Vocabulary Week 3

Flowers for Algernon

                                           Vocabulary Week #3

“Sit outside for the next ten hours and sell my peaches,” T-Ray dictated and Lily knew to follow his orders.  Lily knew better than to disobey T-Ray.  But, every now and then, Lily would respond with a witty remark about her mother and how her mother cared for her more than T-Ray ever did.  Of course, such remarks often resulted in a quarrel between the two.  When things really escalated, T-Ray would even make Lily kneel on grits—a severe and deleterious punishment that caused much harm and pain to Lily.  Clearly, Lily did not have a very happy childhood living with T-Ray.   Lily had so much built-up resentment for her father that one day she decided that enough was enough!  She could not deal with T-Ray patronizing her anymore.  Although she had qualms about the future and how she would survive without T-Ray, she knew that running away with Rosaleen would be the best decision that she ever made (even if Rosaleen did sneer and mock her idea).  After Lily ran away, T-Ray searched all over the house for his daughter.  Imagine his face when he realized that his only daughter ran away from him!  Lily definitely affronted her father, but then again, he did deserve it! 

Patronize: To act in a condescending or offensive manner, such as making fun of someone or putting them down.  When you patronize someone, you are considered demeaning and condescending.  For instance, Rosaleen poured snuff on the white man’s shoes because he was patronizing her due to her race.

Witty: A personality trait that describes someone as being amusing, original, sharp, and very clever.  For example, someone asks you, “Did you get your hair cut?”  You respond, “Actually, I got all of them cut!”  This is a witty remark.

Dictate: To give orders.  To say or read something aloud.  To give an authoritative order or a command.  During the Holocaust, Hitler dictated that all the Jewish people be killed or sent to gas champers.

Qualms: A feeling of uneasiness or fear.  Synonyms include worries, doubts, suspicions, or uncertainties.  If one lost his or her job, they will have qualms about the future and how they will support themselves.  If one has not completed any work for the literature circles, they will have qualms about passing the fourth marking period.

Deleterious: Harmful, destructive, lethal, or deadly.  Something that is deleterious will cause great harm.

Affront: A personally offensive act or a display of disrespect.  A synonym for affront is insult.  An affront to the teacher is to yell in the middle of class.  Affront can also be used as a verb, which is to offend someone or embarrass them in some way.  When you affront a person, you upset, insult, or offend them.

Resentment: A hatred or dislike toward something or someone.  It is a feeling of anger or irritation.  The verb of resentment is “resent.”  To resent someone means to dislike someone.  When Algernon keeps beating Charlie at the mazes, Charlie says he hates that mouse, meaning, he resents that mouse.

Quarrel: To have a fight or a disagreement.  To angrily disagree with someone.  Synonyms for the word quarrel are bicker, squabble, and argue.

Sneer: To laugh at or mock.  Sneer has a negative connotation and is associated with making fun of someone.  Sneer and patronize are synonyms.  Both words emphasize the act of belittling and poking fun at another person.

Flowers for Algernon

                                           Vocabulary Week #3

Charlie is becoming more and more annoyed because Professor Nemur and Dr. Strauss continue to treat him like a science experiment, instead of a human being.  They are ignorant to the fact that Charlie was a living person with feelings, even before the surgery.  He might have been a little vacuous minded, but he was still a lovable person.  Although Professor Nemur and Dr. Strauss are very smart and have luminous ideas regarding science, they do not need to be so egotistical when talking to Charlie (I have an inkling that Charlie is probably smarter than both of them combined at this point in the story)!  Charlie even understands the medical jargon that Professor Nemur and Dr. Strauss use from time to time when talking about the experiment!  To let off steam, Charlie tells Alice Kinnian how he feels, and although his behavior towards Alice is a bit erratic, and changing from time to time, he still confides in her and trusts her.  After all, he doesn’t feel that he can trust Professor Nemur and Dr. Strauss.  For all Charlie knows, they may contaminate the whole experiment and put him at risk.  I guess we will see what happens!

Egotistical: When a person is egotistical, they are conceited, arrogant, stuck-up, and think VERY highly of themselves.  Such a person is considered pompous (week 1’s vocabulary word).  Other synonyms include vain, selfish and boastful.  Such people come across as being obsessed with themselves, when in reality, they may not be that important.  The saying, “he/she has a big ego,” means that he or she is egotistical.

Inkling: A hint or a clue.  A slight suggestion or indication.  For instance, the students didn’t have the slightest inkling of what R.A.Q.E. meant before the teachers introduced it.

Erratic: Unpredictable or inconsistent.  Did you ever see two squirrels running up and down a tree?  They move erratically.  You can’t tell which direction they will go.  Therefore, their running is erratic, or random and irregular.

Jargon: Jargon is slang.  It is unintelligible or meaningless talk or writing, also referred to as gibberish.  It is any talk or writing that one does not understand.  However, jargon can also be the language or vocabulary that is used by a particular profession or group of people.  In Flowers for Algernon, there are many examples of medical jargon—words that are associated with the medical field, which only doctors, nurses, scientists, and “smart” Charlie will understand.

Vacuous: Lacking ideas or intelligence, such as a vacuous mind or a vacuous book report.  Vacuous is associated with emptiness and mindlessness.  Other synonyms include blank, dim, and unintelligent.

Contaminate: To taint, infect, or pollute.  When you contaminate something, you infect it.  For instance, the construction workers accidently contaminated the soil by spilling chemicals on the ground.  Dr. Strauss and Professor Nemur were careful not to contaminate any of the experiment or data regarding Charlie’s surgery.

Luminous: Glowing, shining, gleaming.  Luminous is an adjective that describes something as being very bright.  It can also mean brilliance, describing a person’s intelligence.  The scientists operating on Charlie have luminous ideas.  Luminous describes the ideas as brilliant, enlightening, and innovative.

Flowers for Algernon

                                           Vocabulary Week #3

There are 16 words this week:

 Inkling           Luminous           Egotistic              Erratic                Resentment

          Jargon                Vacuous        Contaminate      Patronize            Deleterious

          Witty                   Sneer             Quarrel              Qualm                Affront

          Dictate                                                                                        

                 

STRANGERS	Acquaintances	FRIENDS

Directions: Write a story using 10 words.  Your words must be underlined or highlighted.  Your story must include at least 10 words.  There will be no “re-dos” if you do not follow the directions.

1. Charlie already had his surgery.  His knowledge and intelligence have greatly improved.  Write a letter to Charlie, emphasizing how proud you are of him.  This should be an inspirational letter, in which you give praise to Charlie and commending him for his actions, improvement, and dedication.

2. “The Record” wants to hear about Charlie!  Write a newspaper article about Charlie and the science experiment.  In your article, you can write about Charlie’s past, the present, and what the future holds for Charlie.  Introduce Bergen County to Charlie and explain the long journey that Charlie has experienced.

3. You are Charlie’s sister, Norma.  Chelsea Lately wants to interview you in order to learn more about your brother.  Create an interview with Chelsea Lately.  Include the questions that Chelsea is going to ask, as well as your (Norma’s) responses.