Name different kinds of opposition
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
An apprentice's insubordination in the novel begins when she refuses the legitimate instruction to return borrowed printing tools at the agreed time. A separate chapter describes an insurrection in which armed factions violently attack the established city government. A deserter from the city's guard abandons his service without permission while the remaining guards still expect him to carry out his duties. The student does not treat these episodes as interchangeable, because disobedience, violent uprising, and abandonment describe different actions.
The apprentice admits her insubordination after learning that another printer could not begin work without the missing tools. The insurrection, by contrast, disrupts the city through organized violence against the government rather than a dispute over a workshop instruction. The deserter's decision is revealed in a letter saying that he has left the service permanently without seeking release. The student's reading notes identify those particular facts, allowing discussion of the characters' motives without blurring what each character actually did.
Before you move on
Look away from the passage. Can you explain each focus word in your own words?
Original fictional passages for vocabulary practice.