Surreptitious (adj): done in a secret way.
Mina Loy, Feminist Manifesto: “The woman who has not succeed in striking that advantageous bargin-is prohibited from any but surreptitious re-action to life-stimuli…”
Women who are not able to take advantage of marriage are prohibited from any marriage-like actions that aren’t done in secret.
Bogey (noun): a source of fear, perplexity, or harassment.
Mina Loy, Feminist Manifesto: “…therefore, the fist self-enforced law for the female sex, as a protection of the man made bogey of virtue..”
This quote say that men use the fear of virtue against women to hold them under subjection to men. In order to keep women from striving, men would have to make them afraid of being successful. This could happen by telling women that successful women are lonely, and no man would want to be with them, or anything that would put second thoughts of success in a woman’s mind.
-”Bogey.” Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. Web. 19 May 2014
Hitherto (adv): until now; before this time
Virginia Woolf, Professions for Women: “you have won rooms of you own in the house hitherto exclusively owned by men.”
Women were able to get rooms of their own which, before that time, wasn’t given to women, but specifically for men. This word shows a change of time, and reflects on the change that is taking place in the privileges that women have.
-”Hitherto.” Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. Web. 19 May 2014.
Impeded (verb): to slow the movement, progress, or action of (someone or something).
Virginia Woolf, Professions for Women: “…they are impeded by the extreme conventionality of the other sex.”
Women writers are slowed down in writing because of the men’s character, behavior and the reaction the writer would receive from the ideas women were to write about. Women can be hesitant to write what they feel and think because of the fear of judgement and not being accepted as a legitimate writer. One mistake, and women writer can be written off as be hysterical people with a pen.
-”Impede.” Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. Web. 19 May 2014.
Bereavement (noun): the state of being sad because a family member or friend has recently died.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Women and Economics: “…we could meet bereavementwithout being robbed of the common conveniences of living as well as of the heart’s love…”
In this quote, the word talks about losing a loved one without having to completely change one’s housing aspects; i.e. moving out, throwing away furniture, doubling up on making bill payments.
-”Bereavement.” Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. Web. 19 May 2014
Makeshift (noun): a usually crude and temporary expedient.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Women and Economics: “…these detached persons are unable to achieve any home life, and are thereby subjected to the inconvenience, deprivation…of our makeshift substitutes.”
This word reflects the unconventional substitute to a family life. People who aren’t married don’t get the full benefits of it. However, there are still things in marriage that detached people still want without the commitment. This is where substitutes are formed to fulfill the needs.
Pablum (noun): a trademark for an infant cereal
Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar: “I smelt a mingling of Pablum and sour milk and salt-cod-stinky diapers and felt sorrowful and tender. HOW easy having babies seemed to the women around me!”
Pablum is mentioned in this quote to contribute to the items associated with babies. Esther recognizes the interest she has in women having babies.
-”Pablum.” Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. Web. 20 May 2014.
Cicada (noun): any of a family (Cicadidae) of homopterous insects which have a stout body, wide blunt head, and large transparent wings and the males of which produce a loud buzzing noise usually by stridulation
Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar: “As my mother and I approached the summer heat bore down on us, and a cicada started up… The sound of the cicada only served to underline the enormous silence”
The purpose of Esther mentioning the Cicada was to reveal how she noticed how loud the bug was in the silence of her and her mother as they were driving to the hospital to see Dr. Gordon.
-”Cicada.” Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. Web. 20 May 2014.
Cockscomb (noun): a garden plant (Celosia cristata) of the amaranth family grown for its flowers.
Sandra Cisneros, Woman Hollering Creek: “…so that they all had to be supported with brown handles and old boards; red red cockscombs, fringed and bleeding a thick menstrual color…Dolores clipped the most beautiful of these flowers and arranged them on three modest headstones…”
This flower symbolizes the loss that Dolores has gone through from the death of her sons and husband. Each week she cuts the flowers to place on the headstones, which shows that she is still mourning, or “bleeding’ from the emotional wounds she has.
-”Cockscomb.” Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. Web. 20 May 2014.
Ardent (adj): characterized by warmth of feeling typically expressed in eager zealous support or activity.
Zadie Smith, Scenes From the Smith Family Christmas: “Oh, we Smiths are ardentseekers after the spirit of Christmas, and we do not listen to Iris Murdoch’s sensible analogical advice: ”Good represents the reality of which God is the dream.” We’re chasing the dream, baby.”
The word helps reveal that the author’s family took the spirit of Christmas very seriously, and made sure they weren’t deterred from it by the speculations of others.
-”Ardent.” Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. Web. 20 May 2014.
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