Lord of the Flies Vocabulary: CH 3

avidly eagerly

Example: "Then the trail, the frustration, claimed him again and he searched the ground avidly."

inscrutable not easily understood

Example: "Jack lifted his head and stared at the inscrutable masses of creeper that lay across the trail."

vicissitudes difficulties or hardships

Example: "Jack stood there, streaming with sweat, streaked with brown earth, stained by all the vicissitudes of a day's hunting."

contrite sincerely sorry for shortcomings

"Simon's contrite face appeared in the hole. Example: "Simon's contrite face appeared in the hole. ‘Sorry.’ ”

compulsion irresistible impulse or force

Example: "He [Jack] tried to convey the compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up."