2/14/08 8th

We finished the book today! Tomorrow we will have a review, and we'll take the test on Monday.

You will need to know:

Vocabulary words

omen: a sign of something about to happen
banishment: to be forced to leave a country or place by official decree; exile
elder: of higher rank; senior
smirk: to smile in an affected, smug, or offensively familiar way
feigned: pretended, faked
cowering: To cringe in fear
depositions: law testimony under oath, especially a statement by a witness that is written down or recorded for use in court at a later date
skiff: a small boat
sparse: scarce or few
shrouded: covered
moseyed: walked casually
brandished: to wave or flourish in a threatening manner
moron: a stupid person
sullenly: showing irritation or ill humor by a gloomy silence or reserve
corny: old fashioned or cheesy
smoldering: a very hot flameless fire
barrage: a steady stream
spewing: to expel forcefully
defiant: boldly resisting authority or an opposing force
inferno: an extremely hot fire; hell
stifling: suffocation
slouch: to stoop; stand or sit with bad posture
subside: to lessen
manic: unreasonable enthusiasm
scoff: to show contempt or to mock
arraignment: the charging of a crime in court
illusion: a misleading image or idea
conjure: to call up or summon
taunt: to challenge in a mocking or insulting way
manipulate: to play upon someone to serve one's own purposes
quest: a pursuit or search
skepticism: uncertainty or doubt
incessant: unceasingly or continual
gluttonous: excessiveness in eating or drinking
mauling: beating, bruising, mangling
grimacing: a facial expression showing pain or disapproval
haphazard: random or without order or plan
pummel: to pound or beat
detonated: to explode or set off
vulnerable: open to attach or damage
toy: to play with an idea
defy: to challenge or confront
teem: to abound or become filled to overflowing
stench: stink
ingenuity: inventiveness
irk: to annoy
stifle: to smother, muffle, or repress
orb: a sphere
hectic: excitement and confusion
resignation: to have surrendered or submitted
amble: to walk in a leisurely manner; stroll
saunter: to walk in a leisurely manner; stroll
trancelike: in a state where one is unable to function
ancestry: line of descent, lineage
scour: to search
sarcasm: a sharp type of comment intended to hurt
gingerly: cautiously or carefully
bout: an attack or a period of time spent in a particular way
clan: a group of related people

Literary terms

imagery: painting a picture with words
simile: a comparison between two unlike things using the words like or as
metaphor: a comparison between two unlike things saying one thing is the other
inference: when an author says something indirectly and we guess what was meant based on the clues in the text
irony: a conflict between reality and expectation
foreshadowing: hints of what will happen in the plot of a book, story, movie, etc.
symbolism: an object or idea that has a deeper meaning than its actual self
analogy: a story that has parallel meanings in life

Characters:

Cole Matthews: 15 year old protagonist (main character of the story)
Peter Driscal: 9th grade boy Cole beat up
Edwin: Tlingit elder who helps Cole
Garvey: Cole's probation officer (also Tlingit)
William Matthews: Cole's father
Cindy Matthews: Cole's mother

Symbols:

spirit bear: dignity, honor, pride
a.toow': trust, friendship
hot dog/feast: life is what you make it
sunny sky/cloudy sky: life if what you look for
cake/ingredients: life has good and bad ingredients
stick: anger/joy
Cole's name: coal is black, burns long and hot, and turns into a diamond with time and pressure
totem: you can learn something about yourself from animals
tree in anger dance: Cole, his father, everyone who has ever hurt Cole
circle: any cycle, the world, Cole's need to help the one he hurt, healing, trust, friendship, etc.