Question

Based on the context of each quote from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Ann Jacobs, find the word that most closely matches the denotation of the bolded word.

Answer 1

1. evinced = D. to show

If you read the sentence carefully, you can infer the meaning of the word in bold letters just based on the context and the surrounding words. So, it says that 'she evinced so much intelligence,' meaning that she showed it, exhibited it, it was made obvious to other people.

2. forbore = C. to refrain from

The meaning of this word can also be deduced based on the context. So, in the sentence, it says that this person was able to tell anything to that woman, except for the fact that her darling looked sick. So he refrained from telling her that, meaning that he stopped himself.

3. eking = A. to make a supply last by economy

If you were unsure about this one, you could have matched every other option and then match this one to the remaining one. :) However, you can see in the sentence that this woman did something in order to help the cook and her children from having to live solely on gravy and other scrapings.

4. disencumber = B. to free from

In this sentence, you can see that the narrator would like one particular man to perish from the face of the Earth. She considers him plague, and would like to rid the planet from him. Thus, disencumber in this context means to free something from something bad

Answer 2

1) EVINCED - D: to show.

2) FORBORE - C: to refrain from.

3) EKING - A: to make a supply last by economy .

4) DISENCUMBER - B: to free from.

Step-by-step explanation:

Harriet Ann Jacobs's autobiographical narrative "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" delves into the discriminatory system of slavery and how it affects the blacks, especially the women slaves. This autobiography deals with the issue of slavery and the need for everyone to try to refrain from practicing it. The book also contains her journey and efforts to try to get her freedom from being a slave.

The bolded words in each of the quotes can be closely matched accordingly-

1. Evinced means to show. Considering the sentence or quote, we can infer that the author has so much intelligence that led to her masters to keep her.

2. Forebore here means refused or concealed or refrain from mentioning. This quote means that when Uncle Philip came with the good news, he told mother everything except some of the details about Benjamin, "her darling" so as not to hurt her.

3. The word "eking" signifies an effort or act to make a supply last economically. This is evident when Harriet narrates how her mistress Mrs. Flint used to observe carefully how the provisions of the household were used. She mentions that she (Mrs. Flint) makes sure the slaves do not use up their provisions just to make themselves full. This shows a mean-spirited nature in most mistresses at those times.

4. Disencumber most closely signifies one's desire to be free from or released from something or someone. According to the quote, Harriet expressed her despise for her master who told her that "[she] was made for his use, made to obey his command in everything". So, this is her expression of wanting her master gets swallowed up by the earth.