Tag Archives: A

Anishinaabe

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Anishinaabe

Definition:   possibly reflecting a traditionalist’s viewpoint with a certain moral dimension – refers to “the good humans”, or good people, meaning those who are on the right road/path given to them by the Creator.

Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anishinaabe

Found in:  The Shawl by Louise Erdrich

Quote:  “And in that moment of knowledge, don’t you thin, being who she was, of the old sort of Anishinaabeg, who thinks of the good of the people first, she jumped, my father, n’dede brother to that little girl? Don’t you think she lifted her shawl and flew? (last page, last paragraph).

Knowing this word made me understand how the narrator suggested a reconsideration of his father’s past by explaining his sister’s personality as being a person who is kind beyond kindness and would do anything for others. By being an Anishinaabe, she might have scarified herself for the sake of the baby.

Almanac

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Al·ma·nac – Noun

 Definition:  An annual publication including calendars with weather forecasts, astronomical information, tide tables, and other related tabular information.

 Source:  http://www.thefreedictionary.com/almanac

 Found in:  Biography of a Dress by Jamaica Kincaid

 Quote:  “My mother saw a picture on an almanac advertising a particularly fine and scented soap and this picture of this girl wearing a yellow dress with smocking on the front bodice perhaps created in my mother the desire to have a daughter who looked like that or perhaps created the desire in my mother to try and make the daughter she already had look like that.” (page 203, 2nd paragraph)

In this quote the narrator is describing how her mother saw a picture of a girl on an annual magazine who was wearing a yellow dress which became one of the reasons why her mother had made her the yellow dress for her birthday to take a picture with. She mentions her mother wanting to make her look like the girl in that magazine.

Arbor

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Arbor – Noun

Definition:   a shelter of vines or branches or of latticework covered with climbing shrubs or vines.

Source : http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arbors

Found in :  The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Quote:  “I always fancy I see people walking in these numerous paths and arbors, but John has cautioned me not to give way to fancy in the least. (3rd page, last paragraph)

In this quote the narrator who is looking out of her window starts daydreaming about people walking along the vine paths and how her husband thinks daydreaming of that kind is not good for her.  I  understand that how her husband made her believe even to think about beautiful path ways are dangerous for her treatment.