Chapter 2 of Ethan Frome is here in full — 444 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Ethan Frome is here in full — 444 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“No; there’s nothing.” Zeena turned away from her. “You might ’a’ shook off that snow outside,” she said to her husband. She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs. Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.
Chapter 2 of Ethan Frome is here in full — 444 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
arousing affect
From this reading “Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.”
at or in the front
From this reading “She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.”
a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading “Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.”
feel about uncertainly or blindly
From this reading “Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.”
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading “She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.”
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading “She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.”
-ing form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading “She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.”
a wooden pin pushed or driven into a surface
From this reading “Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.”
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 “You might ’a’ shook off that snow outside,” she said to her husband.
arousing affect
From this reading Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.
at or in the front
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
in addition
From this reading Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Zeena turned away from her.
a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Zeena turned away from her.
feel about uncertainly or blindly
From this reading Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Zeena turned away from her.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading “You might ’a’ shook off that snow outside,” she said to her husband.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading “You might ’a’ shook off that snow outside,” she said to her husband.
not any; not one
From this reading “No; there’s nothing.”
not one thing; not anything
From this reading “No; there’s nothing.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “You might ’a’ shook off that snow outside,” she said to her husband.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading “You might ’a’ shook off that snow outside,” she said to her husband.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.
-ing form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
a wooden pin pushed or driven into a surface
From this reading Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “You might ’a’ shook off that snow outside,” she said to her husband.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “You might ’a’ shook off that snow outside,” she said to her husband.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading “You might ’a’ shook off that snow outside,” she said to her husband.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading “You might ’a’ shook off that snow outside,” she said to her husband.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “You might ’a’ shook off that snow outside,” she said to her husband.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “No; there’s nothing.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “You might ’a’ shook off that snow outside,” she said to her husband.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Zeena turned away from her.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading She walked out of the kitchen ahead of them and pausing in the hall raised the lamp at arm’s-length, as if to light them up the stairs.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Ethan paused also, affecting to fumble for the peg on which he hung his coat and cap.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You might ’a’ shook off that snow outside,” she said to her husband.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Zeena turned away from her.
Chapter 2 of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton holds 444 sentences, grouped into 89 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.
Chapter 2 holds 444 sentences of Ethan Frome, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 444 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 2 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 Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1758 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4517 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4517, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 146 minutes of reading across 352 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ethan Frome section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of Ethan Frome 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 Ethan Frome, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
