. The word shillings describe the British currency that she received.
Telenovela’s and Woman’s Hollering Creek Connection
What function do the telenovelas play in “Woman’s Hollering Creek”?
The telenovelas in the story are representative of Cleofilas aspiration of love. Cleofila imagines her romance to be like Lucias Mendez, “you or no one” she imagines. Cleofila imagines that if she is ever in an abusive situation with a man, she will fight back or run. Never did she imagine that she would stroke the hair of the man who hit her, consoling him instead. As well, she compares physically her husband to the men in telenovelas, nothing on how her husband is short and has acne scars. She also mentions the hair and makeup of the women on the telenovela serve as unrealistic life which doesn’t mirror her own. Cleofila compares her own life to that of the show. The soap opera is the unrealistic expectation. No one can live up to the fantasy in his or her mind. When Cleofila in place in a confrontational situation with her husband, she can’t cope. She see’s how her life is dependent on her husband and the little amount she gets to do things by herself. Without the telenovela, Celofila would not have it to compare her life to. Celofila is worried about the gossip and what people will say about her, and she thinks of the disgrace she will be to her family.
Pad Thai
Pad Thai (noun)
Definition:Â A thai dish of rice noodles that are stir0fried with other ingredients
Source:Â http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/padthai
Found in:Â A Short essay of being by Jenny Boully
Quote: “Pad is all of these, but seven years ago, I learned that it is a type of thai middle dish: pad thai, it’s called”
This is describing the type of food that starts with the word “pad” as the other things she knows that starts with pad.
Adhan
Adhan (noun)
Definition:Â Islam call to prayer.
Source: dictionary.reference.com/browse/adhan
Found in:Â What the scar revealed by Zohra Saad
Quote: “To heal, the cut navel swallow the city and remembers its fragrance. Turquoise domes, spice vendors, pomegranates like hearts, and the adman in her ear are consumed by this bloody wound.”
I now understand that it is a call to prayer that she hears in her ear.
Telenovela
Telenovela (noun)
Definition:Â A soap opera produced in and televised in or from many latin-american countries.
Source:Â http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telenovela
Found in:Â Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros
Quote: “Or to the girlfriend’s house to watch the latest telenovela episode and try to copy the way the woman comb their hair, wear they makeup.”
The explains that the episode is a latin-american soap opera she enjoyed to watch with her girlfriends.
Fringe
Fringe (noun)
Definition:Â A border made of hanging threads used to decorate the end of something
Source:Â http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fringe
Found in:Â Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros
Quote: “So tall they had to be supported with broom handles and old boards; red red cockscombs, fringed and bleeding a think menstrual color.”
The word fringed is used to describe the garden flowers colored and decorated style. It explains the red “menstrual colored” cockscombs on the edge.
Proliferate
Proliferate (verb)
Definition: to increase in number or amount quickly
Source:Â http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proliferation
Found in: Scenes From the Smith Family Christmas By Zadie Smith
Quote: “Denzil found this out when he attempted, on this most sacred of days, to do the things we could not do because we’d always done them another way, our way — a way we all hated, to be sure, but could not change. Denzil wants to open a present on Christmas Eve — don’t do that, Denzil. Denzil wants to go for a walk — I’m so sorry, Denzil, that’s impossible. We’d like to, but we just can’t swing it. Why not? Because, Denzil. Just because. Because like the two parts of Ireland, because like the Holy Trinity, because like nuclear proliferation, like men not wearing skirts, because like brandy butter.”
The word nuclear proliferation in this text technically means the spread of nuclear weapons, but the author is using it as an example of things that aren’t changing, just like the way Christmas presents are opened in their family.
Photobiography: a lifetime ago
Inspiration: Scenes from the Smith Family Christmas By Zadie Smith
This picture is from around 1994-95ish, when I was just a toddler. My older sister is holding me safely in her arms; she is 3 years older than I. My Uncle Alex is on the left, I think he’s in the process of creating “bunny ears” for my grandmother who is to the right (that was all the rage!). I vaguely remember this day; we were visiting a park in the Bronx I believe. I’m not sure who took it, but this photo speaks volumes to me. Looking at this, I remember how my grandmother didn’t want to be called “abuela”, rather she preferred her grandchildren to call her Dubby (very possibly misspelled). I remember her singing “La Cucaracha” to make me laugh. My Uncle Alex was the coolest; he was always doing goofy stuff just like in the photo. I remember him throwing me in the air and tickling me until my ribs were sore, he still is my favorite Uncle Alex who is an expert at making people laugh whenever he’s around. But my favorite part of this image is my sister, whose head is resting on my shoulder and holding me like a little dolly she had to protect. And she did. We don’t get to see each other all that much anymore since we don’t live in the same state, but I remember our childhood. We went through a lot of things when we were younger, from living in bad neighborhoods to our father selling our things to fuel his drug addiction. I still remember asking my sister where our N64 went, or why things kept disappearing. She tried to protect me. She was older and knew better. I don’t know what I would have done in her situation, having a younger sister who completely depended on you. But the fact was that I had her, and she made my life easier. I didn’t have to worry because I knew my big sister would be there. And she still is.
