Power Words 19 Taken from The Things They Carried

1. Power Words 19Taken from The Things They Carried

2. reproach • V. – to blame or find fault with “In the middle of the letter, for example, he reproached himself for complaining too much

3. catharsis • N. purging of emotional tensions “Telling stories seemed a natural, inevitable process, like clearing the throat. Partly catharsis, partly communication, it was a way of grabbing people by the shirt and explaining exactly what happened to me.”

4. discretion • N. freedom to act or judge on one's own “The order had come from higher, true, but still he should've exercised some field discretion.”

5. happenstance • N. a chance happening or event “But they also felt a kind of giddiness…because it was all a matter of luck and happenstance.”

6. complicity • N. guilt at having a part or involvement in wrongdoing “For years I’ve avoided thinking about his death and my own complicity in it.”

7. resonant • Adj. echoing or resounding “theresonantthundering of cannons being fired” “The full moon added resonance.”

8. coherence • N. consistency; overall sense or understandability “He'd try to bring the night into focus, willing coherence, but the effort would only cause distortions.”

9. keen • Adj. finely perceptive; sharply aware “He has a keen sense of morality and treats everyone, enemies and friends, with respect.”

10. rapport • N. a relationship of mutual understanding or trust and agreement between people “He was sitting there with Dave Jensen and Mitchell Sanders and a few others, and he seemed to fit in very nicely, all chumminess and group rapport.”