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Sister Carrie
Sister Carrie

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Sister Carrie is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Sister Carrie
Context Illustration Reading 1/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.
She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.
They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.
Mrs. Hale, from her upper window, saw her come in.
"Um," she thought to herself, "she goes riding with another man when her husband is out of the city.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Sister Carrie

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Sister Carrie is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.
Line 2
She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.
Line 3
They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.
/ðeɪ hæd əˈɡriːd wɪˈθaʊt ˈeni ˈfiːlɪŋ ʌv enˈfɔːrst ˈsiːkrəsi ðæt ʃiː ʃʊd kʌm daʊn taʊn ənd miːt hɪm ðoʊ ˈæftər ɔːl ðə niːd ʌv ɪt wɑːz ðə kɑːz/
Line 4
Mrs. Hale, from her upper window, saw her come in.
/ˈmɪsɪz heɪl frʌm hɜːr ˈʌpər ˈwɪndoʊ sɔː hɜːr kʌm ɪn/
Line 5
"Um," she thought to herself, "she goes riding with another man when her husband is out of the city.

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.

enforced adjective US /enˈfɔːrst/

forced or compelled or put in force

From this reading “They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.”

glow noun US /ɡloʊ/

an alert and refreshed state

From this reading “WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.”

Hale noun US /heɪl/

a soldier of the American Revolution who was hanged as a spy by the British; his last words were supposed to have been `I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country' (1755-1776)

From this reading “Mrs. Hale, from her upper window, saw her come in.”

mentally adverb US /ˈmentəli/

in your mind

From this reading “WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.”

physically adverb US /ˈfɪzɪkəli/

in accord with physical laws

From this reading “WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.”

rejoicing noun US /rɪˈdʒɔɪsɪŋ/

a feeling of great happiness

From this reading “She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.”

secrecy noun US /ˈsiːkrəsi/

the trait of keeping things secret

From this reading “They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.”

wanes noun US /weɪnz/

plural of “wane” — a gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number)

From this reading “WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.”

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 WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

affectionnounUS /əˈfekʃən/

a positive feeling of liking

From this reading She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

agreedadjectiveUS /əˈɡriːd/

united by being of the same opinion

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading "Um," she thought to herself, "she goes riding with another man when her husband is out of the city.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

Carrie

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

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

causenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading "Um," she thought to herself, "she goes riding with another man when her husband is out of the city.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

deeplyadverbUS /ˈdiːpli/

to a great depth psychologically or emotionally

From this reading She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

enforcedadjectiveUS /enˈfɔːrst/

forced or compelled or put in force

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

EYESnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

fancynounUS /ˈfænsi/

something many people believe that is false

From this reading She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.

forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/

at or to or toward the front

From this reading She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Mrs. Hale, from her upper window, saw her come in.

glownounUS /ɡloʊ/

an alert and refreshed state

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

goesnounUS /ɡoʊz/

plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

From this reading "Um," she thought to herself, "she goes riding with another man when her husband is out of the city.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

HalenounUS /heɪl/

a soldier of the American Revolution who was hanged as a spy by the British; his last words were supposed to have been `I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country' (1755-1776)

From this reading Mrs. Hale, from her upper window, saw her come in.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading "Um," she thought to herself, "she goes riding with another man when her husband is out of the city.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.

Hurstwood

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

From this reading She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.

husbandnounUS /ˈhʌzbənd/

a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading "Um," she thought to herself, "she goes riding with another man when her husband is out of the city.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

INFLUENCEnounUS /ˈɪnfluːəns/

a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Um," she thought to herself, "she goes riding with another man when her husband is out of the city.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading "Um," she thought to herself, "she goes riding with another man when her husband is out of the city.

meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

meetingnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋ/

a formally arranged gathering

From this reading She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.

mentallyadverbUS /ˈmentəli/

in your mind

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading Mrs. Hale, from her upper window, saw her come in.

neednounUS /niːd/

a condition requiring relief

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

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

From this reading She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.

NOTadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

ONEpronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "Um," she thought to herself, "she goes riding with another man when her husband is out of the city.

physicallyadverbUS /ˈfɪzɪkəli/

in accord with physical laws

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

rejoicingnounUS /rɪˈdʒɔɪsɪŋ/

a feeling of great happiness

From this reading She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.

ridingnounUS /ˈraɪdɪŋ/

the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements

From this reading "Um," she thought to herself, "she goes riding with another man when her husband is out of the city.

roomsnounUS /ruːmz/

apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Mrs. Hale, from her upper window, saw her come in.

secrecynounUS /ˈsiːkrəsi/

the trait of keeping things secret

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

SEEINGnounUS /ˈsiːɪŋ/

perception by means of the eyes

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

SundaynounUS /ˈsʌndeɪ/

first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians

From this reading She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading "Um," she thought to herself, "she goes riding with another man when her husband is out of the city.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She was deeply rejoicing in her affection for Hurstwood and his love, and looked forward with fine fancy to their next meeting Sunday night.

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

Um

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

From this reading "Um," she thought to herself, "she goes riding with another man when her husband is out of the city.

upperadjectiveUS /ˈʌpər/

the topmost one of two

From this reading Mrs. Hale, from her upper window, saw her come in.

WANESnounUS /weɪnz/

plural of “wane” — a gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number)

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "Um," she thought to herself, "she goes riding with another man when her husband is out of the city.

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading Mrs. Hale, from her upper window, saw her come in.

WITHprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading WITH EYES AND NOT SEEING: ONE INFLUENCE WANES Carrie in her rooms that evening was in a fine glow, physically and mentally.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading They had agreed, without any feeling of enforced secrecy, that she should come down town and meet him, though, after all, the need of it was the cause.

Chapter 12 of Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser holds 186 sentences, grouped into 38 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 12 of Sister Carrie contain?

Chapter 12 holds 186 sentences of Sister Carrie, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 186 sentences, grouped into 38 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 12 of Sister Carrie?

Work through the 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 38 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Sister Carrie

Common questions about reading Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Sister Carrie?

Yes. All 12164 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5267 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Sister Carrie is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5267, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Sister Carrie take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2433 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Sister Carrie section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Sister Carrie 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 Sister Carrie

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

Caroline
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sister Carrie; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Meeber
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sister Carrie; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Boarded
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sister Carrie; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Afternoon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sister Carrie; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.