Chapter 8 - The Giver

Jonas has been selected to be the Receiver of Memory, which is considered most honored. The whole community including Jonas was bewildered since they don’t have any idea about the Receiver. However, the Chief Elder continued to present the attributes of Receiver of Memory that Jonas already owns some and will get others through training. They are Intelligence, Integrity, Courage and Wisdom.

Finally, I got to reach what Jonas got as his job. It was receiver of memory. According to the name of the job, it sounds simple. Just someone who receive of all memory? However, what kind of memory? They have the Hall of Open Records to store every event happening in the community. Then, why do they still need the receiver of memory? For what? The things for memory must be totally different from all the records of the Hall of Open Records. The Receiver of Memory can’t be just the man to manage the Hall of Open Records. So, I am looking forward to getting all the secrets of this community through Jonas’s training to be the Receiver of Memory.

Meanwhile, I’m afraid that Jonas can’t put up with the training since he has to be apart from others while he gets prepared for the job. In addition, the Chief Elder mentioned physical pain which all the people in the community have never experienced. I wonder how severe all these things are to this Twelve-year-young boy. However, until now, Jonas seems to do very well. If I were him, I would cry and try to refuse it.

The current Receiver was described as a bearded man with pale eyes. People with pale eyes might be able to get selected as the receiver of memory. Then, the next candidate is baby Gabriel? :O

The audience was clearly ill at ease.
ill at ease - nervous, especially in a social situation
He always feels ill at ease at parties.  

but the applause was piecemeal, no longer a crescendo of united enthusiasm. 
piecemeal - if you describe a change or process as piecemeal, you disapprove of it because it happens gradually, usually at irregular intervals, and is probably not satisfactory.
Piecemeal changes to the constitution.

His mind had shut out all of the earlier emotions: the anticipation, excitement, pride, and even the happy kinship with his friends.
kinship [kínʃip]
a close connection marked by community of interests or similarity in nature or character
felt a deep kinship with the other students

The Chief Elder waited until the uneasy applause subsided.
subside [səbsáid]
[VERB] If a feeling or noise subsides, it becomes less strong or loud.

"I know," she said in her vibrant, gracious voice
vi·brant [váibrənt]
[ADJ] Someone or something that is vibrant is full of life, energy, and enthusiasm.
Thailand is at its most vibrant during the New Year celebrations.
gracious [gréiʃəs]
[ADJ] If you describe someone, especially someone you think is superior to you, as gracious, you mean that they are very well-mannered and pleasant.
He was charming, alert and gracious.

The community, relieved from its discomfort very slightly by her benign statement, seemed to breathe more easily.
benign [bináin]
[ADJ] You use benign to describe someone who is kind, gentle, and harmless.
They are normally a more benign audience.

"We accept your apology," they all uttered together.
utter [Λtər]
[VERB] If someone utters sounds or words, they say them.They departed without uttering a word.
[ADJ] You use utter to emphasize that something is great in extent, degree, or amount.
A look of utter confusion swept across his handsome face.

I caused you anguish.
anguish [ǽŋgwiʃ]
[NOUN] Anguish is great mental suffering or physical pain.
He groaned in anguish.

he had practiced the kind of jaunty, self-assured walk
jaunty [dʒɔ́ːnti]
[ADJ] If you describe someone or something as jaunty, you mean that they are full of confidence and energy.
Both men exuded a jaunty but purposeful confidence.

I will not dwell on the experience because it causes us all terrible discomfort.
[VERB] If you dwell on something, especially something unpleasant, you think, speak, or write about it a lot or for quite a long time.
So you made a mistake, but there's no need to dwell on it.

we are not entirely certain about the Assignments, even after the most painstaking observations.
painstaking
[ADJ] A painstaking search, examination, or investigation is done extremely carefully and thoroughly.

Sometimes we worry that the one assigned might not develop,through training, every attribute necessary.
attribute
[VERB] If you attribute something to an event or situation, you think that it was caused by that event or situation.
Women tend to attribute their success to external causes such as luck.
[VERB] If you attribute a particular quality or feature to someone or something, you think that they have got it.
People were beginning to attribute superhuman qualities to him.
[VERB][usu passive] If a piece of writing, a work of art, or a remark is attributed to someone, people say that they wrote it, created it, or said it.
This, and the remaining frescoes, are not attributed to Giotto.
[NOUN] An attribute is a quality or feature that someone or something has.Cruelty is a normal attribute of human behaviour

What we observe as playfulness and patience--the requirements to become Nurturer--could, with maturity, be revealed as simply foolishness and indolence.
indolence [índələns]
laziness
His indolence made him lose his job.

It must be a unanimous choice of the Committee.

unanimous [juːnǽnəməs]
[ADJ][usu v-link ADJ, oft ADJ in n, ADJ that] When a group of people are unanimous, they all agree about something or all vote for the same thing.
Editors were unanimous in their condemnation of the proposals.
They were unanimous that Chortlesby Manor must be preserved.

They can have no doubts, however fleeting.
[ADJ] Fleeting is used to describe something which lasts only for a very short time.
The clock is ticking, time is fleeting and nobody lives forever.

Only one of us here today has ever undergone the rigorous training required of a Receiver.
rigorous [rígərəs]
[ADJ][usu ADJ n] A test, system, or procedure that is rigorous is very thorough and strict.
The selection process is based on rigorous tests of competence and experience.

He felt fear flutter within him.

flutter [flΛtər]
[VERB] If something thin or light flutters, or if you flutter it, it moves up and down or from side to side with a lot of quick, light movements.
Her chiffon skirt was fluttering in the night breeze.
a butterfly fluttering its wings.
the fluttering white lace handkerchief.

you have scraped your knees in falls from your bicycle.
scrape  [skreip]
[VERB] If you scrape something from a surface, you remove it, especially by pulling a sharp object over the surface.
She went round the car scraping the frost off the windows.
[VERB] If you scrape a part of your body, you accidentally rub it against something hard and rough, and damage it slightly.
She stumbled and fell, scraping her palms and knees.

"But you will be faced, now," she explained gently, "with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend
magnitude [mǽgnətjùːd]
[NOUN] If you talk about the magnitude of something, you are talking about its great size, scale, or importance.
We did not realize the magnitude of the problem.

you would need immense courage.
im·mense [iméns]
[ADJ] If you describe something as immense, you mean that it is extremely large or great.
There is still an immense amount of work to be done.

For a moment he froze, consumed with despair.
consumed with
to absorb; engross: consumed with curiosity.
At first, they are consumed with each other, as lovers.

Briefly he felt a tiny sliver of sureness for the first time.
sliver [slívər]
[NOUN] A sliver of something is a small thin piece or amount of it.
Not a sliver of glass remains where the windows were.

His heart swelled with gratitude and pride.
gratitude [grǽtətjùːd]
a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation
I wish to express my gratitude to Kathy Davis for her immense practical help.

Chapter8

<Story>

The Chief Elder apologized the confusion to the audience and Jonas. She told Jonas that he was selected as very special role by his many qualities such as “Intelligence”, “Integrity , “Courage”, and  “wisdom”. He was selected as “Receiver of Memory”. This role is for only one person, and the last Receiver wasn’t successfully chosen. The current Receiver qualified Jonas has capacity to See Beyond, and that’s out of normal citizen’s capacity. The role is obviously honor in the community, but the contents are vaguely described to the audience, so Jonas worries about this mysterious role which only he got in this community.

******************************************************************************

<Impressions>

Jonas received the special ability and special role in the community.  During the ceremony, Jonas experienced a roller coaster~ He got deep depression, and suddenly he was raised up to  the community’s honorable position by the Chief Elder. However, about this mysterious role, he has never heard of it, then got fear rather than peace. Not many people know about what “Receiver of Memory” is. Physical pain….Beyond our experience....Talented people always have special anguish at any world, isn’t it?! Pity Jonas, but it’s starting point of your mission!! Cheer up~:D

<My new words>
1. enthusiasm/n/ɪnˈθuːziæzəm/something that you are very interested in and spend a lot of time doing
>Reading is one of her many enthusiasms.

2. anticipation/n/ ænˌtɪsɪˈpeɪʃn/ a feeling of excitement about something (usually something good) that is going to happen
> The courtroom was filled with anticipation.

3.anguish/n/ ˈæŋɡwɪʃ/ severe pain, mental suffering or unhappiness
>I caused you anguish

4. astonishment/n/ əˈstɑːnɪʃmənt/ a feeling of very great surprise
> He stared in astonishment at the stranger.

5. dwell on/v / dwel/ to think or talk a lot about something, especially something it would be better to forget
>I will not dwell on the experience because it causes us all terrible discomfort.

6. attribute/n/ ˈætrɪbjuːt/ a quality or feature of somebody/something
> Patience is one of the most important attributes in a teacher.

7. integrity/n/ ɪnˈteɡrəti/ the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles
> to behave with integrity

8. promptly /adv/ without delay
> She deals with all the correspondence promptly and efficiently.

9. immense/adj/ ɪˈmens/ extremely large or great
> you would need immense courage

10. wisdom/n/ ˈwɪzdəm/ the ability to make sensible decisions and give good advice because of the experience and knowledge that you have
> a woman of great wisdom

*Discovery*

I just noticed these words are being used in the book as noun and verb.

APPLAUSE(Noun)  X  APPLAUD(Verb)

“I live for the applause, applause, applause”                                 “Applause” By Lady Gaga

"The audience applauded loudly."

#applause(p.43).applaud(p.59)

 

Chapter7

<Story>

In the community, each children has different number. Even parents sometimes call the number when they chastise kids. Jonas’s number was 19, and Asher’s was 4. The ceremony of Twelve has started. The Chief Elder gave long speech to the new Twelve, and called number one by one to the stage. Assignments “Fish Hatchery”, “Birthmother” and  “Instructor of Sixes” were taken. And Assistant Director of Recreation was taken by Asher. Fiona was given “Caretaker of the Old”, and Jonas thought she was well-qualified to be the Caretaker.

When Jonas’s turn came closer, he was totally ready to be called by the Chief Elder. However, his number was skipped, and the audience seemed to have noticed the odd happening, but his number was never called to the end. Jonas got strong shock and couldn’t understand why it happened, and sunk with deep depression and strong feeling of embarrassment.   

******************************************************************************

<Impressions>

 I read this chapter thrillingly since I was looking forward to knowing Jonas’s Assignment. BUT! Why Jonas’s Assignment was skipped? Why? Is there any special preparation for him? I wanted to believe so, but his group leader’s attitude gives me a bad sign. Jonas was hurt in front of the crowd, and my heart was also hurts. I think there are two possibilities about this skipping. One is that special Assignment is prepared to him, and the other is that his ceremony will be reprieved. I need to keep reading to find out the reason, and I am ready to listen to it!!! However, I don’t think the community is preparing an awful future for him since he didn’t do anything wrong, so let’s calm down, and read it~

 

<My new words>

1. trade/v/treɪd/to exchange something that you have for something that somebody else has
>His group traded with the new Elevens.

2. misbehavior/n/ ˌmɪsbɪˈheɪvjər/ bad behavior
>a children’s misbehavior

3. chuckle/v/ ˈtʃʌkl/ to laugh quietly
>Jonas always chuckled when heard “That’s enough! Twenty-three!”

4. exasperate/v/ ɪɡˈzæspəreɪt/ to annoy or irritate somebody very much
> Her moods exasperated him.

5. toddler/n/ ˈtɑːdlər/ a child who has only recently learnt to walk
>a whining toddler

6. worrier/n/ ˈwɜːriər/ a person who worries a lot about unpleasant things that have happened or that might happen
> He's such a worrier.

7. tattletale/n/ ˈtætlteɪl/ a child who tells an adult what another child has done wrong
>worrier and tattletale

8. curb/v/ kɜːrb/ to control or limit something, especially something bad
> He needs to learn to curb his temper.

9. impulse/n/ ˈɪmpʌls/ a sudden strong wish or need to do something, without stopping to think about the results
> any impulse that might set you apart from the group.

10. determine/v/ dɪˈtɜːrmɪn/ to officially decide and/or arrange something
>They have determined your future.

11. smack/n/ smæk/ a sharp hit given with your open hand, especially to a child as a punishment
>Asher had asked for a smack.

12. discipline/n/ ˈdɪsəplɪn/ a method of training your mind or body or of controlling your behavior
>the discipline wand came again

13. lash/n/ læʃ/ to hit a person or an animal with a whip, rope, stick, etc.
>a series of painful lashes

14. murmur/v/ ˈmɜːrmər/ to say something in a soft quiet voice that is difficult to hear or understand
>The audience murmured in agreement.

15. stun/v/ stʌn / to surprise or shock somebody so much that they cannot think clearly or speak
> They were stunned by the view from the summit.

16. hush/n/ hʌʃ/ to be quiet
> There was a sudden hush in the crowd

17. hunch/v/ hʌntʃ/ to bend the top part of your body forward and raise your shoulders and back
>He hunched his shoulders

18. dare/v/ der / to be brave enough to do something
>He didn’t dare to return and find his parents.

19. bear/v/ ber/ to be able to accept and deal with something unpleasant
>He couldn’t bear to see their faces darkened with shame.

*Discovery*
1. Within the story, I found 3 different expression about "laugh".
Grin________ smile widely
Giggle_______laugh in a silly way because you are amused.
Chuckle______laugh quietly
+My British colleague told me that "Giggle" normally young people and kids do.

2. There are 2 words makes difference with babyhood. You find these words in baby goods shop.
It is “Infant” and “Toddler”. “Infant” means a baby or very young child who dinks mainly milk and 0 month to 1 year old. (However, in UK, it means the child between 5 to 7 years old.)
“Toddler” means a child who has only recently learnt to walk and 1 year old to 3 years old.

 

 

 

Chapter 7 - The Giver

Finally, The ceremony of Twelve started but Jonas was still waiting for his turn as his number which he had got at his birth is nineteen. The Chief Elder called and made each of Twelves come up in order and granted Assignments to them. Jonas's friends, Asher and Fiona, have got Assistant Director of Recreation and Caretaker of the Old as their Assignment. However, the Chief Elder skipped Jonas and Jonas felt shame thinking what he did wrong while he wanted to consider it as her mistake.

All the readers of this book must be very upset in this chapter since they still can't get what Jonas receives as his assignment. On the other hand, this would be the attraction preventing readers from stopping reading. How clever the author is!
By the way, what on earth is Jonas's Assignment? My expectation for how special it would be is growing. 

Jonas always chuckled when he heard a parent, exasperated, call sharply to a whining toddler, "That's enough, Twenty-three!" 

exasperate |ɪgˈzasp(ə)reɪt, ɛg-|verb [ with obj. ]irritate intensely; infuriate: this futile process exasperates prison officers.

exasperate or exacerbate?These words may be confused on account of their similar sound; but theirmeanings are different. Exasperate means ‘irritate intensely’ (his colleague'serratic behaviour exasperated him). Exacerbate, on the other hand, means ‘make (an existing problem) worse’ (anaemia may be exacerbated by some medicines). Someone's late arrival may exasperate his colleagues, and this in turn may exacerbate the tension between them.

whine |wʌɪn|verb [ no obj. ]give or make a long, high-pitched complaining cry or sound: the dog whined and scratched at the back door 

But it evened out, as it always did, by Three.
flatten, make flat, make level, level,level off, level out, smooth, smooth out, smooth off, make flush, plane,make uniform, make regular. 

Pierre was very serious, not much fun, and a worrier and tattletale, too.
tattletale |ˈtatlteɪl|USnouna person, especially a child, who reveals secrets or informs on others; a telltale. 

You Elevens have spent all your years till now learning to fit in, to standardize your behavior, to curb any impulse that might set you apart from the group.
curb |kəːb|verb [ with obj. ]restrain or keep in check: she promised she would curb her temper.

She would enjoy the three years of being pampered that would follow her brief training;
pamper |ˈpampə|verb [ with obj. ]indulge with every attention, comfort, and kindness; spoil: famous people justlove being pampered.Asher laughed, too, looking sheepish but pleased at the special attention.

sheepish |ˈʃiːpɪʃ|adjectiveshowing or feeling embarrassment from shame or a lack of self-confidence:a sheepish grin. 

we even gave a little thought to some retroactive chastisement for the one who had been Asher's Instructor of Threes so long ago 

retroactive |rɛtrəʊˈaktɪv|adjective(especially of legislation) taking effect from a date in the past: a big retroactive tax increase.

Asher nodded ruefully, and the audience laughed aloud.
rueful |ˈruːfʊl, -f(ə)l|adjectiveexpressing sorrow or regret, especially in a wry or humorous way: she gave a rueful grin.  

the discipline wand: a thin, flexible weapon that stung painfully when it was wielded.  

wield |wiːld|verb [ with obj. ]hold and use (a weapon or tool)• have and be able to use (power or influence): faction leaders wielded enormous influence within the party.

And now his lapses are very few. His corrections and apologies are very prompt.  

lapse |laps|noun1 a brief or temporary failure of concentration, memory, or judgement: a lapse of concentration in the second set cost her the match.
prompt |prɒm(p)t|adjectivedone without delay; immediate: she would have died but for the prompt action of two ambulancemen.• (of a person) acting without delay: the fans were prompt in complying with police requests.• (of goods) for immediate delivery and payment.
one studious male had been selected as Doctor, studious |ˈstjuːdɪəs|adjective1 spending a lot of time studying or reading: he was quiet and studious.2 done deliberately or with a purpose in mind: his studious absence from public view.• showing great care or attention: he made a studious inspection of the buffet.

There was a sudden hush in the crowd,
hush |hʌʃ|verb [ with obj. ]make (someone) be quiet or stop talking: he placed a finger before pursed lips to hush her.• [ no obj., often in imperative ] be quiet: Hush! Someone will hear you.• (hush something up) suppress public mention of something: management took steps to hush up the dangers.noun [ in sing. ] a silence: a hush descended over the crowd. 

A mistake. She made a mistake. But Jonas knew, even as he had the thought, that she hadn't.  

even as at the very same time as: even as he spoke their baggage was being unloaded.

He saw the others in his group glance at him, embarrassed, and then avert their eyes quickly.
avert |əˈvəːt|
verb [ with obj. ]1 turn away (one's eyes or thoughts): she averted her eyes while we made stiltedconversation.2 prevent or ward off (an undesirable occurrence): talks failed to avert a rail strike. 

Chapter 6 - The Giver

The Ceremony in the community is held for two days and it contains from Naming for new children to Twelves’ ceremony.  During Naming, there was a special new born baby named Caleb with great applause as he was the second Caleb to be given to a family after the first one was lost by an accident. Fortunately Gabriel, Jonas’s Father used to bring home for supplementary care at night, was given another year instead of being released. Lily also stood on the podium for the Ceremony of Eights and now she can participate in volunteer work and wear a jacket with small pocket to take her own things. Meanwhile Jonas is waiting for this ceremony of Twelve and believes in committee’s delicate consideration for his Assignment.  

In this chapter, I couldn’t help being surprised at how well-designed the system of the community is for Children. Children in this society have dos and don’ts by ages. In addition, every rule for this, even clothes, has profound meaning based on Children Education. For instance, 4, 5, and 6 year-old children wear jackets fastened down the back and this is to let them learn interdependence. Also, 8-year-old like Lily can wear jackets with pockets and it reflect their maturity to carry their own belongings. Lois Lowry, the author of this book, seems to have studied on the field of Children Education and we can refer to those rules and apply in an assorted way.

Lily, standing in front of her, fidgeted impatiently.
fidget |ˈfɪdʒɪt|verb ( fidgets, fidgeting, fidgeted ) [ no obj. ]make small movements, especially of the hands and feet, through nervousness or impatience: the audience began to fidget and whisper.• be impatient or uneasy: [ with infinitive ] : he was fidgeting to get back to his shop.
The little girl nodded and looked down at herself, at the jacket with its row of large buttons that designated her as a Seven. 

designate

verb |ˈdɛzɪgneɪt| [ with obj. ]appoint (someone) to a specified office or post: he was designated as prime minister.

She gave Lily's ribbons a final tug.

tug |tʌg|verb ( tugs, tugging, tugged ) [ with obj. ]pull (something) hard or suddenly: she tugged off her boots | [ no obj. ] : hetugged at Tom's coat sleeve.• tow (a ship) by means of a tugboat.noun1 a hard or sudden pull: another tug and it came loose | figurative : an overwhelming tug of attraction.2 (also tugboat )a small, powerful boat used for towing larger boats and ships, especially in harbour.• an aircraft towing a glider.3 a loop from a horse's saddle which supports a shaft or trace. 

She prodded Lily to the front door and Jonas followed. 

prod |prɒd|
verb ( prods, prodding, prodded ) [ with obj. ]poke with a finger, foot, or pointed object: he prodded her in the ribs | [ noobj. ] : she took up a fork and prodded at the food.• stimulate or persuade (someone who is reluctant or slow) to dosomething: they attempted to prod the central bank into cutting interest rates.

Jonas stowed his bicycle beside Mother's and made his way through the throng to find his group. 
stow |stəʊ|

verb [ with obj. and adverbial ]

pack or store (an object) carefully and neatly in a particular place: Barneybegan stowing her luggage into the boot.

throng |θrɒŋ|nouna large, densely packed crowd of people or animals: he pushed his way through the throng | a throng of birds.

It wasn't at all hard to spot the Nurturers' section at the front; coming from it were the wails and howls of the newchildren who sat squirming on the Nurturers' laps. 

wail |weɪl|
nouna prolonged high-pitched cry of pain, grief, or anger: Christopher let out a wail.
howl |haʊl|nouna long, doleful cry uttered by an animal such as a dog or wolf.• a loud cry of pain, fear, anger, or amusement: he let out a howl of anguish |figurative : I got howls of protest from readers.squirm |skwəːm|verb [ no obj. ]wriggle or twist the body from side to side, especially as a result of nervousness or discomfort: he looked uncomfortable and squirmed in his chair.• show or feel embarrassment or shame: he squirmed as he recalled the phrases he had used.

But once a year, they all smiled indulgently at the commotion from the little ones waiting to receive their names and families. 

indulgent |ɪnˈdʌldʒ(ə)nt|
[ADJ] If you are indulgent, you treat a person with special kindness, often in a way that is not good for them. His indulgent mother was willing to let him do anything he wanted. commotion |kəˈməʊʃ(ə)n|
nouna state of confused and noisy disturbance: she was distracted by a commotion across the street 

He had been given an unusual and special reprieve from the committee.
reprieve |rɪˈpriːv|verb [ with obj. ]cancel or postpone the punishment of (someone, especially someone condemned to death): under the new regime, prisoners under sentence of death were reprieved.• abandon or postpone plans to close or abolish (something): the threatened pits could be reprieved. 

They would relinquish him without protest or appeal. 

relinquish |rɪˈlɪŋkwɪʃ|
verb [ with obj. ]voluntarily cease to keep or claim; give up: he relinquished his managerial role to become chief executive.

make (or pull ) a face (or faces )produce a facial expression that shows dislike or some other negative emotion, or that is intended to be amusing:Anna pulled a funny face at the girl.

The audience applause rose in an exuberant swell.  

exuberant |ɪgˈz(j)uːb(ə)r(ə)nt, ɛg-|
adjectivefull of energy, excitement, and cheerfulness: a noisy bunch of exuberant youngsters.
swell |swɛl|verb ( swells, swelling, swelled;past participle swollen |ˈswəʊlən| orswelled )noun a gradual increase in amount, intensity, or volume: a huge swell in the popularity of one-day cricket. a welling up of a feeling: a swell of pride swept over George.

the long and somber day went on 

sombre |ˈsɒmbə|(US also somber )
adjective1 dark or dull in colour or tone: the night skies were sombre and starless.2 having or conveying a feeling of deep seriousness and sadness: he looked at her with a sombre expression.

He knew that his parents cringed a little, as he did, when Fritz received his bike and almost immediately bumped into the podium with it. 

cringe |krɪn(d)ʒ|
verb ( cringes, cringing, cringed ) [ no obj. ]bend one's head and body in fear or apprehension or in a servile manner

podium |ˈpəʊdɪəm|noun ( pl. podiums or podia |ˈpəʊdɪə| )a small platform on which a person may stand to be seen by an audience, as when making a speech or conducting an orchestra.

Fritz was a very awkward child who had been summoned for chastisement again and again.  

summon |ˈsʌmən|
verb [ with obj. ] If you summon someone, you order them to come to you.

But each such error reflected negatively on his parents' guidance and infringed on the community's sense of order and success. 

infringe |ɪnˈfrɪn(d)ʒ|
verb ( infringes, infringing, infringed ) [ with obj. ]If someone infringes a law or a rule, they break it or do something which disobeys it.

The community was so meticulously ordered, the choices so carefully made. 

meticulous |mɪˈtɪkjʊləs|
adjectiveshowing great attention to detail; very careful and precise: the designs are hand-glazed with meticulous care | he had always been so meticulous about his appearance.

but his father had a calmer disposition. 

disposition |dɪspəˈzɪʃ(ə)n|
noun1 a person's inherent qualities of mind and character: a sweet-natured girl of a placid disposition | he has the disposition of a saint.• [ often with infinitive ] an inclination or tendency: the Prime Minister has shown a disposition to alter policies | the judge's disposition to clemency.2 [ mass noun ] the way in which something is placed or arranged, especially in relation to other things: the plan shows the disposition of the rooms.

the Assignments were scrupulously thought through by the Committee of Elders. 

scrupulous |ˈskruːpjʊləs|
adjective(of a person or process) diligent, thorough, and extremely attentive todetails: the research has been carried out with scrupulous attention to detail.• very concerned to avoid doing wrong: she's too scrupulous to have an affair with a married man.