Chapter 40 of An American tragedy, v. 1 is here in full — 277 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XL
Chapter 40 of An American tragedy, v. 1 is here in full — 277 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure. For apparently now here was illegitimacy and disgrace for Roberta. Exposure and destruction for Clyde. And this had been their one solution seemingly. Then, by degrees, for Clyde at least, there was a slight lifting of the heavy pall.
Chapter 40 of An American tragedy, v. 1 is here in full — 277 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/55 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
a river in western Scotland that flows from the southern uplands into the Firth of Clyde; navigable by oceangoing vessels as far as Glasgow
From this reading “The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.”
possessive form of “doctor” — a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading “The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.”
vulnerability to the elements; to the action of heat or cold or wind or rain
From this reading “Exposure and destruction for Clyde.”
the status of being born to parents who were not married
From this reading “For apparently now here was illegitimacy and disgrace for Roberta.”
become less interesting or attractive
From this reading “Then, by degrees, for Clyde at least, there was a slight lifting of the heavy pall.”
from appearances alone
From this reading “And this had been their one solution seemingly.”
a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution
From this reading “And this had been their one solution seemingly.”
fill with terror; frighten greatly
From this reading “The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “Then, by degrees, for Clyde at least, there was a slight lifting of the heavy pall.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Then, by degrees, for Clyde at least, there was a slight lifting of the heavy pall.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.
from appearances alone
From this reading For apparently now here was illegitimacy and disgrace for Roberta.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Then, by degrees, for Clyde at least, there was a slight lifting of the heavy pall.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading And this had been their one solution seemingly.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.
the two together, not just one
From this reading The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Then, by degrees, for Clyde at least, there was a slight lifting of the heavy pall.
a river in western Scotland that flows from the southern uplands into the Firth of Clyde; navigable by oceangoing vessels as far as Glasgow
From this reading The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.
the act of making up your mind about something
From this reading The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.
plural of “degree” — a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading Then, by degrees, for Clyde at least, there was a slight lifting of the heavy pall.
the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists
From this reading Exposure and destruction for Clyde.
bring shame or dishonor upon
From this reading For apparently now here was illegitimacy and disgrace for Roberta.
possessive form of “doctor” — a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.
vulnerability to the elements; to the action of heat or cold or wind or rain
From this reading Exposure and destruction for Clyde.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For apparently now here was illegitimacy and disgrace for Roberta.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And this had been their one solution seemingly.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading Then, by degrees, for Clyde at least, there was a slight lifting of the heavy pall.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading For apparently now here was illegitimacy and disgrace for Roberta.
the status of being born to parents who were not married
From this reading For apparently now here was illegitimacy and disgrace for Roberta.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading Then, by degrees, for Clyde at least, there was a slight lifting of the heavy pall.
-ing form of “lift” — raise from a lower to a higher position
From this reading Then, by degrees, for Clyde at least, there was a slight lifting of the heavy pall.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading For apparently now here was illegitimacy and disgrace for Roberta.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading And this had been their one solution seemingly.
become less interesting or attractive
From this reading Then, by degrees, for Clyde at least, there was a slight lifting of the heavy pall.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.
from appearances alone
From this reading And this had been their one solution seemingly.
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
From this reading Then, by degrees, for Clyde at least, there was a slight lifting of the heavy pall.
a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution
From this reading And this had been their one solution seemingly.
fill with terror; frighten greatly
From this reading The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading And this had been their one solution seemingly.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, by degrees, for Clyde at least, there was a slight lifting of the heavy pall.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Then, by degrees, for Clyde at least, there was a slight lifting of the heavy pall.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading And this had been their one solution seemingly.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The first effect of the doctor's decision was to shock and terrify them both--Roberta and Clyde--beyond measure.
Chapter 40 of An American tragedy, v. 1 by Theodore Dreiser holds 277 sentences, grouped into 56 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 40 holds 277 sentences of An American tragedy, v. 1, unabridged, divided into 56 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 40 of An American tragedy, v. 1 by Theodore Dreiser exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 277 sentences, grouped into 56 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 56 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 56 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 40 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading An American tragedy, v. 1 by Theodore Dreiser on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9604 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75181 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #75181, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1921 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through An American tragedy, v. 1 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of An American tragedy, v. 1 to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in An American tragedy, v. 1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
