Vocabulary Week 2 in practice

Flowers for Algernon

Vocabulary Week #2

Charlie has been living a life of ignorance, according to Prof. Nemur.  Until this surgery, Charlie’s understanding of reality has been vague.  His prime objective was to work at Donner’s Bakery and attend school at Beekman University to learn to read and write with Miss. Kinnian.  Though, it seems that Prof. Nemur is treating Charlie like another specimen in his lab, and not like a human being with feelings, a family, and a life worth living.  Dr. Strauss, on the other hand, is developing a platonic relationship with Charlie.  While working with Charlie in therapy, Dr. Strauss helps Charlie dig into his subconscious feelings.  It’s tough for Charlie, because his memories cause him anguish and pain.  Sometimes he even becomes so frustrated that he bursts into fits of hysteria.  Luckily, he has Miss. Kinnian to help calm him down.       

1.       Ignorance- Lacking in knowledge or understanding.  Some say “ignorance is bliss” because they are happier not knowing about things that may be upsetting.  Ignorance is not always insulting.  It simply means lacking in knowledge.  

2.       Vague- Unclear, fuzzy.   –Like the details from that text that students can’t recall because they didn’t read with Post-It notes or maybe didn’t really read at all.  Charlie’s memory of his childhood is vague, until Dr. Strauss helps him delve into his past. 

3.       Anguish- Pain, suffering, grief.   Charlie feels anguish as he realizes how terrible his how life was as a child.  L

4.       Prime- Major, important, main.  The prime concern for Prof. Nemur is his reputation.  Unfortunately, he cares more about himself than he does for the well being of his patient Charlie.

5.       Specimen- A sample.  Algernon is a specimen that has undergone an experimental procedure to artificially increase his intelligence.   

6.       Platonic—  Brotherly, non-physical, spiritual.  A platonic relationship is one in which two people have a very spiritual, brotherly connection.  It is a bit more meaningful than a common friendship.

7.       Subconscious – Sub means below.  Conscious is awareness.  The word subconscious is a psychological term that refers to the part of our awareness that is happening in our mind of which we are unaware.  A paradox you say?  Did I just blow your mind?  How can we be aware of things that we are unaware of?  What?  Psychology suggests that the “thoughts” in our subconscious mind are happening all the time, and that they come out in our dreams or through therapy.  I’m sorry, we’re out of time.  We’ll have to delve into that more next week.   

8.       Hysteria – Panic or frenzy.  Overly worried.  Sobbing uncontrollably.  Calm down, please.  Don’t panic.   It’s ok.  There’s nothing to be worried about. Just chill.  Put down that knife, Rose.   Matt, a little help here please?  

Flowers for Algernon

Vocabulary Week #2

Anne Frank sat tensely at her desk, writing in her diary with a sense of urgency.  “My thoughts are racing now, war bombers buzz overhead, and I can hear gunfire in the streets.  It makes me sad to think that I could not find it in my stubborn personality to compromise with Mr. Dussel on time shared in the bedroom.  He treats me as though I’m some inferior child that lacks the intellectual capability to understand what’s happening in this crazy world!  While Hitler commits systematic genocide out there, I’m in here left to navigate the moral dilemmas of my family through my intimations in this grand diary.  Oh Kitty, how I wish the adults could see me for who I really am.  -And how I wish that my perception of the world were easier to convey.  Thank goodness, the acquisition of this diary has made life in the Annex much more bearable.” 

1.   1.    Systematic—Methodical, organized, orderly, efficient.  The word systematic is a form of the word system.  Things that function in a system are usually orderly, organized, and methodical.  For instance, the water cycle is a systematic environmental process in which water evaporates and precipitates. 

  

2.       Urgency—Importance, necessity.  An emergency responder, like a paramedic or firefighter, will move with a sense of urgency to get to the victim quickly.  A supervisor might send an email marked “Urgent” –which means you should open it right away and read it carefully!   

3.       Intellectual—Cerebral, brainy, academic, a thinker.   “Charlie Gordon will continue to strengthen his intellectual capabilities, the more he studies.”  “Charlie thinks that the college kids are such intellectuals, because they like to talk about politics, philosophy, and religion.”  

4.       Compromise—To meet halfway.  A cooperative agreement.  A compromise occurs when two sides cannot agree (hopefully).  To solve the problem, both sides give up a little for the sake of making an arrangement or agreement.  Friends often compromise when they are making plans, so that everyone has a good time.   

5.       Acquisition—To acquire, gain, obtain.  When someone makes an acquisition, they are coming in to possession of something they did not previously have.  This could be something physical –“She congratulated me on my recent acquisition of a new sports car!”  Or something abstract: -“Each new song learn on my guitar is an acquisition for my repertoire.”     

6.       Moral- Ethical, fair, decent.  Charlie will face moral obstacles in the story:  Should he tell Mr. Donner that Gimpy steals from the bakery?  -Or should he protect Gimpy, because he is a friend?   Our sense of morality is our sense of what is ethically right or wrong.   

7.       7. Perception—Awareness, insight, view.   Our perception is the way WE see things. Sometimes our perception is very different from someone else’s view.  For Charlie, his perception of reality will change, as his awareness grows. 

8.       8. Inferior –Lesser, lower.  To be inferior would mean that someone is lower in status, rank, etc. than someone else.  To feel inferior is to feel that you are not as good as someone else.  Nobody should ever be made to feel this way.