Kaity summarizer

In the first couple chapters you get an overview of Francie Nolan's life. A girl who lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn where she is poor and explains about her mother Katie Nolan and her brother Neeley Nolan. Her mother scrubs the floors in their apartment building and her father Johnny is a drunk. She also talks about how coffee is a luxury in there household and they get three cups a day with milk. Francie dosent like it, but her mother gives it to her anyway because she said its good for poor people to waste things sometimes. She goes to the library in the second chapter and decsribes it as "old and shabby", but still brings back book sand reads them on her fire escape. She sits there and observes her neighbors Frank, Bob, and Flossie Gaddis.

World Watcher

Chapter 39

Pg.324
Impertinent-(adj.) intrusive or presumptuous, as persons or their actions; insolently rude; uncivil.
Sentence- The room was silent until the impertinent boy intruded the silence.

• Betty Smith used the word impertinent to show how someone can get into much trouble if impertinence was projected. During the time period, teachers were very strict and do not pardon impertinent acts from the students.

Pg.330
Contrite-(adj) filled with a sense of guilt and the desire for atonement; penitent.
Sentence- After Chris lost Hinda's priceless necklace, he apologized with contrite.

• The word contrite helps explain the tone of Francie when she realizes the burden her mother carries. It shows Francie's sincerity and her sympathy for her mother.

Pg.396

Genuflect- to bend the knee or touch one knee to the floor in reverence or worship; to express a servile attitude.

Sentence- All the people at the church genuflect themselves to God.

Word Watcher

Chapter 38

Pg.306
Grievous-(adj.) causing grief or great sorrow.
Sentence- The death of his mother was too grievous for him to handle.

Pg.313
Garnish-(verb.) to provide or supply with something ornamental; adorn; decorate.
Sentence- The wedding room was plain and dull, so he garnished it with lavish decorations.

Word Watcher

Chapter 21

Pg.165
Poignancy-(noun.) intensity, emotion.
Sentence- The girl showed much poignancy when her team fought back to win the game.

Chapter 27

Pg.201
Surreptitious-(adj.) obtained, done, made, etc., by stealth; secret or unauthorized; clandestine.
Sentence- The boy was able to steal the toy by using his surreptitious mind.

• Betty Smith used the word surreptitious to show the way some people obtain the things they need. Hence, we can tell that during this time period, poverty forced people to treachery.

Chapter 29

Pg.222
Haggard-(adj.) having a gaunt, wasted, or exhausted appearance, as from prolonged suffering, exertion, or anxiety; worn.
Sentence- She was a haggard, never willing to accomplish any work.

• Gussie was obsessed with his mother's breast milk, and by using the word haggard, it clarifies how much Gussie needs his breast milk.

Pg.222
Deprivation-dispossession; loss.
Sentence- The girl finally gets her toy after a long duration of deprivation.

• This word is used to show the frustration Gussie had after not having breast milk for so long. It seemed to be that Betty Smith made it seem like Gussie was a addict for breast milk.
  

Word Watcher

Chapter 13

Pg.110
Impotence-(noun.) feebleness, helplessness, infirmity, powerlessness.
Sentence- The little girl was hopeless, she cried in her impotence.

• The word impotence show the frustration of Francie when she can't handle the fact that other kids are mocking her parents. This shows Francie expressing emotion, which she will do more further in the novel.

Pg.113
Grotesque-(adj.) odd or unnatural in shape, appearance, or character; fantastically ugly or absurd; bizarre.
Sentence- The boy is grotesque when he began to show his ugly side.

• Betty Smith uses the word grotesque in order to describe the way kids were back in the 1900s.
  

Chapter 19

Pg.152
Recalcitrant-(adj.) resisting authority or control; not obedient or compliant; refractory.
Sentence- The boys at school are recalcitrant, never obeying the regulations of the school.

Word Watcher

Chapter 9

Pg.88
Beguile-(verb.) to take away from by cheating or deceiving.
Sentence- The smart man was able to beguile his stolen money back.

• Sissy was able to beguile the man into letting her open a charge account until Saturday payday. From this we can tell that during the early 1900s people were easier to bargain with and store owners will let you slip once in a while if you didn't have money. Betty Smith used this word to show how close the community was and how everyone lets people get away with things a couple of times.

Chapter 11

Pg.101
Celibacy-(noun.) abstention from sexual relations.
Sentence- Fiona promised celibacy until marriage.

Chapter 13

Pg.109
Begat-(noun.) genealogical lists, esp. those in the Old Testament.
Sentence- I read the begat to my son before bed.

• The word begat can tell us that religion was very important in Francie's life and also a major culture during the 1900s.
  

Word Watcher

Chapter 7

Pg.62
Limpid-(adj.) free from obscurity; lucid; clear.
Sentence- The teacher was great, she was very limpid and I had no trouble understanding her.

• By using the word limpid, we get a further description of Mary Rommely, Francie's grandmother. Betty Smith was able to describe Mary Rommely has a big impact in Francie's life because of the unique qualities Mary Rommely had.

Ambitious-(adj.) having ambition; eagerly desirous of achieving or obtaining success, power, wealth, a specific goal.
Sentence- He is very intelligent and he is also very ambitious.

• We know that Evy, another Rommely girl, is very eager and always trying to accomplish something.

Chapter 8

Pg.72
Sentimentality-(noun.) the state of being tender in emotions and feelings, as love, pity, or nostalgia.
Sentence- Joshua always shows sentimentality, when he misses his home the most.

• Betty Smith wrote that Francie had Johnny's sentimentality,and through this we know that Francie's family is full of unique people, who possess certain qualities that Francie also shares with.