Chapter 4 — Vocabulary
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison — key words and definitions
Vocabulary Words from Chapter 4
- subservience (noun)
- The quality of being excessively willing to serve or obey others; submissive compliance.
- hagiography (noun)
- An idealizing or idolizing biography, originally a biography of a saint; writing that treats its subject with undue reverence.
- rhapsodic (adjective)
- Expressing overwhelming enthusiasm, ecstasy, or emotional fervor.
- deferential (adjective)
- Showing respectful submission or yielding to the judgment, opinion, or will of another.
- pragmatist (noun)
- A person who deals with things sensibly and realistically, prioritizing practical results over ideology or principles.
- veneer (noun)
- An attractive but superficial appearance that covers or disguises someone's or something's true nature.
- accommodation (noun)
- In racial history, the practice of adapting to or complying with the dominant power structure rather than confronting it directly.
- disillusionment (noun)
- The feeling of disappointment resulting from the discovery that something is not as good, worthy, or true as one believed.
- oratory (noun)
- The art or practice of formal public speaking, especially in an eloquent and persuasive manner.
- diptych (noun)
- A work of art or literary composition in two parts or panels that are meant to be viewed together as a complementary pair.
- Faustian (adjective)
- Relating to a bargain in which a person trades something of supreme moral value, such as integrity, for worldly power or success.
- reverence (noun)
- Deep respect and admiration, often mixed with awe; a feeling of profound devotion.
- contempt (noun)
- The feeling that a person or thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving of scorn.
- sanctify (verb)
- To make holy or sacred; to give official approval or legitimacy to something by treating it as divinely endorsed.
- juxtaposition (noun)
- The placement of two contrasting elements side by side for comparison or dramatic effect.
- pedagogy (noun)
- The method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept.