Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Harriet A. (Harriet Ann) Jacobs • Curated US English Learning Edition

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This man squandered the fortune he had received, and sought to retrieve his affairs by a second marriage; but, having retired after a night of drunken debauch, he was found dead in the morning.

He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

Had it not been for slavery, he would have been a better man, and his wife a happier woman.

No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery.

The slave girl is reared in an atmosphere of licentiousness and fear.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter IV Reading 1/83

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Harriet A. (Harriet Ann) Jacobs

Chapter IV

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

This man squandered the fortune he had received, and sought to retrieve his affairs by a second marriage; but, having retired after a night of drunken debauch, he was found dead in the morning. He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others. Had it not been for slavery, he would have been a better man, and his wife a happier woman. No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery. The slave girl is reared in an atmosphere of licentiousness and fear.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

This man squandered the fortune he had received, and sought to retrieve his affairs by a second marriage; but, having retired after a night of drunken debauch, he was found dead in the morning.

Line 2

He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

Line 3

Had it not been for slavery, he would have been a better man, and his wife a happier woman.

/hæd ɪt nɑːt bɪn fɔːr ˈsleɪvəri hiː wʊd hæv bɪn ə ˈbetər mæn ənd hɪz waɪf ə ˈhæpiər ˈwʊmən/

Line 4

No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery.

Line 5

The slave girl is reared in an atmosphere of licentiousness and fear.

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.

adequate adjective US /ˈædəkwət/

having the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task

From this reading “No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery.”

corruption noun US /kərˈʌpʃən/

lack of integrity or honesty (especially susceptibility to bribery); use of a position of trust for dishonest gain

From this reading “No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery.”

lash verb US /læʃ/

beat severely with a whip or rod

From this reading “He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.”

plantation noun US /ˌplænˈteɪʃən/

an estate where cash crops are grown on a large scale (especially in tropical areas)

From this reading “He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.”

reared verb US /rɪrd/

past form of “rear” — stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds

From this reading “The slave girl is reared in an atmosphere of licentiousness and fear.”

retrieve verb US /rɪˈtriːv/

get or find back; recover the use of

From this reading “This man squandered the fortune he had received, and sought to retrieve his affairs by a second marriage; but, having retired after a night of drunken debauch, he was found dead in the morning.”

slavery noun US /ˈsleɪvəri/

the state of being under the control of another person

From this reading “Had it not been for slavery, he would have been a better man, and his wife a happier woman.”

squandered adjective US /ˈskwɑːndərd/

not used to good advantage

All words in this reading · 77

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 This man squandered the fortune he had received, and sought to retrieve his affairs by a second marriage; but, having retired after a night of drunken debauch, he was found dead in the morning.

adequateadjectiveUS /ˈædəkwət/

having the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task

From this reading No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery.

affairsnounUS /əˈferz/

matters of personal concern

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

all-pervading

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

From this reading No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

atmospherenounUS /ˈætməsfɪr/

a particular environment or surrounding influence

From this reading The slave girl is reared in an atmosphere of licentiousness and fear.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Had it not been for slavery, he would have been a better man, and his wife a happier woman.

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery.

clothedadjectiveUS /kloʊðd/

wearing or provided with clothing; sometimes used in combination

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

corruptionnounUS /kərˈʌpʃən/

lack of integrity or honesty (especially susceptibility to bribery); use of a position of trust for dishonest gain

From this reading No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery.

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

debauchnoun

a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity

descriptionnounUS /dɪˈskrɪpʃən/

a statement that represents something in words

From this reading No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery.

drunkenadjectiveUS /ˈdrʌŋkən/

given to or marked by the consumption of alcohol

fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading The slave girl is reared in an atmosphere of licentiousness and fear.

fednounUS /fed/

any federal law-enforcement officer

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

frequentlyadverbUS /ˈfriːkwəntli/

many times at short intervals

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading The slave girl is reared in an atmosphere of licentiousness and fear.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

happieradjectiveUS /ˈhæpiər/

comparative of “happy” — enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading Had it not been for slavery, he would have been a better man, and his wife a happier woman.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Had it not been for slavery, he would have been a better man, and his wife a happier woman.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The slave girl is reared in an atmosphere of licentiousness and fear.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Had it not been for slavery, he would have been a better man, and his wife a happier woman.

lashverbUS /læʃ/

beat severely with a whip or rod

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

licentiousnessnoun

the quality of being lewd and lascivious

From this reading The slave girl is reared in an atmosphere of licentiousness and fear.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

marriagenounUS /ˈmerɪdʒ/

the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)

masternounUS /ˈmæstər/

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

mastersnounUS /ˈmæstərz/

United States poet (1869-1950)

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

others

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

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

pennounUS /pen/

a writing implement with a point from which ink flows

From this reading No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery.

plantationnounUS /ˌplænˈteɪʃən/

an estate where cash crops are grown on a large scale (especially in tropical areas)

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

producedverbUS /prəˈduːst/

past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield

From this reading No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery.

rearedverbUS /rɪrd/

past form of “rear” — stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds

From this reading The slave girl is reared in an atmosphere of licentiousness and fear.

receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

retiredadjectiveUS /rɪˈtaɪrd/

no longer active in your work or profession

retrieveverbUS /rɪˈtriːv/

get or find back; recover the use of

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

slavenounUS /sleɪv/

a person who is owned by someone

From this reading The slave girl is reared in an atmosphere of licentiousness and fear.

slaverynounUS /ˈsleɪvəri/

the state of being under the control of another person

From this reading Had it not been for slavery, he would have been a better man, and his wife a happier woman.

slavesnounUS /sleɪvz/

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

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

soughtadjectiveUS /sɔːt/

that is looked for

squanderedadjectiveUS /ˈskwɑːndərd/

not used to good advantage

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading He was called a good master; for he fed and clothed his slaves better than most masters, and the lash was not heard on his plantation so frequently as on many others.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading Had it not been for slavery, he would have been a better man, and his wife a happier woman.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Had it not been for slavery, he would have been a better man, and his wife a happier woman.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Had it not been for slavery, he would have been a better man, and his wife a happier woman.

Chapter 4 of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet A. (Harriet Ann) Jacobs holds 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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.

What does chapter 4 of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl contain?

Chapter 4 holds 417 sentences of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet A. (Harriet Ann) Jacobs exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 4 of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl?

Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 84 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Common questions about reading Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet A. (Harriet Ann) Jacobs on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl?

Yes. All 5010 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11030 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #11030, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 417 minutes of reading across 1002 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Words and structures a reader meets early in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Incidents: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Slave: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Written: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Herself: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

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Vocabulary met early in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl