Novel: Quicksand
Passage: How her maladjustment had
bothered him I She had a faint notion that it
was behind his ready assent to her suggestion
anent a longer engagement than, originally, they
had planned.
Definition: About
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anent
Understanding: Helga is talking about how they thought her engagement was longer then they had planned on it being.
Novel: Quicksand
Passage: That was the crux of the whole matter.
For Helga, it accounted for everything, her
failure here in Naxos, her former loneliness in
Nashville. It even accounted for her engagement to James.
Definition: an essential point requiring resolution or resolving an outcome
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crux
Understanding: This is when Helga realizes that she will not be able to solve he engagement issue. It is a problem that needs a resolution. Therefore it is a crux.
Quicksand
Passage: Helga again felt a surge of hot anger
and seething resentment. And again it subsided
in amazement at the memory of the consider-
able applause which had greeted the speaker
just before he had asked his God’s blessing
upon them.
Definition: to move very quickly and suddenly in a particular direction
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surge
Understanding: I understand that Helga felt a sudden rush of anger and resentment towards her job at Naxous
Temerity
Novel: Quicksand
Passage: Teachers as well as students
were subjected to the paring process, for it tolerated
no innovations,, no individualism. Ideas
it rejected, and looked with open hostility on one and all who had the temerity to offer a suggestion or ever so mildly express a disapproval.
Definition: The quality of being confident and unafraid of danger or punishment especially in a way that seems rude or foolish
Understanding: This passage is when Ester realizes that she is confident enough to leave Naxous and realizes that she is not afraid of punishment.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/temerity
“Her fictitious nature was of great assistance to her. It is far harder to kill a phantom than a reality. She was always creeping back when I thought I had despatched her. Though I flatter myself that I killed her in the end, the struggle was severe;”
http://i.word.com/idictionary/dispatch
Despatched (verb)
To kill with quick efficiency
that phantom in the room which was the angel had to go. It was very difficult for her to kill this phantom, because it wasn’t in the flesh, but yet in the mind. When she thought that she had killed this phantom with the quickness, and accuracy she turned out to be wrong.
“It was, too, as she was uncomfortably aware even a trifle ridiculous, and mentally caricatured herself, moving shuttle like from continent to continent.
Trifle (noun)
Something of little or no importance
Moving back and forth from continent to continent made began to make her feel a little irrelevant. She had not planted her feet long enough in one place to be taken seriously. She may have been her own worst critic but, moving about the way she did made her feel unimportant.
“On the contrary, she was snubbed, slapped, lectured and exhorted. Her mind must have been strained and her vitality lowered by the need of opposing this, of disproving that”(246)
http://i.word.com/idictionary/disprove
disprove (Verb)
To prove to be false or wrong
Instead of being praised and adored she was abused. This woman was looked down upon and thought to be the lesser. No woman not even an artist or writer could prove a man wrong without being lowered. It was almost the culture in those times for a woman that has been seeking independence to be slapped, or lectured in the name of men’s superiority.
“That’s one of the reasons I never wanted to get married. The last thing I wanted was infinite security and to be the place an arrow shoots off from. I want change and excitement and to shoot off from a Fourth of July rocket”.
http://i.word.com/idictionary/infinite
infinite (adjective)
immeasurably or inconceivably great or extensive
Helga feared the idea of being kept. Marriage would mean that it would last forever, and he would be there to secure her indefinitely. Helga was looking for excitement in her life. Whatever changes they were to be made were not to include a man that would stagnate her. Marriage to Helga would almost feel like she was being held hostage.
“That morning , I had tried to hang myself. I had taken the silk cord of my mothers yellow bathrobe As soon as she left for work, and in the Amber shade of the bedroom, fashioned it into a knit that slipped up and down on itself. It took me a long time to do this, because I was poor at knits and had no idea how to make one”
http://i.word.com/idictionary/suicide
Suicide (noun)
The act or instance of taking one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally especially by a person of years of discretion and if sound mind
Though the specific word suicide was not in this passage I feel it is of great assistance in understanding the passage. This particular passage is an explanation of how Helga tried to take her own life. Her making knits and knits in the silk cord showed her volunteering to take her own life.
She was incited to inflame attention and admiration. She was dressed for it, subtly schooled for it. And after a while she gave herself up wholly to the fascinating business of being seen, gaped at, desired. “
Gape (Verb)
To gaze stupidly or in open mouthed surprise or wonder
http://i.word.com/idictionary/gape
Helga was excited about her new clothes. She was infatuated with the idea that men would now be paying her more attention. This was a change for her. Helga was sure that her new appearance would shock everyone.
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.
