Settlement (Part 4) Comprehension Exercises

Introduction

The “cold grows worse” in the settlement and “sickness has taken a toll” on the congregation. Mary and Martha help soothe the villagers, but are unable to save Goody Johnson. The following exercises focus on vocabulary and the importance of choosing the right words when you are telling a story.

There are suggested answers at the bottom of the page.

Word Choice

English is full of synonyms – words that have very similar meanings – and writers have to choose the best words that capture the mood of the story and convey their ideas with increasing precision.

Look at the table below. The words on the left are taken from Entries 68 -70 but the words on the right are close alternatives.

Using available resources, such as an online dictionary, research the definition of these words and explain why Rees’ choices are much more effective in the context of her story.

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Some of these words have more than one denotation so please check their various meanings.

Lexicon

Entry 70 probably takes place in January 1660. Celia Rees is writing about a period in history many readers will know little about. We may have learnt from our biology teacher that lemon juice is a good source of Vitamin C and will help prevent diseases such as scurvy, so the reference to Jonah’s “stock” in the first paragraph will make sense. However, there will be other details that we will know nothing about.

The author has to choose words which are accurate and convincing for this time period, but not alienate the reader because they are completely unfamiliar.

Re-read Entry 70 and try to define the following words from the story itself:

Rheum
Ailments
Linctus
Flannel
Pipsissewa

No matter what story you are reading, there will always be words you have never seen before. What strategies do you use to try to understand what is happening in those sentences? For example, have you looked up the word “lexicon” in the dictionary? If you have any other really great ideas, please share them by commenting on this page.

Spellings

Learning how to spell words is an incredibly useful lifelong skill. The following words are taken from Entry 72. Which one is the correct spelling?

separate or seperate
ignorse or ignores
paneling or panelling
strewn or strewen
pamphlet or pamplet
deliverence or deliverance
guidence or guidance
wintry or wintery
wolves or wolves
vigilent or vigilant

What are your thoughts on paneling or panelling?

Imagery

You already know that a writer’s choice of words is important because they need to get their message across efficiently and effectively to the reader. Writers use figurative language, such as metaphors and similes, to add more emotional depth to the sentence without losing the story’s momentum.

Compare, for example, the difference between “hunger stalked the town” and “hunger was everywhere in the town”. They both convey fairly similar meanings, but the first one is shorter and certainly more dramatic. Which one do you think is taken from Entry 73?

Re-write the following images with more literal word choices:

A silence broods between us…
My own memories flooded me…
They hunted me down like an animal…
We both stood quite still, caught in a gap of time…
Goody Johnson lay still, as though she had already begun her last and most perilous journey…
Every year of her age showed on her face.
The ground is hard as iron.
Winter seems reluctant to loosen its grip.
John Rivers is out all day, hacking at the land as if it were an enemy…
…his jaw set as if carved from granite.
…he walks as if on eggshells.
The words dried in my mouth.
The blood drained from my face.

You will probably notice that you need to use more words than Celia Rees to convey the same information. That is one of reasons why writers use figurative language.

Word Choice Suggested Answers

Gnawed:

When the writer describes how their “feet and fingers” are “gnawed by the frost”, the verb suggests the cold air is deliberately trying to bite and chew their bodies. This makes the January weather seem much more frightening.

Dispensing:

Since the word “dispensing” refers to managing medicine, it is a much more precise word to describe how Jonah is allocating the “remedies”.

Toll:

The word “toll” can be defined as an official payment requested by an authority, such as a church. It also refers to the ringing of church bells. When Mary describes how the “sickness has taken a toll” on the congregation, it adds a dark and unholy personality to their illness.

Summoned:

The verb “summoned” suggests that Reverend Johnson was demanding that Martha was to visit him. There was no option.

Shun:

The word “shun” means to stay away from something because of your dislike and fear. In this way, Reverend Johnson is reminding Mary that the Devil is evil.

Vigorously:

When Mary agrees “vigorously” that she believes in God, she is making it clear that her faith is intense and effective rather than simply enthusiastic.

Obedient:

Reverend Johnson wants Mary to be “obedient”. In other words, he wants her to be submissive and follow his commands. She does not have a choice.

Sapping:]

The verb “sapping” suggests the child is taking vital fluids from Goody Johnson. This is very dangerous for the mother.

Endurance:

The noun “endurance” is defined as the ability and strength to continue. Sadly, Goody Johnson may not be able to bear the pain.

Unrelenting:

By describing the “cold” as “unrelenting”, Mary is suggesting the terrible weather is consciously refusing to stop. This makes it seem more vicious and frightening.

Etymology Suggested Answers

Recover:

The verb “recover” comes from the 13^th century Anglo-French word rekeverer, which meant to regain consciousness and health.

Consume:

“Consume” comes from the Latin word consumer, which meant to eat or use up.

Compile:

Interestingly, the Latin word compilare actually meant to rob and plunder. Therefore, when you compile a list of documents and other materials, you are stealing them.

Gratitude:

Gratitude means to be thankful and comes directly from the Latin word gratus.

Scribing:

]In Latin, a scriba was someone who kept the accounts and information, so it is a good word choice to describe Mary’s work for Elias Cornwell.

Tolerable:

The word “tolerable” meant to endure in Latin.

Substitute:

The word “substitute” comes straight from the Latin word substitutus, which meant to put something in place of another.

Spellings Task