love, read, write

So yesterday, mi madre dice, “(My name), lee los libros, PLEASE!” And she said I had to read a classic book (she knows about this goal of mine and its apparent progress, or rather, apparent no-progress).

So now it is ‘assigned’ to me that I must read at least one page of a classic book a day.

One page? Not so bad.

 

I read some yesterday, and it was enjoyable to the aspect that I felt proud that I could understand such long, extensive, complicated texts that had such simple meanings.

For example, Dickens went for a paragraph with long sentences and hard words to just express that Oliver Twist was unable to breathe when he was first born.

My, ohmy, ohmy, ohmy.

So here I am, about to read a page of a classic book. So proud.

CHAPTER 1-

I read this yesterday. Just going to write down the hard words that I didn’t know and had to look up. (Hey, I have a small range of vocabulary for a person my age, so don’t be surprised if I don’t know a word that is academically equivalent to a word such as ‘hello’ or ‘cheese’ or ‘happy.’)

prudent (I knew what it meant, only I forgot)- careful in providing for the future.
Okay Actually I didn’t underline the words that I didn’t know, and I don’t want to re-read it and re-look it up. So too bad.

Chapter 2- Treats of Oliver Twist’s growth, education, and board.
domicile[d]- established in a home
impart- to give; to bestow
consolation- to make the person feel better by comfort and whatnot I don’t know don’t expect me to be a dictionary.
magnanimously- high-mindedly; nobly; generously
stipend- salary
consign- to entrust
parochial- relating to parishes
inadvertently- unintentionally
remonstrance- the act of protesting forcefully (to remonstrate- to protest forcefully)
impertinence- unmannerly intrusion or presumption; insolence.
diminutive- small, little, tiny
choleric- extremely irritable or easily angered; irascible
mollify- to soften in feeling or temper
stipendiary- receiving a stipend; performing services fro regular pay.
vindicate- to clear, as from an accusation, imputation, suspicion, or the like.
engender- to produce, cause, or give rise to
complacently- in a pleased manner

oakum- a loose fiber obtained by untwisting and picking apart old ropes, used for caulking the seams of ships. (Oliver had to pick these.)
sage- adj. wise, judicious, or prudent.
mortar- a mixture of lime or cement or a combination of both with sand and water, used as a bonding agent between bricks, stones, etc. In the book, Dickens’ writes:

“It was a regular place of public entertainment for the poorer classes; a tavern where there was nothing to pay; a public breakfast, dinner, tea, and supper all the year round; a brick and mortar elysium, where it was all play and no work (Dickens, 12).”

Elysium- any place or state of perfect happiness; paradise.
voracious- craving or consuming large quantities of food
        (or exceedingly eager or avid definition fits, too)
per diem- by the day; for each day

temerity- reckless boldness; rashness
pinion- to bind (a person’s arms or hands) so they cannot be used
conclave- an assembly or gathering; a meeting.
C: I know what countenance means! (:::::
allot- to divide or distribute by share or portion; distribute or parcel out; apportion