Literary Analysis #5

Collaboration is key with Alex 
Call of the Wild


GENERAL
1. Brief summary:
This is a story of a dog that gets taken from his home and put to work on a sled dog team. He goes through a few owners, becomes stronger and stronger, then an owner he actually liked and respected gets killed by natives, so he kills all the natives and ascends into a more legendary status.

2. Theme:

One of the themes of this novel is that humanity is frail and subject to fall. It can also be said that the government can control the masses through a combination of drugging and brainwashing. Also, it displays how beautiful chaos is and how if we try to control every aspect of our humanity we will lose it.

3. Tone:
The tone of the novel tends to be trying for shock value. Huxley describes second grade aged children experimenting sexually, and then goes on to have characters react to it as if it is not an unusual thing. It is, in fact, expected. Also, many things, including the title of the book are references to Shakespeare

CHARACTERIZATION 1. Direct/Indirect
The author uses direct characterization to tell the reader that Buck was 140 pounds, and the son of a Scotch Shepherd and a St. Bernard and other trivial information like that, but later, the author uses indirect characterization to show the changes Buck goes through. He also uses indirect to describe Buck's love for John.

2. Syntax/Diction
Most of the time, when discussing characters, the author seems much more excited. The environment is kind of dull to read about in this book.

3.Static/Dynamic
The protagonist is dynamic and round. He changes throughout the story by becoming more savage and brave. He is round in that he is wild and kills people as well as brave and courageous and strong.

4. After reading do you feel like you me a character:
I feel that actual dogs are not as intelligent as these dogs from the story. So, no, I feel that these dogs were abnormal and that i would never meet a dog that did so much.

Thinking Outside the Box

Plato's allegory is an extended metaphor in the sense that it is comparing hell to our society. We as people choose to stay with the status quo and do what we are told, how we are told, when we are told in order to get the best "grade" or "outcome". The problem with is that you treat all people the same and evaluate them all the same and nobody expresses any individuality. Sartre uses a more literal form of hell being the room and their close minded thinking led them to continuously torture each other for eternity however if they were to overcome their initial judgements of each other according to Garcin they could be redeemed."Hell is other people." This implies that our limitations are within other people. We allow other people to limit us. Unfortunately none of the characters were able to help each other escape hell because they couldn't overcome their own ignorance.  Sartre's version of hell was hell because it was very monotonous and the environment never changed. This was similar to Plato's in that the prisoner's never saw beyond the shadows. Both provide versions of hell but in the cave help comes from the outside and one is able to overcome hell and escape providing they had an open mind. In the room because there is no way out and you cannot close your eyes i believe once they overcome their own insecurity and can live with what they have done that will provide them with according to Plato a way out. This is what jail should be like leaving people to reflect on what they have done and torture their mind. However, inmates now are arguable better off then those without jobs.

Allegory of the Cve Sonnet

Living so silently in the shadows
Too blind and frightened to pursue the truth
Their ignorance is pathetic and it shows
Until one day a young and reckless youth

Breaks free from the influenced shackles
Leaving him to follow the bright sunlight
Perceptive takes over as his eyes sparkle
Now a guide to bring all the gift of light

We must adapt to the reality
That was found outside the shadowy cave
He wants to share its practicality
Without the truth all lives are left to slave

Leaving the cave was no minor mistake
Knowledge is power that we need to awake

Literature Analysis #4

A Christmas Carol

GENERAL
1.Brief summary:
It has been seven years since the death of Scrooge's business partner, Jacob Marley. Scrooge refuses to donate any money to the poor, he refuses to visit his cousin Fred, and the only reason he allows Bob Cratchit the day off with pay is because it's customary. He is visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley. Jacob tries to warn Scrooge that if he doesn't change his ways, he will be stuck in misery and torment in the afterlife. Scrooge will now be visited by three ghosts: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. The Ghost of Christmas Past shows just how happy Scrooge was in his younger years, and how his increasing love for money caused him to alienate his love, Belle,  and to become more and more coldhearted, to the point where he's a shell of his former self. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge many different people celebrating Christmas, such as the marketplace, but most importantly, of Bob Cratchit and his family. Scrooge also takes note of Tiny Tim, and how he's sick, but can't be cured because Bob's pay is so low. Finally, he is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. The Ghost shows Scrooge the death of Tiny Tim, and how, when Scrooge dies, no one attends to his funeral, and how his house woman has stolen some of his belongings to sell them. Scrooge is also shown how his grave is the only one left unattended. This prompts Scrooge to vow to change his ways, which he does. He donates a turkey to the Cratchits, he visits his nephew Fred, and he donates money to the poor. The story ends with Scrooge completely changed as a person.

2.Theme:
The theme of the novel is: redemption and kindness. As is shown with Scrooge, it doesn't matter how much of jerk you are. If you can set your mind straight, and put your heart to it, you can redeem yourself. And that redemption will bring more happiness than money ever will. Which also leads to kindness: Scrooge was at his happiest when he was helping others, and enjoying life. He was at his worst when his focus was on money, and nothing else. Thus, money is the root of all evil.

3. Author's Tone:
The author's tone changes based on which ghost is present. From the beginning all the way up to the Ghost of Christmas Past, the tone is very somber, very melancholy. The Ghost of Christmas Past is much more sorrowful, much more nostalgic. The Ghost of Christmas Present is jovial, happy. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is foreboding, ominous. The ending is very happy, very light.

4.Ten Literary Elements
Pathos - Tiny Tim is the embodiment of pathos. We have a small, innocent, happy kid who preaches forgiveness, yet is sick and dying. Simply put, if you aren't moved by Tiny Tim, then you have no soul. And as we saw with Scrooge, he still has a soul. Tiny Tim is what allows him to break away from his shell.
Symbolism - For Jacob Marley, we have a man who is held together with "cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel". In short, we have a man who is chained together. This is supposed to signify what happens to those in the afterlife who do not do good deeds. That those who do bad deeds will be chained by them in the afterlife. Another example is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. He is foreboding, dark, and we don't see his face. He is like a shadow. This symbolizes how the future is a dark and mysterious place. However, as evidenced by his lack of face, it doesn't have to be that way. We can change the future.
Foreshadow - First, we have the mention of Marley, and how it's been seven years since his death. Coincidentally, Marley shows up to pay Scrooge a visit. Then we have the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, a man who portends to Scrooge what will happen if he doesn't change his ways.
Allegory - This novel, to put it succinctly, is an allegory of the Golden Rule "Treat others the way you want to be treated." and all about giving rather than receiving. It demonstrates the power that love and kindness can have on an individual and the community as a whole.
Irony - The Ghost of Christmas Present, by using Scrooges words against him, demonstrates to him how wrong and ignorant they are. By using "Are there no workhouses?" and "If they would rather die, they better do it..." as verbal irony, he shows Scrooge how wrong he is, and allows for Scrooge to start changing as a person.

CHARACTERIZATION
1. Direct/Indirect
Direct characterization: Scrooge is "a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner..." (pg. 1) and "Marley's face...had a dismal light about it..."
Indirect characterization "'If they would rather die,' said Scrooge, 'they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.'" and "'The Founder of the Feast indeed!' cried Mrs Cratchit, reddening. 'I wish I had [Scrooge] here. I'd give him a piece of my mind to feast upon, and I hope he'd have a good appetite for it.'"
Part of the reason Dickens switches between direct and indirect is based on the situation at hand. For example, there is a much larger impact when Scrooge says "If they would rather die, they better do it..." as opposed to Dickens simply writing "And Scrooge found the poor undesirable and useless..." Another example is Mrs. Cratchit. What she says has a much larger impact on Scrooge and the audience as opposed to Dickens simply stating "Mrs. Cratchit had a strong dislike of Scrooge." This also allows for a greater showing when it comes to the evolution of Scrooge, as now what he says directly contradicts his earlier statements, which supports the concept that Scrooge has indeed changed as a person.

2. Syntax/Diction
The author's syntax does not change. It's constant. Dickens, at least with A Christmas Carol, writes succinctly. The novel itself is very short, so there isn't much room for Dickens to start changing things up. Also, the focus of the story is its message, how it's an allegory to the "spirit of Christmas". As such, changing syntax or diction based on whether or not he is focusing on Scrooge is irrelevant to Dickens.

3.Static/Dynamic
Scrooge is, for obvious reasons, is a round, dynamic character. At the beginning of his life, he is an innocent, carefree man who tries to enjoy himself. However, as he gets older, his love of money triumphs over his love of life. He becomes more despicable, more miserly. He becomes a "Scrooge". At the twilight of his life, though, things change. Because Jacob Marley and the three Ghosts visit Scrooge, he is able to change his ways. Now he is kind. Now he is giving. Now he is the embodiment of the spirit of Christmas.

4. After reading do you feel like you me a character:
I would say I came off reading a character. Now, that's not bad or anything, but it is what it is. Scrooge seems like a tool, a means to an end. His change is so quick that it almost seems unreal. In the span of eight hours, he transforms from a "Scrooge" to the embodiment of Christmas. As such, he seems less human, and more of a character in a novel. Someone you might mention, yet never really talk about.

Plato's Allegory of the Cave

1.According to Plato it represents being held back from reaching the light.

2.The prisoners and their chains, fire , shadows of puppets moved by actors on the wall of cave, as well as the reflections of things in water.

3.I believe the people had ideas but they simply didn't have the technology to prosper.They were also afraid to question things that were suppose to be "true".

4.It seemed as if they liked it. The cave could symbolize everyday boring life.Everything inside the cave is unenlightened but once you step out that's when enlightenment occurs.

5.I believe that as one of the most powerful nations, (USA), it's mind shackling that as we are slowly decreasing in power that we remain at peace. I know that sounds intense and brutal but to increase in power and we need to take control of resources, then trade with other countries, as well as bring back the goods to the USA. Just as Great Britain did way back when and they still get resources from places like India and Africa.

6.The freed prisoners were the ones that weren't afraid. Unlike the prisoners chained to the cave.

7.One way of lacking clarity is simply not knowing what you don’t know(if that makes sense) and intellectual confusion by trying to tell someone about what you know but them not understanding because they are stuck in what they only know.

8.Plato is basically saying that we need to make the journey to true knowledge and those who get a glimpse of it will either embrace it or not.

9.Yes, i agree and it has to do with our subconscious. When you experience something it's reality but your mind can flow else and create its opinions.The end and final result is the individual's self realization towards the reality conceived and the brain thoughts find the truth believed to be hidden or under-lined.

10. This question has stumped me... And my parents...

Vocabulary #'s 1-11 (extra credit)

aberration - (noun) an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good image; a disorder in one's mental state; a state or condition markedly different from the norm
abeyance - noun temporary cessation or suspension
abortive - adj. failing to accomplish an intended result

acerbity - noun a sharp sour taste; a sharp bitterness; a rough and bitter manner
acumen - noun a tapering point; shrewdness shown by keen insight

accolade - noun a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction

Ad hoc- (adverb) for the special purpose or end presently under consideration

adjudicate - verb bring to an end; settle conclusively; put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the trial of
adumbrate - verb give to understand; describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of
affinity - noun a natural attraction or feeling of kinship; inherent resemblance between persons or things; the force attracting atoms to each other and binding them together in a molecule;(immunology) the attraction between an antigen and an antibody; a close connection marked by community of interests or similarity in nature or character; (biology) state of relationship between organisms or groups of organisms resulting in resemblance in structure or structural parts; (anthropology) kinship by marriage or adoption; not a blood relationship
aficionado - noun a serious devotee of some particular music genre or musical performer; a fan of bull fighting
ambivalent - adj. uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow
anachronism - noun an artifact that belongs to another time; a person who seems to be displaced in time; who belongs to another age; something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred

apocryphal - adj. being of questionable authenticity; of or belonging to the Apocrypha

apogee - noun apoapsis in Earth orbit; the point in its orbit where a satellite is at the greatest distance from the Earth; a final climactic stage
apostate - adj. not faithful to religion or party or cause; noun a disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc.

apotheosis - noun the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god); model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
apropos - adj. of an appropriate or pertinent nature; adv. by the way; at an opportune time
ascetic - adj. practicing great self-denial; pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous self-discipline; noun someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
attrition - noun the act of rubbing togeter; wearing something down by friction; a wearing down to weaken or destroy; sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation; the wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water or wind or ice; erosion by frictionh
bane - (noun) something causes misery or death
bathos - (noun) triteness or triviality of style; a change from a serious subject to a disappointing one; insincere pathos

bauble - noun a mock scepter carried by a court jester; cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing
beatitude - noun one of the eight sayings of Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount; in Latin each saying begins with `beatus' (blessed); a state of supreme happiness

beguile - verb attract; cause to be enamored; influence by slyness
beleaguer - verb surround so as to force to give up; annoy persistently
bete noire- noun someone or something which is particularly disliked or avoided; an object of aversion, the bane of one’s existence

bicker - noun a quarrel about petty points; verb argue over petty things
bilious - adj. suffering from or suggesting a liver disorder or gastric distress; relating to or containing bile; irritable as if suffering from indigestion
bode - verb indicate by signs

bravado - noun a swaggering show of courage

bromide - noun any of the salts of hydrobromic acid; formerly used as a sedative but now generally replaced by safer drugs; a trite or obvious remark
browbeat - verb discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate; be bossy towards
bruit - verb tell or spread rumors
Burgeon- verb grow and flourish
cantankerous - (adj.) having a difficult and contrary disposition; stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate
carte blanche - noun complete freedom or authority to act
casuistry - (noun) moral philosophy based on the application of general ethical principles to resolve moral dilemmas; argumentation that is specious or excessively subtle and intended to be misleading
cataclysm - noun an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; a sudden violent change in the earth's surface
chauvinist - noun an extreme bellicose nationalist; a person with a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his or her own kind
chronic - adj. being long-lasting and recurrent or characterized by long suffering
coalesce - verb fuse or cause to grow together; mix together different elements
cognate - adj. having the same ancestral language; related by blood; related in nature; noun a word is cognate with another if both derive from the same word in an ancestral language; one related by blood or origin; especially on sharing an ancestor with another
commensurate - adj. corresponding in size or degree or extent
complement - noun something added to complete or make perfect;either of two parts that mutually complete each other; a word or phrase used to complete a grammatical construction; number needed to make up a whole force; a complete number or quantity;one of a series of enzymes in the blood serum that are part of the immune response; verb make complete or perfect; supply what is wanting or form the complement to
consensus - noun agreement in the judgment or opinion reached by a group as a whole

contretemps - noun an awkward clash
contumacious - adj. wilfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient
contumelious - adj. arrogantly insolent
convolution - noun the action of coiling or twisting or winding together; a convex fold or elevation in the surface of the brain; the shape of something rotating rapidly
corollary - noun (logic) an inference that follows directly from the proof of another proposition; a practical consequence that follows naturally
cul de sac - noun a street with only one way in or out; a passage with access only at one end
cull - noun the person or thing that is rejected or set aside as inferior in quality; verb remove something that has been rejected;look for and gather
curmudgeon - noun a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas
dank - adj. unpleasantly cool and humid
debauch - noun a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity; verb corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
de facto - (noun) in fact; in reality
depredation - (noun) an act of plundering and pillaging and marauding; (usually plural) a destructive action
derring-do - noun brave and heroic deeds
diaphanous - adj. so thin as to transmit light
dichotomy - noun being twofold; a classification into two opposed parts or subclasses
dictum - noun an authoritative declaration; an opinion voiced by a judge on a point of law not directly bearing on the case in question and therefore not binding
didactic - adj. instructive (especially excessively)
disingenuous - adj. not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness
disparate - adj. including markedly dissimilar elements;fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind
disparity - noun inequality or difference in some respect

dissimulate - verb hide (feelings) from other people
divination - noun the art or gift of prophecy (or the pretense of prophecy) by supernatural means; successful conjecture by unusual insight or good luck; a prediction uttered under divine inspiration

dogmatic - adj. characterized by assertion of unproved or unprovable principles; relating to or involving dogma; of or pertaining to or characteristic of a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
eclat - noun brilliant or conspicuous success or effect; ceremonial elegance and splendor; enthusiastic approval
ecumenical - adj. of worldwide scope or applicability; concerned with promoting unity among churches or religions

effusive - adj. extravagantly demonstrative; uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm
elixir - noun a substance believed to cure all ills; a sweet flavored liquid (usually containing a small amount of alcohol) used in compounding medicines to be taken by mouth in order to mask an unpleasant taste; a hypothetical substance that the alchemists believed to be capable of changing base metals into gold
emolument - noun compensation received by virtue of holding an office or having employment (usually in the form of wages or fees)

empathy - (noun) understanding and entering into another's feelings 
empirical - adj. derived from experiment and observation rather than theory; relying on medical quackery
ensconce - verb fix firmly

euphoria - noun a feeling of great (usually exaggerated) elation

exculpate - verb pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
expound - verb add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing; state
factionalism. noun refers to arguments or disputes among two or more small groups within a larger group 
fastidious - adj. giving careful attention to detail; hard to please; excessively concerned with cleanliness; having complicated nutritional requirements; especially growing only in special artificial cultures
faux pas - noun social mishap, party foul
fervid - adj. extremely hot; characterized by intense emotion
fetid - adj. offensively malodorous

flamboyant - adj. richly and brilliantly colorful; elaborately or excessively ornamented; noun showy tropical tree or shrub native to Madagascar; widely planted in tropical regions for its immense racemes of scarlet and orange flowers; sometimes placed in genus Poinciana
folderol - noun nonsensical talk or writing
foray - noun an initial attempt (especially outside your usual areas of competence); a sudden short attack; verb briefly enter enemy territory; steal goods; take as spoils

fulminate - noun a salt or ester of fulminic acid; verb cause to explode violently and with loud noise; come on suddenly and intensely; criticize severely
fulsome - adj. unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech

fustian - noun a strong cotton and linen fabric with a slight nap;pompous or pretentious talk or writing
gambol - noun gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement; verb play boisterously
gargantuan - adj. of great mass; huge and bulky
gamut - noun a complete extent or range: "a face that expressed a gamut of emotions"; the entire scale of musical notes

gothic - adj. characterized by gloom and mystery and the grotesque; of or relating to the Goths; of or relating to the language of the ancient Goths;characteristic of the style of type commonly used for printing German; as if belonging to the Middle Ages; old-fashioned and unenlightened; noun a style of architecture developed in northern France that spread throughout Europe between the 12th and 16th centuries; characterized by slender vertical piers and counterbalancing buttresses and by vaulting and pointed arches; a heavy typeface in use from 15th to 18th centuries; extinct East Germanic language of the ancient Goths; the only surviving record being fragments of a 4th-century translation of the Bible by Bishop Ulfilas
genre - noun a class of art (or artistic endeavor) having a characteristic form or technique; a kind of literary or artistic work; an expressive style of music; a style of expressing yourself in writing

harbinger - (noun) an indication of the approach of something or someone; verb foreshadow or presage
hauteur - noun overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors
hedonism - (noun) an ethical system that evaluates the pursuit of pleasure as the highest good; the pursuit of pleasure as a matter of ethical principle
heyday - noun the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
hoi polloi - noun the common people, the massesineffable - adj. too sacred to be uttered; defying expression or description
homily - noun a sermon on a moral or religious topic
iconoclastic - adj. destructive of images used in religious worship; said of religions, such as Islam, in which the representation of living things is prohibited;characterized by attack on established beliefs or institutions
imbue - verb suffuse with color; fill, soak, or imbue totally; spread or diffuse through

immaculate - adj. completely neat and clean; free from stain or blemish; without fault or error

immolate - verb offer as a sacrifice by killing or by giving up to destruction
immure - verb lock up or confine, in or as in a jail

impasse - noun a street with only one way in or out; a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible
imperceptible - adj. impossible or difficult to perceive by the mind or senses

imprecation - noun the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult); a slanderous accusation
inchoate - adj. only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
in medias res - into the middle of things  
incubus - noun a male demon believed to lie on sleeping persons and to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; someone who depresses or worries others; a situation resembling a terrifying dream

ineluctable - adj. impossible to avoid or evade:"inescapable conclusion"
infrastructure - noun the stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area; the basic structure or features of a system or organization

inhibit - verb limit the range or extent of; to put down by force or authority
insouciant - adj. marked by blithe unconcern
internecine - adj. characterized by bloodshed and carnage for both sides; (of conflict) within a group or organization
inveigle - verb influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

jeremiad - noun a long and mournful complaint
kudos - noun an expression of approval and commendation

lackey - noun a male servant (especially a footman); a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage

lackluster - (adj.) lacking luster or shine; lacking brilliance or vitality
lagniappe - noun a small gift (especially one given by a merchant to a customer who makes a purchase)
lampoon - noun a composition that imitates somebody's style in a humorous way; verb ridicule with satire

liaison - noun a channel for communication between groups; a usually secretive or illicit sexual relationship

licentious - adj. lacking moral discipline; especially sexually unrestrained
lucubration - noun laborious cogitation; a solemn literary work that is the product of laborious cogitation
lugubrious - adj. excessively mournful
maladroit - adj. doesn't do well under stressful conditions

malcontent - (adj.) discontented as toward authority; noun a person who is discontented or disgusted
malleable - adj. capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out;easily influenced
matrix - noun mold used in the production of phonograph records, type, or other relief surface; the formative tissue at the base of a nail; the body substance in which tissue cells are embedded; a rectangular array of elements (or entries) set out by rows and columns; an enclosure within which something originates or develops (from the Latin for womb)
maudlin - adj. effusively or insincerely emotional
mellifluous - (adj.) pleasing to the ear

mercurial - adj. relating to or containing or caused by mercury;relating to or having characteristics (eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, thievishness) attributed to the god Mercury; relating to or under the (astrological) influence of the planet Mercury; liable to sudden unpredictable change
metamorphosis - noun a complete change of physical form or substance especially as by magic or witchcraft; the marked and rapid transformation of a larva into an adult that occurs in some animals; a striking change in appearance or character or circumstances

mete - noun a line that indicates a boundary
mnemonic - adj. of or relating to or involved the practice of aiding the memory; noun a device (such as a rhyme or acronym) used to aid recall
modulate - verb vary the frequency, amplitude, phase, or other characteristic of (electromagnetic waves); adjust the pitch, tone, or volume of; change the key of, in music; fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of; vary the pitch of one's speech
monolithic - adj. characterized by massiveness and rigidity and total uniformity; imposing in size or bulk or solidity

mot juste - noun the approprite word or expression

mystique - noun an aura of heightened value or interest or meaning surrounding a person or thing
nemesis - noun (Greek mythology) the goddess of divine retribution and vengeance; something causes misery or death

nepotism - (noun) favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs)
nihilism - noun a revolutionary doctrine that advocates destruction of the social system for its own sake; complete denial of all established authority and institutions; the delusion that things (or everything, including the self) do not exist; a sense that everything is unreal

non sequitur - a conclusion not based logically on evidence, not based on premise

noxious - adj. injurious to physical or mental health
obloquy - noun state of disgrace resulting from public abuse; a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions
obsequious - adj. attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner;attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery

opportunist - adj. taking immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit; noun a person who places expediency above principle
opt - verb select as an alternative; choose instead; prefer as an alternative
palliate - verb provide physical relief, as from pain; lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of

pander - (noun) someone who procures customers for whores (in England they call a pimp a ponce); verb arrange for sexual partners for others; yield (to); give satisfaction to
panache - noun a feathered plume on a helmet; distinctive and stylish elegance
parameter - noun a constant in the equation of a curve that can be varied to yield a family of similar curves; a quantity (such as the mean or variance) that characterizes a statistical population and that can be estimated by calculations from sample data; any factor that defines a system and determines (or limits) its performance
parlous - adj. fraught with danger
patrician - adj. of the hereditary aristocracy or ruling class of ancient Rome or medieval Europe; of honorary nobility in the Byzantine empire; belonging to or characteristic of the nobility or aristocracy; noun a person of refined upbringing and manners; a member of the aristocracy
peccadillo - (noun) a petty misdeed
persona - noun (Jungian psychology) a personal facade that one presents to the world; an actor's portrayal of someone in a play
piece de resistance - (noun) the most noteworthy or prized feature, aspect, event, article, etc., of a series or group; special item or attraction.
philippic - noun a speech of violent denunciation
philistine - adj. of or relating to ancient Philistia or the culture of the Philistines; smug and ignorant and indifferent or hostile to artistic and cultural values; noun a member of an Aegean people who settled ancient Philistia around the 12th century BC; a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits
picaresque - adj. involving clever rogues or adventurers especially as in a type of fiction

polemic - adj. of or involving dispute or controversy; noun a controversy (especially over a belief or dogma); a writer who argues in opposition to others (especially in theology)
populous - adj. densely populated
portentous - adj. of momentous or ominous significance; puffed up with vanity; ominously prophetic
prescience - noun the power to foresee the future
probity - noun complete and confirmed integrity; having strong moral principles
prolix - adj. tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at great length
propitiate - verb make peace with

protege - noun a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protege's career

protocol - noun code of correct conduct; forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats and heads of state; (computer science) rules determining the format and transmission of data
prototype - noun a standard or typical example
prurient - adj. characterized by lust

punctilio - noun strict observance of formalities; a fine point of etiquette or petty formality
pundit - noun someone who has been admitted to membership in a scholarly field

quagmire - noun a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot
queasy - adj. causing or fraught with or showing anxiety; feeling nausea; feeling about to vomit; causing or able to cause nausea
quid pro quo - noun something for something; that which a party receives (or is promised) in return for something he does or gives or promises
quixotic - adj. not sensible about practical matters; unrealistic
raconteur - noun a person skilled in telling anecdotes

remand - (noun) the act of sending an accused person back into custody to await trial (or the continuation of the trial); verb refer (a matter or legal case) to another committee or authority or court for decision; lock up or confine, in or as in a jail
risible - adj. arousing or provoking laughter
sic - adv. intentionally so written (used after a printed word or phrase); verb urge a dog to attack someone
refractory - adj. temporarily unresponsive or not fully responsive to nervous or sexual stimuli; not responding to treatment; stubbornly resistant to authority or control; noun lining consisting of material with a high melting point; used to line the inside walls of a furnace

repartee - noun adroitness and cleverness in reply
resplendent - adj. having great beauty and splendor
sacrosanct - adj. must be kept sacred
salubrious - adj. favorable to health of mind or body; promoting health; healthful
saturnalian - Of unrestrained and intemperate jollity; riotously merry; dissolute.
savoir-faire - noun social skill
sine qua non - something essential, irreplaceable

stigmatize - verb mark with a stigma or stigmata; to accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful

sub rosa - adv in secret, privately

supervene - verb take place as an additional or unexpected development

sublimate - adj. made pure; noun the product of vaporization of a solid; verb direct energy or urges into useful activities; vaporize and then condense right back again; change or cause to change directly from a solid into a vapor without first melting; remove impurities from, increase the concentration of, and separate through the process of distillation; make more subtle or refined

sycophant - noun a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
symptomatic - adj. relating to or according to or affecting a symptom or symptoms; characteristic or indicative of e.g. a disease
syndrome- (noun) a complex of concurrent things; a pattern of symptoms indicative of some disease
systemic - adj. affecting an entire system

tautology - noun useless repetition; (logic) a statement that is necessarily true
tendentious - adj. having or marked by a strong tendency especially a controversial one
touchstone - noun a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated
traumatic - adj. psychologically painful; "few experiences are more traumatic than losing a child"; of or relating to a physical injury or wound to the body

truckle - noun a low bed to be slid under a higher bed; verb yield to out of weakness; try to gain favor by cringing or flattering
truncate - adj. terminating abruptly by having or as if having an end or point cut off; verb make shorter as if by cutting off; approximate by ignoring all terms beyond a chosen one; replace a corner by a plane

unconscionable - adj. greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation; lacking a conscience
unimpeachable - adj. beyond doubt or reproach; completely acceptable; not open to exception or reproach; free of guilt; not subject to blame
vainglory - noun outspoken conceit
vendetta - noun a feud in which members of the opposing parties murder each other
vestige - noun an indication that something has been present
vicissitude - noun mutability in life or nature (especially successive alternation from one condition to another); a variation in circumstances or fortune at different times in your life or in the development of something
vitiate - verb take away the legal force of or render ineffective; make imperfect; corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
volition - noun the act of making a choice; the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention
volte-face - noun a major change in attitude or principle or point of view
waggish - adj. witty or joking