Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Clotelle
Clotelle

Chapter XIX · Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of Clotelle is here in full — 65 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Clotelle
Context Illustration Reading 1/13 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.
The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.
It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.
The dogged and stern manner of the preacher forbade even his daughter inquiring as to the success of his pursuit.
Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Clotelle

Chapter XIX · Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of Clotelle is here in full — 65 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.
Line 2
The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.
/ðə puːr ɡɜːrl wel nuː ðæt hiː wʊd biː kɑːt ənd ðæt səˈvɪr ˈpʌnɪʃmənt ɪf nɑːt deθ wʊd biː ðə rɪˈzʌlt ʌv hɪz ˈkæptʃər/
Line 3
It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.
Line 4
The dogged and stern manner of the preacher forbade even his daughter inquiring as to the success of his pursuit.
/ðə dɔːɡd ənd stɜːrn ˈmænər ʌv ðə ˈpriːtʃər fərˈbeɪd ˈiːvɪn hɪz ˈdɔːtər ˌɪnˈkwaɪərɪŋ æz tuː ðə səkˈses ʌv hɪz pərˈsuːt/
Line 5
Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

Learner Dictionary

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.

console verb US /ˈkɑːnsoʊl/

give moral or emotional strength to

From this reading “IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.”

dogged adjective US /dɔːɡd/

stubbornly unyielding

From this reading “The dogged and stern manner of the preacher forbade even his daughter inquiring as to the success of his pursuit.”

forbade verb US /fərˈbeɪd/

inflected form of “forbid” — command against

From this reading “The dogged and stern manner of the preacher forbade even his daughter inquiring as to the success of his pursuit.”

fugitive noun US /ˈfjuːdʒətɪv/

someone who flees from an uncongenial situation

From this reading “Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.”

inquiring adjective US /ˌɪnˈkwaɪərɪŋ/

given to inquiry

From this reading “The dogged and stern manner of the preacher forbade even his daughter inquiring as to the success of his pursuit.”

Jerome noun US /dʒərˈoʊm/

(Roman Catholic Church) one of the great Fathers of the early Christian Church whose major work was his translation of the Scriptures from Hebrew and Greek into Latin (which became the Vulgate); a saint and Doctor of the Church (347-420)

From this reading “IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.”

menial adjective US /ˈmiːniəl/

used of unskilled work (especially domestic work)

From this reading “Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.”

preacher noun US /ˈpriːtʃər/

someone whose occupation is preaching the gospel

From this reading “The dogged and stern manner of the preacher forbade even his daughter inquiring as to the success of his pursuit.”

All words in this reading · 86

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The dogged and stern manner of the preacher forbade even his daughter inquiring as to the success of his pursuit.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.

beenounUS /biː/

any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species

From this reading Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

captureverbUS /ˈkæptʃər/

succeed in representing or expressing something intangible

From this reading The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.

caughtverbUS /kɑːt/

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.

chaseverbUS /tʃeɪs/

go after with the intent to catch

From this reading It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.

Clotelle

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

companionnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

consoleverbUS /ˈkɑːnsoʊl/

give moral or emotional strength to

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

daughternounUS /ˈdɔːtər/

a female human offspring

From this reading The dogged and stern manner of the preacher forbade even his daughter inquiring as to the success of his pursuit.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.

deepestadjectiveUS /ˈdiːpəst/

superlative of “deep” — relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

doggedadjectiveUS /dɔːɡd/

stubbornly unyielding

From this reading The dogged and stern manner of the preacher forbade even his daughter inquiring as to the success of his pursuit.

dogsnounUS /dɑːɡz/

plural of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

especiallyadverbUS /əˈspeʃli/

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading The dogged and stern manner of the preacher forbade even his daughter inquiring as to the success of his pursuit.

filledadjectiveUS /fɪld/

(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with

From this reading It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.

footstepsnounUS /ˈfʊtsteps/

plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking

From this reading It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

forbadeverbUS /fərˈbeɪd/

inflected form of “forbid” — command against

From this reading The dogged and stern manner of the preacher forbade even his daughter inquiring as to the success of his pursuit.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.

fugitivenounUS /ˈfjuːdʒətɪv/

someone who flees from an uncongenial situation

From this reading Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

Georgiana

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.

griefnounUS /ɡriːf/

intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)

From this reading It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.

hopedverbUS /hoʊpt/

past form of “hope” — expect and wish

From this reading Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

inquiringadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪərɪŋ/

given to inquiry

From this reading The dogged and stern manner of the preacher forbade even his daughter inquiring as to the success of his pursuit.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.

JeromenounUS /dʒərˈoʊm/

(Roman Catholic Church) one of the great Fathers of the early Christian Church whose major work was his translation of the Scriptures from Hebrew and Greek into Latin (which became the Vulgate); a saint and Doctor of the Church (347-420)

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.

latteradjectiveUS /ˈlætər/

referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

maid-servant

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading The dogged and stern manner of the preacher forbade even his daughter inquiring as to the success of his pursuit.

masternounUS /ˈmæstər/

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.

menialadjectiveUS /ˈmiːniəl/

used of unskilled work (especially domestic work)

From this reading Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.

preachernounUS /ˈpriːtʃər/

someone whose occupation is preaching the gospel

From this reading The dogged and stern manner of the preacher forbade even his daughter inquiring as to the success of his pursuit.

punishmentnounUS /ˈpʌnɪʃmənt/

the act of punishing

From this reading The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.

pursuitnounUS /pərˈsuːt/

the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

regardedverbUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd/

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

resultnounUS /rɪˈzʌlt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.

returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.

sakenounUS /seɪk/

a reason for wanting something done

From this reading Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

secretlyadverbUS /ˈsiːkrɪtli/

in secrecy; not openly

From this reading Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

severeadjectiveUS /səˈvɪr/

intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality

From this reading The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

slavenounUS /sleɪv/

a person who is owned by someone

From this reading Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

slave-girl

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.

slavesnounUS /sleɪvz/

plural of “slave” — a person who is owned by someone

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

sternadjectiveUS /stɜːrn/

of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect

From this reading The dogged and stern manner of the preacher forbade even his daughter inquiring as to the success of his pursuit.

successnounUS /səkˈses/

an event that accomplishes its intended purpose

From this reading The dogged and stern manner of the preacher forbade even his daughter inquiring as to the success of his pursuit.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

thereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

vainadjectiveUS /veɪn/

characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It was therefore with a heart filled with the deepest grief that the slave-girl heard the footsteps of her master on his return from the chase.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

WilsonnounUS /ˈwɪlsən/

author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

wishedverbUS /wɪʃt/

past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish

From this reading Georgiana secretly hoped that the fugitive had not bee caught; she wished it for the sake of the slave, and more especially for her maid-servant, whom she regarded more as a companion than a menial.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading IN vain did Georgiana try to console Clotelle, when the latter heard, through one of the other slaves, that Mr. Wilson had started with the dogs in pursuit of Jerome.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading The poor girl well knew that he would be caught, and that severe punishment, if not death, would be the result of his capture.

Chapter 19 of Clotelle by William Wells Brown holds 65 sentences, grouped into 13 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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.

What does chapter 19 of Clotelle contain?

Chapter 19 holds 65 sentences of Clotelle, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 of Clotelle by William Wells Brown exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 65 sentences, grouped into 13 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.

How do I study chapter 19 of Clotelle?

Work through the 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 13 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.

Can chapter 19 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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.

Questions about reading Clotelle

Common questions about reading Clotelle by William Wells Brown on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Clotelle?

Yes. All 2012 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #241 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Clotelle is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #241, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Clotelle take to read?

About 167 minutes of reading across 403 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Clotelle section by section

How to work through Clotelle section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of Clotelle to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Clotelle

Words and structures a reader meets early in Clotelle, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Years
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clotelle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
South
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clotelle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Noted
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clotelle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Beautiful
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clotelle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.