Vocabulary Fall List #7

Aberration: n. state or condition markedly different from the norm; disorder in one's mental state

The caped villain disappeared in a puff of smoke, which was an aberration for those who drove to work every morning.

Ad hoc: adv. for the special purpose or end presently under consideration

The ad hoc SWAT team arrived to take care of the hostage situation immediately.

Bane: n. something that causes misery or death

Who's to say that my little sister isn't the bane of my existence?

Cantankerous: adj. having a difficult and contrary dispoistion; unwilling to cooperate

Nikki became cantankerous when her mother asked her to finish her homework.

Casuistry: n. argumentation that is specious or excessively subtle and intended to be misleading

His reasonings for being against certain races was at the most casuistry.

De Facto: n. in fact; in reality

Though magic tricks may seem real to the audience, de facto it is all an optical illusion.

Depredation: n. an act of plundering and pillaging; a destructive action

The pinata burst into flames and from that day on Johnny's depredation limited his invites to parties.

Empathy: n. understanding and entering into another's feelings

Her eyes softened in empathy on her friend for she knew what it felt like to lose someone close.

Harbinger: n. and indication of the approach of something or someone; foreshadow or presage

They say that seeing the Grim Reaper is a harbinger for your future death.

Hedonism: n. the pursuit of pleasure as a matter of ethical principle

Her hedonism in the field of art began with that first feel of the clay in her hands.

Lackluster: adj. lacking luster or shine; lacking brilliance or vitality

His lackluster comment in class caused a series of snickers to be heard around the room.

Malcontent: adj. discontented as toward authority; n. person who is digusted or discontented

Jessica's fellow malcontents continued to protest against some of the laws in school.

Mellifluous: adj. soft, sweet voice; pleasing to the ear

"Touch the spindle wheel," the mellifluous voice said again, catching the ears of Aurora.

Nepotism: n. favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power

The owner's nepotism was increasingly frowned upon when he announced that his teenage daughter was now head chef of the restaurant.

Pander: n. person who furnishes clients for a prostitute; pimp; person who caters to or profits from the weaknesses or vices of others.

The pander gave a beguiling grin to his next victim walking down the street.

Peccadillo: n. a petty misdeed; slight offense

Carl's joke was a peccadillo that angered Alyssa, which caused an uncomfortable silence afterwards.

Piece de Resistance: n. the most noteworthy or prized feature of a series or group

Dr. Del Rio's piece de resistance was shown at an art gallery in San Luis Obispo.

Remand: v. to send back, remit, or consign again; send back into custody, as to await further proceedings.

The judge decided to remand Fry back into the facility of Criminally Insane Robots.

Syndrome: n. complex of concurrent things; pattern of symptoms indicative of some disease

I sympathized with my friend who's sibling had down syndrome.

Literary Analysis: In the Lake of the Woods

1. John and Kathy Wade are two peas in a pod who have been married for nearly seventeen years. After a devastating political loss for State Senate that ruined his reputation and career, John decided that he and Kathy needed to go on a vacation in a remote area. They stayed in an area called The Lake of the Woods where they camped out in a small cottage near a large lake surrounded by thick pines a few miles away from the nearest town. Beginning to reminisce his traumatic past, John’s mind goes off kilter and Kathy knows that something is wrong with her husband during their vacation. She grows worried and contemplates what to do while John was in this state of mind. His constant depression about losing the election grips him hard and he starts reliving the days when he was stationed in Vietnam (he was known as Sorcerer with all the magic tricks he performed) and the anger he felt when his father committed suicide. His wife mysteriously disappears one morning during their vacation and John doesn’t recall what had happened to her or where she was. All they knew was a boat was missing, which explains that she may have gotten herself lost out on the lake. However, others began thinking otherwise. Folks started to grow suspicious of John’s enigmatic character and soon subtle accusations were thrown his way, which angered him because he was positive that he did nothing to his wife; he loved her too dearly. A massive search party began looking for Kathy but there was never any evidence that showed where she had gone. The author remains elusive as to where she went, even after John went out on the lake and looked for her himself. Both boats had gone missing by then and no one had seen either of them since. No one knows what had happened to them and the truth will always remain a mystery in the eyes of the reader.

2. The theme of the novel can be interpreted in many ways as there are many ideas that are said to be the theme of the book. The way I look at it, an important theme in the story would revolve around living in the past and the consequences that are connected with it. Throughout the book, John was known for hiding inside his past instead of moving forward with the people he loves most, particularly Kathy. O’Brien even gives examples of John with his magic tricks by showing us him constantly living in a world of mirrors where traumatic events are blown away in the wind. With this method, he would slip away from reality instead of facing it, which consequently gave a twist of insanity with his character.

3. The author’s tone in the story was very mysterious and rather eerie. I also found his tone to be informative much like an interviewer in different sections of the story. But the tone that stood out was that mysterious aura that seeped into the ears of the reader. A good example would be when John began to boil water in a teakettle during the middle of the night while muttering, “Kill Jesus”, and it sets an unnerving tone in the story. Readers begin to question his methods and dialogue when reading this particular scene. Another great example is through the interviews with the Vietnam veterans. The descriptions of some of the events in Vietnam left a creepy tone with the characters and how they reacted to some of the questions asked. “All I remember is the flies…” “We were breathing flies when it was over. They crawled up into our noses.” –Richard Thinbill.

4. Rhetorical Questions: O’Brien used this technique during the story whenever an important scene ends and he, as the narrator, begins asking questions on the plot of the story and he gives the readers something to think about during the story. “Does happiness strain credibility? Is there something in the human spirit that distrusts its own appetites, its own yearning for healing and contentment? Can we not believe that two adults, in love, might resolve to make their own miracle?” It’s also about the nature of life from time to time.

Repetition: O’Brien uses A LOT of repetition throughout the story. It’s one of the first things I noticed when reading. A line that kept appearing was “Kill Jesus” with Wayne. This, I believe, helps the reader recall back to a certain point in time and say, “Oh, yes, I remember now. Gee, the author most really like emphasizing this particular phrase in order to remind us of John’s character.” O’Brien will also describe the same scenes in later chapters to dramatize how powerful this moment is.

Anaphora: Usually in every other chapter the author will start it out with the word “Maybe” to put ideas in the reader’s heads and actions that might’ve happened. “What happened, maybe, was that Kathy drowned. Something freakish: a boating accident. Maybe a sandbar. Maybe she was skimming along…etc. Maybe she leaned over and kissed him. Maybe she whispered something.” These things come often within every other chapter.

Flashbacks: O’Brien uses flashbacks to intensify the plot by bringing back John’s past and keeping the readers informed of the character’s background. “When he was a boy, John Wade’s hobby was magic. In the basement, where he practiced in front of a stand-up mirror, he made his mother’s silk scarves change color.” This technique, I would guess, is one of the author’s favorite to use because of how often he uses it in this book and in his other Vietnam book. Many of the flashbacks came during the interviews as well about the war John was in.

Symbolism: This technique was mainly seen with the main character, John. The way John would occasionally slip back into his world of mirrors symbolized the freedom he desired through magic, pretending they weren’t tricks. His Vietnam pals calling him Sorcerer during the war was a nickname that symbolized something that he could take pride in; that he was their good luck charm. The way that John talked about him and Kathy being a couple of snakes swallowing each other up symbolized their love. “One plus one equals zero!”

Allusions: O’Brien used allusions such as quotes from books or famous people that had a relevance to the story. They popped up usually during time when interviews were going on. “In every trick there are two carefully thought out lines—the way it looks and the way it is. The success of your work depends upon your understanding the relationship of these lines.” –Robert Parrish (The Magician’s Handbook). He would also use Richard Nixon’s quotes to emphasize the plot of the story.

Irony: The only examples of irony I could think of relates to the Vietnam War. When you think of soldiers—American soldiers that is—you think of resilient, strong men with a strong passion in defeating the enemy in order to protect their country. However, O’Brien writes it in a way where many of the men were dragged into the mess without much thought on it. While they were killing the enemy, many of them were crying, shooting with their eyes closed and pretending as if they were somewhere else.

Imagery: This device is used when describing the woodsy area they resided in and the bitter foxholes in Vietnam. He often switches on and off between these scenes where description is vivid and helps the readers visualize the background picture. “A golden September day, fresh-feeling, crisp and new, and everything was part of everything else. It all blended into a smooth repetitive oneness, the trees and coves and water and sky, each piece of wilderness identical to every other piece.”

Metaphors: O’Brien liked to use metaphors to describe politicians and soldiers in the story. Their characteristics would stand out and clarify what the audience was reading and who these people were and how they were like. “John was a killing machine in the political business.” Or he would even describe Tony, the large politician, as a pig. Tony would say, “Yeah, I’m a pig.” John and Kathy were “two peas in a pod”.

Similes: O’Brien used a few similes here and there. Though not as strong as metaphors, they still will distinct characters from each other. “The man was like one of them famous onions. Keep peeling back the layers, there’s always more.” He would also use this technique to describe areas from his characters. “The place stunk, especially that ditch. Flies everywhere. They glowed in the dark. It was like the spirit world or something.” –Richard Thinbill.

 

Note: Technical difficulites + procrastination = late update. (Now you know.)

 

Vocabulary Fall List #6

Beatitude: n. supreme blessedness

His beatitude towards the hungry had spread his news far and wide.

Bete noire: n. person or thing disliked or dreaded

Piggy immediately became the bete noire in the group of boys by his physical appearance.

Bode: v. to be an omen of; predict

Shaggy's eye twitched and he knew right away that whatever was behind him was not going to bode well when solving this mystery.

Dank: adj. unpleasantly moist or humid; damp and chilly

Ryan's cell was putrid and dank, augmenting his hatred towards cops.

Ecumenical: adj. universal; pertaining to the whole Christian church

Ecumenical praying’s to God is still religiously practiced today.

Fervid: adj. heated or vehement in spirit, enthusiasm, etc.; intensely hot

Patrick's fervid gaze bore a hole in the back of his head and he gulped in fear.

Fetid: adj. having an offensive odor; stinking

The fetid sponge cheerfully exclaimed to his friend that they weren't ugly after all; it was their breath!

Gargantuan: adj. huge, immense, vast, incredibly large, etc.

The boy felt highly insulted when his enemy said he had a gargantuan head.

Heyday: n. period of greatest vigor, strength, success; high spirits

Michael Jackson's heyday followed him even after death.

Incubus: n. nightmare; something that weighs upon one like a nightmare

Shaking and shivering in bed, Paul wrapped his arms around his knees as the recent incubus invaded his mind once more.

Infrastructure: n. basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for an operation

The infrastructure for the new hardware store would be difficult to set up.

Inveigle: v. to entice or lure by flattery or inducements; to win by beguiling talk or methods

Mackenzie inveigled her friends to vote for her as Most Spirited in the year book.

Kudos: n. honor; glory; acclaim

Kelli told me kudos when I recognized the meaning of the word in the list.

Lagniappe: n. a small gift given with a purchase to a customer, by way of compliment or good measure; bonus or tip

The lagniappe we left for our waitress marked a broad smile on her face.

Prolix: adj. extended to unnecessary or tedious length; long and wordy

The substitute teacher's prolix lecture about her childhood allowed students to catch a few Z's.

Protege: n. person under the patronage, protection, or care of someone interested in his/her career

Sarah was glad she was the protege of her English teacher when she excelled in writing books.

Prototype: n. original model on which something is based or formed

To our disappointment, the prototype of the cabin we wanted showed that it was located too far into the woods for our likings.

Sycophant: n. self-seeking flatterer; fawning parasite

The sycophant was relentless in her attacks as she complimented the popular girl in every direction just so she could get onto that party list.

Tautology: n. needless repetition of an idea; use of different words to say the same thing twice

The linguistically challenged misunderstood this and the phrase became the tautology it is now.

Truckle: v. to submit or yield obsequiously or tamely

All of them usually didn't truckle to any of Gill's ridiculous ideas of escape, but this one felt right somehow.

 

Vocabulary Fall List #5

Acumen: n. keen insight; shrewdness.

John's impressive acumen in his business promised a better future for him.

Adjudicate: v. to pronounce or decree by judicial sentence

The Supreme Court adjudicated that the written word is no longer used in school education.

Anachronism: n. something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time.

Captain America is an anachronism when arriving in the 21st century.

Apocryphal: adj. of doubtful authorship; false.

The apocryphal story told about the legendary hero was later revealed of its truth in class.

Disparity: n. lack of similarity or equality; inequality; difference.

Michelle's disparity from the group did not dissapoint her as she continued her arts and crafts.

Dissimulate: v. to disguise or conceal under a false appearance; dissemble.

Athene had dissiumulated her appearance as a Trojan warrior so as to trick Hektor.

Empirical: adj. derived from or provable by experience or experiment.

The empirical formula had indeed been answered by her intelligence.

Flamboyant: adj. strikingly bold or billiant; showy; dashing and colorful.

The twins' flamboyant style of clothing turned the heads of every student that Friday.

Fulsome: adj. offensive to good taste; overdone or gross; repulsive.

Johnny grimaced when the fulsome pile of unidentified grey mush was dumped onto his tray at lunch.

Immolate: v. to sacrifice; to destroy by fire.

Would he really go as far as to immolate the only thing he ever loved in order to save the nation?

Imperceptible: adj. very slight or subtle; not perceptible.

Her imperceptible gesture to get him to stop babbling like an idiot made no difference as the fool continued.

Lackey: n. a servile follower; toady.

Kelli silently fumed when Owen referred to her as his lackey.

Liaison: n. communication or contact between units or groups.

The liaison between Sarah and Mackenzie was incredible.

Monolithic: adj. consisting of one piece; solid or unbroken.

The monolithic double yellow line in the middle of the road can be confusing to beginning drivers; which side of the road am I supposed to be on?

Mot Juste: n. the appropriate word or expression.

I believe that the word 'crap' is the mot juste for any dissapointing situation.

Nihilism: n. total rejection of established laws and insitutions.

Jessica stated that her buddies in the slammer were there for their nihilism.

Patrician: n. a person of noble or high rank; aristocrat.

The patrician stried down the sidewalk while swishing his cane and tipping his hat.
Propitiate: v. to make favorably inclined; appease.

Igor strived to propitiate his master in any way possible.
Sic: v. to attack.

"Sic her, boy!" I yelled pathetically at my hamster when my sister walked into my room.

Sublimate: adj. purified or exalted.

The sublimate water quenched my thirst after walking four miles in the blistering heat while searchign for a rest stop.

Translation: Beowulf vs. Godsylla

Meanehwæl, baccat meaddehæle, monstær lurccen;
Fulle few too many drincce, hie luccen for fyht.
Ðen Hreorfneorhtðhwr, son of Hrwærowþheororthwl,
Æsccen æwful jeork to steop outsyd. Þhud! Bashe! Crasch! Beoom! Ðe bigge gye
Eallum his bon brak, byt his nose offe;
Wicced Godsylla wæld on his asse.
Monstær moppe fleor wyþ eallum men in hælle.
Beowulf in bacceroome fonecall bamaccen wæs;
Hearen sond of ruccus sæd, "Hwæt ðe helle?"
Graben sheold strang ond swich-blæd scharp
Stond feorth to fyht ðe grimlic foe. "Me," Godsylla sæd, "mac ðe minsemete."
Heoro cwyc geten heold wiþ fæmed half-nelson
Ond flyng him lic frisbe bac to fen
Beowulf belly up to meaddehæle bar,
Sæd, "Ne foe beaten mie færsom cung-fu."
Eorderen cocca-cohla yce-coeld, ðe reol þyng.
 
Meanwhile, back at the mead hall, the monster lurked;
Full of few too many drinks, he was looking for a fight.
Then, Hreorfneorhtðhwr, son of Hrwærowþheororthwl,
Asked the awful jerk to step outside. Thud! Bash! Crash! Boom! The big guy
All of his bones broke, bit his nose off;
Wicked Godzilla wailed on his ass.
The monster mopped the floor with all of the men in the hall.
Beowulf in the backroom phone call be making was;
Hearing the sound of the ruckus said, "What the hell?"
Grabbing shield strong and switch-blade sharp,
Stood forth to fight the grim foe. "Me," Godzilla said, "make the mincemeat."
Hero quick getting hold with famed half-nelson
And flying him like a frisbee back and forth
Beowulf bellied up to the mead-hall bar,
Said, "No foe beats my fearsome kung-fu."
He ordered an ice-cold Coca-Cola, the real thing.

Note: I thought this was VERY humorous when translating it. :)

Vocabulary Fall List #4

Apostate:  n. someone who forsakes their religion, cause, party, etc.  

You don’t see many prominent apostates in today’s society.

Effusive: adj. overflowing, pouring out, extravagantly demonstrative

Sandy’s effusive monologue when trying to sell one of her products began to grow irritating.

Impasse: n. position or demonstration from which there is no escape; deadlock

Sarah and Owen reached an impasse when an argument broke out whether or not if Thor is greater than Loki.

Euphoria: n. a feeling of happiness or confidence; feeling of great elation

Sierra had a sudden feeling of euphoria when she won the point in the tennis match.

Lugubrious: adj. excessively mournful

Hades is known to be a very lugubrious character in the tale of Hercules.

Bravado: n. swaggering show of courage

His bravado began to show when he stood in line for Lex Luther Drop of Doom at Six Flags, a four hundred foot drop.

Consensus: n. majority agreement; harmony

There was a muttering of consensus around the room when they decided to go with advertising Light Speed Briefs.  

Constrict: v. become tight; squeeze or press together

My chest constricted at the sound of a helpless whine from the puppy behind closed bars at the pound.

Dichotomy: n. division in two parts or two different groups in contradiction

The dichotomy within the group didn’t help them gain many votes for that party.

Gothic: adj. style of architecture developed in northern France that spread throughout Europe between 12^th and 16^th centuries.

The Gothic style of the structures in Europe fascinated many tourists visiting that day.

Punctilio: n. strict observance of formalities; fine point of petty formality

She wanted every punctilio to be followed while planning the surprise party.

Metamorphosis: n. complete change of physical form or substance; striking change in appearance or character or circumstances

The metamorphosis between freshman year and senior year for Kelli and I have increased tenfold.

Raconteur: n. a person skilled in telling anecdotes

Dr. Preston’s raconteur really had me convinced that a bullet was lodged in his shoulder near Halloween time two years ago.  

Sine qua non: n. indispensable condition or factor; something essential

Game Night is sine qua non when wanting to hang out and play games with friends every month.

Quixotic: adj. not sensible about practical matters; unrealistic

His quixotic deed in freeing the animals from the zoo led to disastrous consequences.

Vendetta: n. a feud in which members of opposing parties murder each other

The Capulet’s and Montague’s vendetta for one another was a major key in the story.

Non Sequitur: n. conclusion that does not follow from the premises

Jessica’s non sequitur made it obvious that she did not know how to give a valid conclusion to her argument.

Mystique: n. an aura of heightened value or interest or meaning surrounding a person or thing

The mystique in animation continues to allure and amaze me with the motions of each character.

Quagmire: n. a boggy area; soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot

Karianne grimaced at the sound of her foot unsticking itself from the deep roots of the quagmire she stood in.

Parlous:  n. dangerous, perilous

Somehow Arthur knew that the day was going to be parlous when he woke up this morning with a yellow bulldozer about to knock his house down.

 

 

In The Lake of the Woods

I apologize for the late post but I have made my decision. I immediately chose this book because of the author. I freaking love the way Tim O'Brien writes. I had recently read The Things They Carried and fell in love with it. It was a very passionate book that sucked me in. I was ecstatic when I saw another book written by him within this list. I'm very much hoping that this book will be as thrilling and suspensful as I imagine it to be. I researched the outline of the story and found that it also is linked with the Vietnam War. I found myself smiling as I realized this is a post war story that perhaps had something to do with The Things They Carried. (I see what you did there, O'Brien.) I am also familiar with his style of writing, which makes it easier on my part.The main reason why I chose this book was because I know that I will get into the story and be motivated by his style of writing.  I'm very excited to start reading this book! :)