Internment: Chapters 23–28

by Samira Ahmed
Layla Amin thinks of herself as a typical American teenager. But when Muslim-Americans like Layla and her family are forcibly relocated to internment camps, the seventeen-year-old decides to fight for her freedom.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–6, Chapters 7–16, Chapters 17–22, Chapters 23–28, Chapters 29–36

Here is a link to our lists for Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. insubordination
    a defiant act
    After last night’s insubordination, we will have new rules at Mobius.
  2. qualm
    uneasiness about the fitness of an action
    There’s pretty much no ethical qualm you can have anymore once you’ve sold out your own people and stood by to watch them get beaten and disappeared.
  3. xenophobia
    a fear of foreigners or strangers
    You stood by during the election, thinking that none of this would come to pass, that the racism and xenophobia running rampant during the campaign was hot air.
  4. rampant
    occurring or increasing in an unrestrained way
    You stood by during the election, thinking that none of this would come to pass, that the racism and xenophobia running rampant during the campaign was hot air.
  5. coax
    influence or persuade by gentle and persistent urging
    Fauzia coaxes her husband to back away from me while my mother drapes an arm around my shoulders.
  6. smug
    marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction
    I catch Saleem’s eye. The minder is idling on the steps of his trailer, a smug smile on his face.
  7. untoward
    not in keeping with accepted standards of what is proper
    Whatever his reason, the Director reminds us daily during his announcements that he will not tolerate “unsanctioned congregating” or “untoward fraternizing.”
  8. fraternize
    be on friendly terms with someone, as if with a brother
    Whatever his reason, the Director reminds us daily during his announcements that he will not tolerate “unsanctioned congregating” or “untoward fraternizing.”
  9. melee
    a noisy riotous fight
    The camp has been mostly quiet these five days since the Incident, as everyone now refers to the melee in the Mess.
  10. parable
    a short moral story
    Nanni used to tell me about the parable of the light—an ayat in the Quran.
  11. incandescent
    emitting light as a result of being heated
    She would say that some are touched by God’s incandescent light and that it shows on their faces.
  12. ill-conceived
    poorly thought out
    “Tell you what. I am going to give you the opportunity to save yourself and some of your friends who were involved in your ill-conceived, childish attempt at protesting during dinner. Who organized it? What else are they planning? Who else is involved? If you cooperate, I can make sure that you and your family are taken care of.”
  13. instill
    teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions
    I have no way of knowing if the notes are real. If the threats are real, or if they were planted by the Director to instill fear.
  14. amble
    walk leisurely
    The next morning, Ayesha and I amble to our garden shift.
  15. benign
    pleasant and beneficial in nature or influence
    We saw each other at dinner, like we do every night, but with so many extra guards around, we’ve all been taking extra care to speak of nothing but benign things any time we're in a group.
  16. indignant
    angered at something unjust or wrong
    I laugh. “I like how you’re indignant about him underestimating us. He wants to blame some adult for it because it’s easier to send one of them to the black-ops sites, where he can torture them. It’s a bigger risk with kids. Plus, I don’t think his ego can handle that a bunch of teenagers spat on him, figuratively speaking.”
  17. faction
    a dissenting clique
    They want us to be separate factions—that’s why they segregated us in the first place.
  18. abide
    put up with something or somebody unpleasant
    I get that they’re worried and looking out for me, but I can’t abide their pleas or assuage their fears.
  19. assuage
    provide physical relief, as from pain
    I get that they’re worried and looking out for me, but I can’t abide their pleas or assuage their fears.
  20. turncoat
    a disloyal person who betrays or deserts a cause
    The minders are out, their annoyingly cheery smiles spackled across their faces as if they aren’t turncoats, as if their grins make them likable or legitimate.
  21. revel
    take delight in
    That’s who the minders are like—the adults of Omelas, the ones who smile and go about their day and revel in the false illusion of freedom while their souls are withered, desolate things.
  22. benediction
    a blessing or ceremonial prayer invoking divine protection
    Not being alone is everything. Her friendship, a benediction.
  23. impart
    transmit, as knowledge or a skill
    He chuckles. “I grind my own. It’s one of the lessons my dad imparted to me about military life. He was Army to the core. And when I left for basic training he said, 'Always grind your own coffee.’”
  24. defeatist
    someone who is resigned to an unsuccessful ending
    “Lately I’ve been thinking hope is kind of a flimsy feeling to hold on to,” I confess. It doesn’t feel good to say it; it feels like a betrayal, and wrong, and defeatist.
  25. rivulet
    a small stream
    I walk over to the small sink and run my hands under the water to wash away the ever-present dirt on my fingers, tiny muddy rivulets carrying this place down the drain.
  26. inquisition
    a severe interrogation
    There is no one else in the room. We are alone. A solitary inquisition.
  27. guttural
    relating to or articulated in the throat
    The Director doesn’t turn toward me. The room is silent except for his loud breathing and his occasional guttural throat clearing.
  28. resonance
    the characteristic of having a loud deep sound
    I inhale and focus on my own breath traveling through my body before exhaling. I feel its resonance in my bones.
  29. gale
    a strong wind moving 34–40 knots
    The entire desk shakes, and the force feels like a gale wind slamming my back into the chair.
  30. convulse
    shake uncontrollably
    I fall over onto the cot, my body convulsing in soul-shattering sobs.
Created on Mon Apr 29 13:52:14 EDT 2019 (updated Tue Apr 30 09:18:23 EDT 2019)

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