Teetering (adverb)
stem
Teeter: to move unsteadily back and forth
“The Shawl” By Cynthia Ozick
“As if teetering on the tips of her fingernail.”
As if gliding on the tips of her fingernail
The pregnant woman was teetering to her doctors appt.
Category Archives: Glossary
monotonously
Monotonously (adverb)
Stem Monotonus- describes boredom, something unappealing, ordinary
“The Shawl” By Louise Erdrich
“She became a gray sky, stared monotonously at the walls”
She became a gray sky, stared ordinary at the walls
He felt monotonus at his job so he applied to be a flight attendant to travel the world.
Powwow
Powwow- Noun- 1) a social gathering of Native Americans that usually includes dancing
2) a meeting for people to discuss something
The word powwow is used several times throughout the story of “What you Pawn I will Redeem” by Sherman Alexie.
The narrator or the main character of the story Jackson Jackson was looking for his grandmother’s stolen garment that she wore for their tribe’s social or special occasions.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/powwow
Kinsfolk
kinsfolk
noun plural kins·folk \ˈkinz-ˌfōk\
Definition of KINSFOLK
: Relatives
A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner Part 3 4th paragraph
…without calling it noblesse oblige. They just said, “Poor Emily. Her kinsfolk should come to her.” She had some kin in Alabama; but years ago her father had fallen out with them over the estate of old lady Wyatt, the crazy woman, and there was no communication between the two families. They had not even been represented at the funeral.
Word Reused
…her relatives should come…
Annihilated
Annihilate (v) : to destroy (someone or something) completely
Definition from Merriam-Webster (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annihilated)
From The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick (paragraph 5)
They were in a place without pity, all pity was annihilated in Rosa, she looked at Stella’s bones without pity.
There were no pity in the place (in the situation). Rosa thinks all pity was completely destroyed because it no longer exist in the place.
ravenous
Ravenous (adj) – very hungry
definition from Merriam-Webster (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ravenous)
From The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick (paragraph 1)
There was not enough milk; sometimes Magda sucked air; then she screamed. Stella was ravenous
Stella was extremely hungry and had not enough milk for Magda
carmine
carmine (noun) – a vivid red
definition from Merriam-Webster (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carmine)
From Beloved by Toni Morrison (page 94)
I’m a get to Boston and get myself some velvet. Carmine. You don’t even know about that, do you?
Amy tells Sethe that she is going to Boston to get some velvet, and the color of it is carmine, which is purplish-red.
carmine
doggone
doggone (verb) is an expression used as a more polite form of damn
Definition from Merriam-Webster (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doggone)
From Beloved by Toni Morrison ( page 94)
Sleeping with the sun in your face is the best old feeling. Two times I did it. Once when I was little. Didn’t nobody bother me then. Next time, in back of the wagon, it happened again and doggone if the chickens didn’t get loose.
Amy talks about taking a nap and how it feels. she says sleeping under the sun is the best feeling and she did it twice – once when she was young and the other time in the wagon. She says doggone if the chickens didn’t get loose in the back of the wagon she would have been able to sleep more under the sun.
chastise
chastise ( verb) : to criticize (someone) for doing something wrong
definition from Merriam-Webster (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chastise)
From Beloved by Toni Morrison (page 101)
It was time to lay it all down. Before Paul D came and sat on her porch steps, words whispered in the keeping room had kept her going. Helped her endure the chastising ghost; refurbished the baby faces of Howard and Buglar and kept them whole in the world because in her dreams she saw only their parts in trees; and kept her husband shadowy but there-somewhere.
Before Paul D came to her house and talked about her husband Halle by the butter press, she was able to handle all other difficulties in her life even enduring the chastising baby ghost. The ghost (the daughter’s spirit) was punishing Sethe because she killed her.
Glen
Glen (n) – a narrow valley
definition from Merriam Webster (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glen)
From Beloved by Toni Morrison (page 95)
“When the busy day is done
And my weary little one
Rocketh gently to and fro;
When the night winds softly blow,
And the crickets in the glen
Chirp and chirp and chirp again; …”
Amy was singing her mother’s song. The lyrics describe a night when winds softly blow and the crickets in the small valley chirp.
