Invisible Son: Chapters 14–23

by Kim Johnson
After serving two months in a youth correctional facility for a robbery he didn't commit, high school senior Andre Jackson returns to his Portland, Oregon neighborhood to find that his freedom is further restricted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–13, Chapters 14–23, Chapters 24–36, Chapter 37–Epilogue
40 words 3 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. quarantine
    isolation to prevent the spread of infectious disease
    Over the weekend, Italy enforced the most significant measures, putting a quarter of its population under lockdown, a move previously unthinkable in a Western democracy. The quarantine encircles sixteen million people.
  2. elaborate
    marked by complexity and richness of detail
    Panic races inside me that maybe I never left MacLaren and this was a long elaborate dream.
  3. distinction
    a differentiating quality
    I’m shook by the venom in her voice as she says “Mrs. Whitaker” instead of “Mom.” Like there’s a distinction between who her mom was back then and is now.
  4. taint
    place under suspicion or cast doubt upon
    At first, she even used to keep me away from Brian and Kate. Like she was worried we were going to taint them or something.
  5. equilibrium
    a sensory system that registers the orientation of the head
    But I can’t get up. Not because I don’t want to, but because my body is literally aching, my equilibrium is off. The room spins as my head pounds.
  6. delegation
    a group of representatives
    OREGON’S FEDERAL DELEGATION ASKS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOR MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, PROTECTIVE GEAR
  7. mandatory
    required by rule
    Eric could get a Measure 11 mandatory sentence if they find the rest of the stolen items.
  8. disparity
    inequality or difference in some respect
    CORONAVIRUS HIGHLIGHTS RACIAL DISPARITIES
  9. demographic
    a statistic characterizing human populations
    Early data on Chicago’s racial demographics show that Black residents account for 72% of the city’s COVID deaths, despite reports that the Black community only makes up 29% of the city’s population.
  10. inadequate
    lacking the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task
    Densely populated areas are being blamed for the transmission rates, in addition to reports of inadequate access to hospital care and claims that patients are being turned away from clinics without testing.
  11. bout
    a period of illness
    He’s going through the same thing as me, with two relatives intubated, but he’s at least also recovered from his bout with the virus.
  12. disclose
    make known to the public information previously kept secret
    “I can’t disclose medical information to you.” She pauses. “If I could tell you, I would. I’m sorry about your friend.”
  13. ecstatic
    feeling great rapture or delight
    I should be ecstatic I’m recovered, but I’m buried with sadness.
  14. desolate
    having few or no inhabitants
    Riding through the city, things look desolate. There are no kids lined up early to catch the bus, and traffic flows like a Sunday morning.
  15. gentrify
    renovate so as to make it conform to middle-class aspirations
    I’ve always liked the quiet, but seeing boarded-up buildings and closed signs on storefronts fills me with dread. Especially in my neighborhood, which continues to gentrify.
  16. confined
    not free to move about
    Some people feel confined by water because there’s no place to go if you’re stuck or run out of air.
  17. intricate
    having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate
    When I’m underwater, everything is blurry, and I can focus on intricate corrections to build my speed.
  18. meticulously
    in a manner marked by extreme care of details
    I stroke through the water, meticulously back and forth, thinking about how to get back my speed.
  19. relish
    derive or receive pleasure from
    I also relish the fact that deep down at the bottom of the pool…I was invisible. I didn’t have to carry the burden of deflecting the things people think of me. It was just me and the water. Free.
  20. pro bono
    done for the public good without compensation
    “I spoke with your lawyer,” Marcus says. “We worked well together during your trial. He’s taken on more pro bono cases. It’s hard to find a Black attorney out here, so we now have an agreement.”
  21. affinity
    a close connection marked by community of interests
    He’s got a thing for you because he didn’t like your case moved to me through the new affinity matching process.
  22. trivial
    concerned only with minor or unimportant things
    “Anyway, me and Eric have different battles. I know this is trivial compared to what you have to go through, so I’m not saying you don’t have it hard. Because you do.”
  23. emulate
    strive to equal or match, especially by imitating
    The beauty standard for Black girls was adjacent to whiteness. Everybody wants to be Black, but nobody wants to be Black. Just pick and choose what they want. From the Kardashians with filler lips and bodies emulating Black women.
  24. intimate
    marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity
    Any other time, six feet apart would feel like a million miles away, but after staring at screens all day long, sharing this space with Sierra feels intimate.
  25. wavelength
    a way of thinking or coming to mutual understanding
    “You’ve lost your touch. We used to be on the same wavelength. Do I even have to explain? I thought you could read my mind.”
  26. revenue
    the entire amount of income before any deductions are made
    “Heck yeah, this is legit. You’ve reached that pay status. Check out all your sponsors!”
    We go through the details, setting up additional revenue streams.
  27. jar
    affect in a disagreeable way
    Dad’s finally recovered, which means he’s coming home to bury Grandpa. And all that’s piled around us will be too jarring for him to take in at first.
  28. heady
    extremely exciting as if by alcohol or a narcotic
    I bring it close to me, breathing the strong, heady scent of Grandpa’s aftershave, and stand there because I’m not ready for this to be real.
  29. procession
    the action of a group moving ahead in regular formation
    We follow as it flashes its rear lights, leading us in a funeral procession of two cars.
  30. underlying
    in the nature of something though not readily apparent
    Instead, it’s only a footnote of daily counts, listing ages with notations about underlying conditions. A marker to pretend there were other reasons for their death.
  31. incessant
    uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing
    Before she can respond, I shut my phone off. Then throw my covers over my head to silence the incessant knocking.
  32. prompt
    urge, encourage, or motivate someone to act
    She holds on to me, prompting me to get up.
  33. catatonic
    characterized by unresponsiveness or lack of movement
    I shut my eyes to go back to my catatonic state.
  34. deliberately
    in a careful unhurried manner
    “It was me. I’m sorry,” she says slowly and deliberately.
  35. suspend
    stop a process or a habit by imposing a freeze on it
    “I thought in-person checks were suspended because of COVID?”
  36. glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
    I can’t live like this. I glower over at the Whitakers’ house.
  37. protocol
    code of correct conduct
    “Say someone’s been missing. And everybody knows it. What’s the protocol?”
  38. imminent
    close in time; about to occur
    “They’d be in the system after the parents filed a police report. If they were brought in for an arrest, or found on a street check, there’d be updates in their file and parents contacted. Realistically, though, if they’re close to eighteen, not in imminent danger, the case might as well not exist.”
  39. constitute
    compose or represent
    “What would constitute imminent danger?”
  40. reciprocate
    act, feel, or give mutually or in return
    I hug her tight, reciprocating care to her that’s been so hard to give back these past few days.
Created on Sat Jan 27 10:27:42 EST 2024 (updated Sun Jan 28 15:59:35 EST 2024)

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