"The Secret Garden," Vocabulary from Chapters 18-22 30 words

Mary Hodgson Burnett's beloved "The Secret Garden" finds a way to make its surly protagonist, Mary Lennox, happy in a way that rings true (etext found here). Learn this word list that focuses on calmness and excitement.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1-6, Chapters 7-12, Chapters 13-17, Chapters 18-22, Chapters 23-27
  1. inspiration
    arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity
  2. gradual
    proceeding in small stages
  3. hearken
    listen; used mostly in the imperative
  4. modify
    make less severe or harsh or extreme
  5. affectation
    a deliberate pretense or exaggerated display
  6. anxious
    causing or fraught with or showing anxiety
    "Anxious" also means "eagerly desirous"--both definitions fit the situation, because Mary has anxiety ("a vague unpleasant emotion in anticipation of a misfortune") because she fears that Colin might ruin the pleasures of the secret garden, but she is also eagerly wanting to share the secret with him, because she agrees with Dickon's words: "we mun get him out here--we mun get him watchin' an listenin' an' sniffin' up th' air an' get him just soaked through wi' sunshine."
  7. implore
    call upon in supplication; entreat
  8. clutch
    take hold of; grab
  9. craven
    an abject coward
    "Craven" is a fitting last name for the males of Misselthwaite Manor: the doctor is afraid that Colin will live, because that would hurt his inheritance, but he's also afraid that Colin will die under his watch, because that would make people suspect him of foul play; Colin is afraid of dying as a hunchback; and Archibald Craven is afraid of seeing both his beloved dead wife and his hated deformed self in Colin.
  10. unscrupulous
    without scruples or principles
  11. bromide
    A sedative is "a drug that reduces excitability and calms a person"--this nightly prescription seems medically unnecessary, and more like an easy way to give the household a peaceful break from Colin. This is evident because Colin responds to the doctor's question with these points: "I wouldn't take it at first and after Mary made me quiet she talked me to sleep" and "it is because my cousin makes me forget that she makes me better."
    Did you take your bromide last night, Colin?
  12. volubly
    in a chatty manner
  13. shrewd
    marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
  14. luxuriously
    in an indulgently luxurious manner
  15. austere
    of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect
  16. overwhelm
    overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli
  17. ravenous
    devouring or craving food in great quantities
    "Ecstasy" means "a state of elated bliss" and "a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion"--the lamb was ravenous ("extremely hungry"), but once it starts ravenously sucking the milk out of the bottle, it goes into a state of extreme happiness, while Colin, who has never been treated to a sight like this before, is carried away by wonder and delight.
  18. intimate
    marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity
  19. sufficient
  20. rational
    consistent with or based on or using reason
  21. elaborate
    developed or executed with care and in minute detail
  22. menagerie
    the facility where wild animals are housed for exhibition
  23. lenient
    tolerant or lenient
  24. procession
  25. reign
    have sovereign power
    And delight reigned.
  26. mellow
    unhurried and relaxed
    The afternoon was dragging towards its mellow hour.
  27. harangue
    deliver a harangue to; address forcefully
  28. testily
    in a petulant manner
    "Testy" and "petulant" are synonymous adjectives that mean "easily irritated or annoyed"--although this is a fitting description of the surly gardener, here, Ben's testiness shows he cares about Colin (because he cared for Colin's mother and she is the reason he still has his job); he is only annoyed that Mary's muttering could take his attention away from the sight of a supposed cripple standing tall against a tree.
  29. persevere
    be persistent, refuse to stop
    Colin persevered.
  30. flushed