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Hard Times

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Hard Times is here in full — 226 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Charles Dickens • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Hard Times

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

PHILOSOPHICAL

THEY went back into the booth, Sleary shutting the door to keep intruders out.

Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

‘Bitzer,’ said Mr. Gradgrind, broken down, and miserably submissive to him, ‘have you a heart?’

‘The circulation, sir,’ returned Bitzer, smiling at the oddity of the question, ‘couldn’t be carried on without one.

Narrator

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.

Chapter XXI Reading 1/45

Hard Times

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Hard Times is here in full — 226 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/45 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

PHILOSOPHICAL

Line 2

THEY went back into the booth, Sleary shutting the door to keep intruders out.

Line 3

Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

Line 4

‘Bitzer,’ said Mr. Gradgrind, broken down, and miserably submissive to him, ‘have you a heart?’

Line 5

‘The circulation, sir,’ returned Bitzer, smiling at the oddity of the question, ‘couldn’t be carried on without one.

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.

Stood verb US /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading “Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.”

All words in this reading · 58

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.

a

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

From this reading ‘Bitzer,’ said Mr. Gradgrind, broken down, and miserably submissive to him, ‘have you a heart?’

and

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

From this reading ‘Bitzer,’ said Mr. Gradgrind, broken down, and miserably submissive to him, ‘have you a heart?’

at

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

back

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

From this reading THEY went back into the booth, Sleary shutting the door to keep intruders out.

be

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

From this reading ‘The circulation, sir,’ returned Bitzer, smiling at the oddity of the question, ‘couldn’t be carried on without one.

Bitzer

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

blinking

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

booth

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

From this reading THEY went back into the booth, Sleary shutting the door to keep intruders out.

broken

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

From this reading ‘Bitzer,’ said Mr. Gradgrind, broken down, and miserably submissive to him, ‘have you a heart?’

by

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

carried

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

From this reading ‘The circulation, sir,’ returned Bitzer, smiling at the oddity of the question, ‘couldn’t be carried on without one.

circulation

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

From this reading ‘The circulation, sir,’ returned Bitzer, smiling at the oddity of the question, ‘couldn’t be carried on without one.

collar

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

couldn't

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

From this reading ‘The circulation, sir,’ returned Bitzer, smiling at the oddity of the question, ‘couldn’t be carried on without one.

culprit

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

darkness

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

door

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

From this reading THEY went back into the booth, Sleary shutting the door to keep intruders out.

down

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

From this reading ‘Bitzer,’ said Mr. Gradgrind, broken down, and miserably submissive to him, ‘have you a heart?’

Gradgrind

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

From this reading ‘Bitzer,’ said Mr. Gradgrind, broken down, and miserably submissive to him, ‘have you a heart?’

have

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

From this reading ‘Bitzer,’ said Mr. Gradgrind, broken down, and miserably submissive to him, ‘have you a heart?’

heart

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

From this reading ‘Bitzer,’ said Mr. Gradgrind, broken down, and miserably submissive to him, ‘have you a heart?’

him

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

From this reading ‘Bitzer,’ said Mr. Gradgrind, broken down, and miserably submissive to him, ‘have you a heart?’

his

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

holding

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

in

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

into

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

From this reading THEY went back into the booth, Sleary shutting the door to keep intruders out.

intruders

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

From this reading THEY went back into the booth, Sleary shutting the door to keep intruders out.

keep

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

From this reading THEY went back into the booth, Sleary shutting the door to keep intruders out.

miserably

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

From this reading ‘Bitzer,’ said Mr. Gradgrind, broken down, and miserably submissive to him, ‘have you a heart?’

Mr

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

From this reading ‘Bitzer,’ said Mr. Gradgrind, broken down, and miserably submissive to him, ‘have you a heart?’

oddity

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

From this reading ‘The circulation, sir,’ returned Bitzer, smiling at the oddity of the question, ‘couldn’t be carried on without one.

of

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

old

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

on

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

From this reading ‘The circulation, sir,’ returned Bitzer, smiling at the oddity of the question, ‘couldn’t be carried on without one.

one

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

From this reading ‘The circulation, sir,’ returned Bitzer, smiling at the oddity of the question, ‘couldn’t be carried on without one.

out

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

From this reading THEY went back into the booth, Sleary shutting the door to keep intruders out.

paralysed

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

patron

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

PHILOSOPHICAL

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

From this reading PHILOSOPHICAL

question

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

From this reading ‘The circulation, sir,’ returned Bitzer, smiling at the oddity of the question, ‘couldn’t be carried on without one.

returned

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

From this reading ‘The circulation, sir,’ returned Bitzer, smiling at the oddity of the question, ‘couldn’t be carried on without one.

Ring

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

said

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

From this reading ‘Bitzer,’ said Mr. Gradgrind, broken down, and miserably submissive to him, ‘have you a heart?’

shutting

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

From this reading THEY went back into the booth, Sleary shutting the door to keep intruders out.

sir

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

From this reading ‘The circulation, sir,’ returned Bitzer, smiling at the oddity of the question, ‘couldn’t be carried on without one.

Sleary

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

From this reading THEY went back into the booth, Sleary shutting the door to keep intruders out.

smiling

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

From this reading ‘The circulation, sir,’ returned Bitzer, smiling at the oddity of the question, ‘couldn’t be carried on without one.

still

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

submissive

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

From this reading ‘Bitzer,’ said Mr. Gradgrind, broken down, and miserably submissive to him, ‘have you a heart?’

the

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

From this reading THEY went back into the booth, Sleary shutting the door to keep intruders out.

THEY

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

From this reading THEY went back into the booth, Sleary shutting the door to keep intruders out.

through

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

to

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

From this reading THEY went back into the booth, Sleary shutting the door to keep intruders out.

twilight

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

From this reading Bitzer, still holding the paralysed culprit by the collar, stood in the Ring, blinking at his old patron through the darkness of the twilight.

went

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

From this reading THEY went back into the booth, Sleary shutting the door to keep intruders out.

without

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

From this reading ‘The circulation, sir,’ returned Bitzer, smiling at the oddity of the question, ‘couldn’t be carried on without one.

you

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

From this reading ‘Bitzer,’ said Mr. Gradgrind, broken down, and miserably submissive to him, ‘have you a heart?’

Chapter 21 of Hard Times by Charles Dickens holds 226 sentences, grouped into 46 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 21 of Hard Times contain?

Chapter 21 holds 226 sentences of Hard Times, unabridged, divided into 46 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of Hard Times by Charles Dickens exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 226 sentences, grouped into 46 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 21 of Hard Times?

Work through the 46 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 46 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 Hard Times

Common questions about reading Hard Times by Charles Dickens on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Hard Times?

Yes. All 6128 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #786 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Hard Times is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #786, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Hard Times take to read?

About 510 minutes of reading across 1226 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Hard Times section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 21 chapters of Hard Times to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Hard Times

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

Philosophical: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hard Times; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Final: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hard Times; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Illustrations: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hard Times; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stephen: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hard Times; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.