1. Black Boy Ch. 1 Cryptic: (adj) mysterious in meaning; puzzling; ambiguous: a cryptic message. Nostalgia: (n) a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life; “good ol’ days” Languor: (n) lack of energy or vitality; sluggishness; lack of spirit or interest Reproachful: (adj) finding fault with (a person, group, etc.); blame; censure Copiously: (adv) large in quantity or number; abundant; plentiful:

2. Black Boy Ch. 2 Intangible: (adj) incapable of being perceived by the sense of touch Apprehensive: (adj) uneasy or fearful about something that might happen Surreptitiously (adv) obtained, done, made by stealth; secret or unauthorized Bulwark: (n) a wall of earth or other material built for defense Emulate: (v) to try to equal or excel; imitate with effort to equal or surpass

3. Black Boy Ch. 3 Grapple: (v) to hold or make fast; to seize as in wrestling; to try to overcome or deal (usually with an issue/problem) Elicit: (v) to draw or bring out or fourth; educe; evoke Squalor: (n) the condition of being squalid, filth and misery Futile: (adj) incapable or producing any result; ineffective; useless; not successful; trifling; frivolous; unimportant Predilection: (n) a tendency to think favorably of something in particular; partiality; preference

4. Black Boy Ch. 4 Callous: (adj) made hard; insensitive; indifferent; unsympathetic Metaphysics: (n) is a traditional branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms: What is there? What is it like? Ingrate: (n) an ungrateful person Remiss: (adj) negligent, careless, or slow in performing one’s duty, business, etc. Dubious: (adj) doubtful; marked by or occasioning doubt; an uncertain outcome.