Self-Made Boys: Chapters 29–40

by Anna-Marie McLemore
Based on the classic novel The Great Gatsby, this work follows the story of Nicolás Caraveo, a seventeen-year-old transgender boy who moves to New York and meets his mysterious neighbor Jay Gatsby, another transgender boy with an extravagant and decadent lifestyle.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Letters–Chapter 6, Chapters 7–14, Chapters 15–22, Chapters 23–28, Chapters 29–40
35 words 5 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. scepter
    a ceremonial or emblematic staff
    Pink and white peonies and what I thought were water lilies crowned her hair. She even carried a scepter of a wand topped with a gold-edged 
bloom.
  2. upstart
    of someone who has suddenly risen economically or socially
    An upstart socialite had burst onto the social scene with a golfer whose style matched her skill.
  3. herald
    praise vociferously
    Within days, newspaper columns would herald Jordan and Daisy as an illustration of the new age, one in which girls and women forged their own paths across ballrooms and into the world.
  4. stupor
    a state of being half-awake
    Tom threw a punch, but in his stupor he’d lost his polo player’s aim.
  5. oblige
    provide a service or favor for someone
    “Do you need help finding the way out?” Gatsby gripped Tom’s jacket and turned him. “I’m happy to oblige.”
  6. bearing
    characteristic way of holding one's body
    But he straightened up in a way that revealed a soldier’s bearing and readiness.
  7. scalloped
    decorated with a margin or border of semicircles
    The gentle slope of her skirt looked like a dark sea she was rising from. The scalloped hem moved like the edges of waves.
  8. scrutinize
    look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail
    Jordan watched the road with such focus it cinched her eyebrows, but she spared a moment to scrutinize my face.
  9. prod
    urge on; cause to act
    Jordan gave a nod, encouraging and prodding.
  10. stricken
    affected by something overwhelming
    Daisy’s stricken expression warmed.
    “I’m so very embarrassed,” she said.
  11. sedate
    cause to be calm or quiet
    Myrtle’s brothers looked almost sedated by Daisy.
  12. ethereal
    of heaven or the spirit
    She would be the ethereal dream that floated across their closed eyelids tonight.
  13. machination
    a crafty and involved plot to achieve your ends
    “You should have told me what you were doing. I’m not about to be the center of any of your little machinations without my knowledge.”
  14. denounce
    accuse or condemn openly as disgraceful
    Daisy Fay had distanced herself from my brown skin and black hair. She had denounced me like a false religion.
  15. lush
    produced or growing in extreme abundance
    Gatsby drove us out of the Ash Heaps and toward the lush green of West Egg.
  16. resolute
    firm in purpose or belief
    The voice came resolute and loud.
  17. concierge
    a caretaker in an apartment complex or hotel
    A pane of glass stood between me and the worried face of a concierge.
  18. ominous
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    I hope you and Jay have had it out by now. Why, that sounds ominous, doesn't it? I didn't mean it that way. I mean I hope you've discussed things.
  19. ballast
    make steady with heavy material
    I reached out to the wall to ballast myself.
  20. artful
    marked by skill or cunning in achieving a desired end
    I know that if we make a life together, we’ll have to do it with the most artful discretion on earth.
  21. quantum
    the smallest discrete quantity of some physical property
    We were electrons flying across each other’s orbits, throwing off quanta of light and energy.
  22. shoal
    a stretch of shallow water
    Every feature of him I learned, I wanted to learn in greater depth and detail, every bay and channel and shoal.
  23. brooch
    a decorative pin
    She’d admitted I was her cousin. And she’d admitted it so these brooch-wearing little old ladies wouldn’t do me in.
  24. scorn
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    But a young woman as well-dressed and seemingly white as Daisy, alongside someone like me, drew anything from curiosity to scorn.
  25. substantial
    having a firm basis in reality and therefore important
    I couldn’t remember if I’d ever heard her say the words I'm sorry for anything more substantial than stepping on someone’s foot or knocking over a sugar bowl.
  26. notwithstanding
    despite anything to the contrary
    “You’re not a thief. Your sisters’ accusations about their combs and lipstick notwithstanding.”
  27. incidentally
    as a subordinate or chance occurrence
    Our family’s debts look like they were paid off by generous local benefactors who, incidentally, each made large philanthropic donations to churches and shelters and charitable organizations in the area at the same time.
  28. philanthropic
    of or relating to charitable giving
    Our family’s debts look like they were paid off by generous local benefactors who, incidentally, each made large philanthropic donations to churches and shelters and charitable organizations in the area at the same time.
  29. estuary
    the wide part of a river where it nears the sea
    “Fine. I’ll help you with something else. What kind of math is it?”
    She smiled. “Modeling currents and debris distribution within a tidal estuary.”
  30. guileless
    innocent and free of deceit
    No performance, no show for an audience, just her hopeful, guileless face as she waited for Jordan’s answer.
  31. prowess
    a superior skill learned by study and practice
    “This isn’t about your acting prowess,” Jordan said.
  32. currant
    a small red or black berry used in jellies and jams
    She compared two bottles of currant syrup.
  33. respective
    considered individually
    So later, we put together the details of our respective scenes to understand how it had all happened.
  34. charade
    an imitation that humorously misrepresents something
    “Oh, a ring.” She threw a bitter laugh at him. “What a pretty little reminder of this whole charade.”
  35. callous
    emotionally hardened
    Daisy presented the callous chill of almost forgetting him, letting everyone despise or admire her for how she’d used a boy so clearly in love with her.
Created on Fri Oct 28 11:17:29 EDT 2022 (updated Fri Nov 18 17:54:42 EST 2022)

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