Vocabulary 3Vocabulary 3

First SemesterFirst Semester

N. Austin/English IIIN. Austin/English III

Pithy Pithy • Does Does pithypithy mean: mean:

•MeaningfulMeaningful•Human Human

behaviorbehavior•Having an Having an

attitudeattitude•Pitiful Pitiful

RenegeRenege

• Does Does renegerenege mean:mean:

• To rewriteTo rewrite

• To offer a deal for To offer a deal for a second timea second time

• To go back on To go back on one’s commitmentone’s commitment

• To reinforceTo reinforce

stymiestymie• Does Does stymiestymie

mean:mean:

• A soreA sore

• An eye diseaseAn eye disease

• To humorTo humor

• To baffleTo baffle

Affable Affable • Does Does affableaffable mean: mean:

• HatefulHateful

• FriendlyFriendly

• CheapCheap

• Luxurious Luxurious

Bona fide Bona fide • Does Does bonafidebonafide

mean:mean:

• GenuineGenuine

• A hard substanceA hard substance

• ConfidentialConfidential

• Serious Serious

NOT

APATHYAPATHY• Does Does apathyapathy

mean:mean:

• Cold-heartednessCold-heartedness

• A dish prepared A dish prepared with apples and with apples and cinnamon cinnamon

• a trail a trail

• indifferenceindifference

Kudos Kudos

• Does Does kudoskudos mean: mean:

• A type of candyA type of candy

• Compliments Compliments

• A type of martial A type of martial artsarts

• A breed of dogA breed of dog

Class of 2011

Unwitting Unwitting • Does Does unwittingunwitting

mean:mean:

• UnawareUnaware

• UnconsciousUnconscious

• Uneducated Uneducated

• Not humorous Not humorous

Halcyon Halcyon • Does Does halcyonhalcyon mean: mean:

• PeacefulPeaceful

• A cometA comet

• A ranch style homeA ranch style home

• A division of psycho-A division of psycho-

analysis founded by analysis founded by Frank S. HalcyonFrank S. Halcyon

Chimera Chimera • Does Does chimerachimera

mean:mean:

• A chimneyA chimney

• Bizarre fantasy Bizarre fantasy

• A monkeyA monkey

• A small birdA small bird

The Once and Future KingThe Once and Future KingT. H. WhiteT. H. White

• T. H. White uses T. H. White uses The Once and Future The Once and Future KingKing as his own personal view of the ideal as his own personal view of the ideal society. The book, most of which "takes society. The book, most of which "takes place on the isle of Gramarye," chronicles place on the isle of Gramarye," chronicles the raising and education of the raising and education of King ArthurKing Arthur, , his rule as a king, and the romance his rule as a king, and the romance between his best knight Sir between his best knight Sir LancelotLancelot and and his Queen his Queen GuinevereGuinevere (which he spells (which he spells Guenever). It ends immediately before Guenever). It ends immediately before Arthur's final battle against his Arthur's final battle against his illegitimate son illegitimate son MordredMordred. Though White . Though White admits his book's source material is admits his book's source material is loosely derived from loosely derived from Sir Thomas Sir Thomas Malory'sMalory's Le Le MorteMorte d'Arthurd'Arthur ( (The Death of ArthurThe Death of Arthur), ), he creates a personal reinterpretation of he creates a personal reinterpretation of the epic events, filling them with renewed the epic events, filling them with renewed meaning for a world enduring the meaning for a world enduring the Second World WarSecond World War. .

Heart of DarknessHeart of DarknessJoseph ConradJoseph Conrad

• The story details an incident when The story details an incident when Marlow, an Englishman, took a Marlow, an Englishman, took a foreign assignment as a ferry-boat foreign assignment as a ferry-boat captain, employed by a Belgian captain, employed by a Belgian trading company. Although the river trading company. Although the river is never specifically named, readers is never specifically named, readers may assume it is the may assume it is the Congo RiverCongo River, in , in the the Congo Free StateCongo Free State, a private colony , a private colony of of King Leopold IIKing Leopold II. Marlow is employed . Marlow is employed to transport to transport ivoryivory downriver; downriver; however, his more pressing however, his more pressing assignment is to return assignment is to return KurtzKurtz, another , another ivory trader, to civilization in a cover ivory trader, to civilization in a cover up. Kurtz has a reputation up. Kurtz has a reputation throughout the region.throughout the region.

• This very This very symbolicsymbolic storystory is actually a is actually a story within a story, or story within a story, or frame narrativeframe narrative. It follows Marlow as he recounts, . It follows Marlow as he recounts, from dusk through to late night, his from dusk through to late night, his adventure into the Congo to a group adventure into the Congo to a group of men aboard a ship anchored in the of men aboard a ship anchored in the Thames EstuaryThames Estuary. It should be noted . It should be noted from a from a structuraliststructuralist point of view that point of view that MarlowMarlow is also the name of a town is also the name of a town situated on the Thames further situated on the Thames further upstream from upstream from LondonLondon..

The Bell JarThe Bell JarSylvia PlathSylvia Plath

• The Bell JarThe Bell Jar is is AmericanAmerican writer writer and poet and poet Sylvia Sylvia PlathPlath's only novel, 's only novel, which was originally published which was originally published under the under the pseudonympseudonym "Victoria "Victoria Lucas" in Lucas" in 19631963. The novel is semi-. The novel is semi-autobiographicalautobiographical with the names of with the names of places and people changed. The places and people changed. The book is often regarded as a book is often regarded as a roman roman àà clef clef, with the , with the protagonistprotagonist's 's descent into mental illness descent into mental illness paralleling Plath's own paralleling Plath's own experiences with what may have experiences with what may have been either been either bipolar disorderbipolar disorder or or clinical depressionclinical depression. Plath . Plath committed committed suicidesuicide a month after a month after its first publication. its first publication.

Cry, the Beloved Cry, the Beloved CountryCountry Alan Paton Alan Paton

• The novel opens in a small village in The novel opens in a small village in IxopoIxopo (Ndotsheni), where the black pastor Stephen (Ndotsheni), where the black pastor Stephen Kumalo receives a letter from the priest Kumalo receives a letter from the priest Theophilus Msimangu in Theophilus Msimangu in JohannesburgJohannesburg. Msimangu . Msimangu urges Kumalo to come to the city to help his urges Kumalo to come to the city to help his sister Gertrude, because she is ill. Kumalo goes sister Gertrude, because she is ill. Kumalo goes to Johannesburg to help Gertrude and to find his to Johannesburg to help Gertrude and to find his son Absalom, who had gone to the city to look son Absalom, who had gone to the city to look for Gertrude but never came home. When he for Gertrude but never came home. When he gets to the city, Kumalo learns that Gertrude gets to the city, Kumalo learns that Gertrude has taken up a life of prostitution and beer has taken up a life of prostitution and beer brewing, and is now drinking heavily. She agrees brewing, and is now drinking heavily. She agrees to return to the village with her young son. to return to the village with her young son. Kumalo embarks on the search for his son, first Kumalo embarks on the search for his son, first seeing his brother John, a carpenter who has seeing his brother John, a carpenter who has become involved in the politics of South Africa. become involved in the politics of South Africa. Kumalo and Msimangu follow Absalom's trail Kumalo and Msimangu follow Absalom's trail only to learn that Absalom has been in a only to learn that Absalom has been in a reformatory and impregnated a young woman. reformatory and impregnated a young woman. Shortly thereafter, Kumalo learns that his son Shortly thereafter, Kumalo learns that his son has been arrested for the murder during a has been arrested for the murder during a burglary of Arthur Jarvis (who was an engineer), burglary of Arthur Jarvis (who was an engineer), a white activist for racial justice and son of a white activist for racial justice and son of Kumalo's neighbour James Jarvis.Kumalo's neighbour James Jarvis.

In Cold BloodIn Cold BloodTruman CapoteTruman Capote

• The book details the brutal 1959 The book details the brutal 1959 murders of Herbert Clutter, a wealthy murders of Herbert Clutter, a wealthy farmer from Holcomb, Kansas, and his farmer from Holcomb, Kansas, and his wife and two of their children. The plot wife and two of their children. The plot weaves a complicated psychological weaves a complicated psychological story of two parolees who together story of two parolees who together commit a mass murder, an act they commit a mass murder, an act they were not capable of individually. were not capable of individually. Capote's book also details the lives of Capote's book also details the lives of the victims and the effect the crime had the victims and the effect the crime had on the community where they lived. A on the community where they lived. A large part of the story involves the large part of the story involves the dynamic psychological relationship of dynamic psychological relationship of the two felons that culminated in this the two felons that culminated in this senseless crime. senseless crime. In Cold BloodIn Cold Blood is often is often regarded by critics as a pioneering work regarded by critics as a pioneering work of true crime.of true crime.

Thanatophobia Thanatophobia • Is ThanatophobiaIs Thanatophobia

• A fear of poetryA fear of poetry

• A fear of deathA fear of death

• A fear of thankfulnessA fear of thankfulness

• A fear of wild animalsA fear of wild animals