Black Brother, Black Brother: Part 3–Epilogue

by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Twelve-year-old Donte faces bullying and racism, but when he begins to train as a competitive fencer, he finds the confidence to stand up for himself.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3–Epilogue
30 words 22 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bout
    a period of indeterminate length marked by some condition
    A fencing match is called a bout.
    Foils swishing downward, two fencers salute one another. Ready to battle, they are, nonetheless, honorable opponents.
  2. vengeful
    disposed to take action in return for a perceived wrong
    After the contest, the fencers once again salute each other and shake hands. The winner mustn’t gloat; the loser mustn’t be vengeful.
  3. aristocratic
    belonging to or characteristic of the nobility
    Coach murmurs, “Fencing has aristocratic roots. But you belong here. We all do.”
  4. disdain
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    “Black girl” said with fury and disdain, not kindness and respect.
  5. elated
    exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits
    I feel goofy, elated.
  6. emphatically
    in a forceful manner; with emphasis
    “Padawan,” I say emphatically.
  7. exude
    make apparent by one's mood or behavior
    Coach stands, holding himself tall, and though the two men are the same size, Coach exudes the most power.
  8. empathetic
    showing ready comprehension of others' states
    “Coach isn’t a failure,” I say, empathetic, standing. “He’s the best coach. Best manager at the Boys and Girls Club.”
  9. straggler
    someone who strays or falls behind
    Stragglers leaving the arena: some kids and parents downcast; some, happy.
  10. turmoil
    disturbance usually in protest
    “This was the seventies. Lots of turmoil. Civil rights activism, yes. But lots of pushback.”
  11. activism
    a policy of action to achieve a political or social goal
    “This was the seventies. Lots of turmoil. Civil rights activism, yes. But lots of pushback.”
  12. fathom
    come to understand
    “You lost? On purpose?” I’m shocked. Not fencing to win? I can’t fathom it.
  13. integrity
    moral soundness
    “Courage, honor, integrity, and chivalry,” Coach murmurs when we finish fencing.
  14. chivalry
    courtesy towards women
    “Chivalry? What’s chivalry?”
    “Being a gentleman,” I say, “earning and giving respect. Like a knight.”
    “Didn’t knights have to be kind to women?” asks Zion.
  15. elite
    selected as the best
    For the longest time he’s had a small, elite team, but now everyone wants to fence. Since Trey and me started fencing, everyone wants to try, give it a shot. Alan’s exclusive magic doesn’t work anymore.
  16. skittish
    unpredictably excitable, especially of horses
    Monsieur walks like a skittish peacock.
  17. needle
    provoke or annoy, as by constant criticism
    The two are needling, making fun of inexperienced players. (They’re not being nice.)
  18. poised
    marked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action
    Intense, his elbows on his knees, Trey watches. Amy, I notice, is poised forward.
  19. pretense
    the act of giving a false appearance
    Sometimes his attack is half-hearted, a pretense.
  20. hypocrisy
    pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not have
    In different ways, Headmaster and Alan both reveal Middlefield’s hypocrisy.
  21. exploit
    use or manipulate to one's advantage
    No doubt Alan is a better, more experienced fencer than me. Yet I might be able to use his own strategy against him. Poke his ego. Exploit his flaws.
  22. harness
    exploit the power of
    “Ibtihaj trained with Peter Westbrook. So did Erinn Smart. Here’s his book.” Zarra slides over Harnessing Anger: The Inner Discipline of Athletic Excellence.
  23. suppress
    put out of one's consciousness
    I’m the one wasting energy, suppressing memories, words.
  24. unfurl
    unroll, unfold, or spread out
    Two pieces of paper. I unfurl one.
  25. erratic
    having no fixed course
    Nate’s frustrated, erratic. His blade quivers.
  26. indomitable
    impossible to subdue
    (Another touch. Another, and another. Alan is indomitable.)
  27. resilience
    the ability to recover readily from adversity or change
    Think, too, of Viking ancestors who sailed the great seas. And Mom’s ancestors, who encouraged her resilience, battles for justice.
  28. heedless
    characterized by careless unconcern
    It’s clear Alan thinks he’ll beat me. Heedless, reckless, he lunges again and again.
  29. stalemate
    a situation in which no progress can be made
    Period One: zero to zero. (Stalemate.)
  30. seethe
    be in an agitated emotional state
    He lines up on his mark, seething.
Created on Mon Aug 03 11:02:58 EDT 2020 (updated Tue Aug 04 14:19:57 EDT 2020)

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