The Facts: Exegesis
Middy blouse- (pg.15) a loosely fitting blouse with a sailor collar worn by women and children.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/middy
Promethean figure- (pg.21) Greek Mythology Relating to or suggestive of Prometheus.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Promethean
(Ancient Greek: "forethought") is a Titan known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals for their use. He was then punished for his crime by Zeus. His myth has been treated by a number of ancient sources, in which Prometheus is credited with (or blamed for) playing a pivotal role in the early history of humankind.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prometheus
Doppelganger- (pg. 31) a ghostly counterpart of a person; a ghostly double of a living person.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/doppelganger
Imp- (pg.34) a mythological being similar to a fairy or demon, frequently described in folklore and superstition. The word derives from the term ympe, used to denote a young grafted tree. Imps are usually described as mischievous more than seriously threatening, and as lesser beings rather than more important supernatural beings. The attendants of the devil are sometimes described as imps. They are usually described as lively and having small stature.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imp
Malaria- (pg.35) Malaria is one of the world's most common diseases, caused by a parasite that is transmitted to humans by a female mosquito's bite. The discovery of this parasite in mosquitoes earned the British scientist Ronald Ross the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1902. In 1907, Alphonse Laveran received the prize for his findings that the parasite was present in human blood.
http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/malaria/
Plume- (pg.41) a prominent bird feather often used as an ornament.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plume
laconic- (pg.44) A "laconic phrase" is a very concise or terse statement, named after Laconia, a polis of ancient Greece (and region of modern Greece) surrounding the city of Sparta proper. In common usage, Sparta referred both to Lacedaemon and Sparta. Similarly, a laconism is a figure of speech in which someone uses very few words to express an idea, keeping with the Spartan reputation for austerity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laconic
Bastille Day- (pg.53) Americans have The 4th of July; the French have Bastille Day. On July 14, 1789, an outraged group of Parisians stormed the Bastille, a fortress and prison in France where prisoners of influence were held, in hopes of capturing ammunition. For the peasant class, the Bastille stood as a symbol of the hypocrisy and corruption of the aristocratic government - controlled mostly by nobility and clergy. This important event marked the entry of the popular class into the French Revolution. The French recognize Bastille Day as the end of the monarchy and beginning of the modern republic. The lasting significance of the event was in its recognition that power could be held by ordinary citizens, not in the King or in God.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/99bastilleday.html
Rectory- (pg.68) Depending on denomination, local custom, and the status of the minister, the building inhabited (or formerly inhabited) by the leader of a local Christian church can be referred to by one of several names. In Roman Catholic churches it is often called a rectory, sometimes a presbytery. Traditionally, Catholic rectories housed several priests from a parish, as opposed to other denominations where the church leader is often married and raising children.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectory
“Yellow Dog Blues”- (pg. 73) - the song that W. C. Handy was to “compose” later as “The yellow Dog Blues”. In 1903 Handy has related how he heard a lean, raggedy, black guitarist in Tutwiler’s railroad depot, singing of going to where the ‘Southern cross the Yellow Dog”. Writers have speculated the origin of this nickname for over five decades. The picture becomes even less clear as at least two railroads seem to be involved; the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley (Y.&M.V.) and the Yazoo Delta (Y.D.)
http://www.earlyblues.com/Yellow%20Dog.htm
Cyclorama- (PG.87) a cyclorama is a cylindrical panoramic painting designed to provide a viewer, standing in the middle of the cylinder, with a 360° view of the painting. The intended effect is that the viewer would feel as if they were standing in the center of a historic event or famous place — surrounded by the panoramic image.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclorama
Burma- (pg.88) of or relating to Myanmar (formerly Burma) or its people, language, or culture.
http://www.answers.com/topic/burmese?nr=1&lsc=true
Joyeux Noel- (pg.111) How Merry Christmas is said in France, Quebec, Louisiana, Switzerland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiday_greetings
Weathercock- (pg.112) a weathervane, especially one in the form of a rooster.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/weathercock
Derby- (pg.122) a stiff felt hat with a round crown and a narrow, curved brim.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/derby
Red Goose Shoes- (pg.124) The Red Goose Shoe Company of St. Louis, Missouri, began selling shoes to pioneer families headed west in 1869. The company's name was originally Gieseke-D'Oench-Hayes, after its founders, but when the company became advertising conscious in the early 1900's, they changed the name. Gieseke is German slang for "goose" so the goose image came naturally. The red color came later when, during the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904, some stock boys painted the goose on the cartons red. The head of the company liked the idea, and so Red Goose Shoes was trademarked in 1906.
http://www.dallashistory.org/cgi-bin/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=32753
Spinster- (pg.24) a woman who has remained single beyond the conventional age for marrying.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/spinsterish
Palmetto- (pg.32) Any of several small, mostly tropical palms having fan-shaped leaves, especially one of the genus Sabal, such as S. palmetto of the southeast United States. Also called sabal.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/palmetto
Byronic- (pg.53) British poet acclaimed as one of the leading figures of the romantic movement. The "Byronic hero"—lonely , rebellious, and brooding—first appeared in Manfred (1817). Among his other works are Childe Harold (1812-1818), The Prisoner of Chillon (1816), and the epic satire Don Juan (1819-1824). Byron was notorious for his love affairs and unconventional lifestyle. He died while working to secure Greek independence from the Turks.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/byronic+
William Blake- (pg.58) visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827).
