Death in the Jungle: Part 3

by Candace Fleming
This work of nonfiction tells the tragic story of the Peoples Temple, an American cult founded by Jim Jones.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Prologue-Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5-Part 6
15 words 13 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. charismatic
    possessing an extraordinary ability to attract
    He had a charismatic personality that won the hearts and souls of the people.
  2. insular
    narrowly restricted in outlook or scope
    For the most part Peoples Temple remained insular.
  3. slew
    a large number or amount or extent
    As in Los Angeles, members instituted a slew of social programs, attracting recruits from the neighborhood.
  4. tout
    advertise in strongly positive terms
    While he touted the Temple’s commitment to racial and economic equality, he didn’t say a word about its devotion to socialism and corporal punishment.
  5. litany
    any long and tedious address or recital
    He claimed to suffer from a litany of ailments—liver problems, anemia, heart palpitations.
  6. bourgeois
    being of the property-owning class
    They called her bourgeois for living with the comforts his hard work provided.
  7. affectation
    a deliberate pretense or exaggerated display
    If a member complained, Jones replied, “Modesty is a bourgeois affectation. True socialists would never be ashamed of their bodies, or their natural bodily functions.”
  8. demur
    politely refuse or take exception to
    Still, Hyacinth demurred.
  9. proselytize
    convert or try to convert someone to another religion
    It had long been Temple policy for members to proselytize to the rest of their relations, and the Temple’s membership included as many as three generations of some families.
  10. tactics
    a plan for attaining a particular goal
    Other tactics included publishing a newspaper obituary in the defector’s name or renting a hearse and letting it idle in front of their house.
  11. disillusioned
    freed from false ideas
    Months earlier twenty-year-old Pietila had been elevated to the PC, but the meetings left him feeling both disgusted and disillusioned.
  12. defection
    withdrawing support or help despite allegiance
    At the next PC meeting, just days after the defection, he had Carolyn hand out blank pieces of paper and ask each member to sign one.
  13. reactionary
    extremely conservative or resistant to change
    “When reactionary forces crush us, we move against these forces, even at the risk of death.”
  14. mired
    entangled or hindered
    Mired in grief, Jim Bogue had found hope and compassion within the church.
  15. deter
    turn away from as by fear or persuasion
    These punishments didn’t deter the boys.
Created on Wed Jan 21 07:36:13 EST 2026 (updated Wed Feb 25 10:38:17 EST 2026)

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