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The Red Badge of Courage
The Red Badge of Courage

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Red Badge of Courage is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Red Badge of Courage
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
This advance of the enemy had seemed to the youth like a ruthless hunting.
He began to fume with rage and exasperation.
He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.
There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no rest, to give him no time to sit down and think.
Yesterday he had fought and had fled rapidly.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Red Badge of Courage

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Red Badge of Courage is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
This advance of the enemy had seemed to the youth like a ruthless hunting.
Line 2
He began to fume with rage and exasperation.
Line 3
He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.
Line 4
There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no rest, to give him no time to sit down and think.
Line 5
Yesterday he had fought and had fled rapidly.

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.

Phantom noun US /ˈfæn.təm/

A ghost or apparition; a figment of the imagination or a hidden dweller.

From this reading “He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.”

All words in this reading · 54

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 This advance of the enemy had seemed to the youth like a ruthless hunting.

advance

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

From this reading This advance of the enemy had seemed to the youth like a ruthless hunting.

and

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

From this reading He began to fume with rage and exasperation.

approaching

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

From this reading He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.

at

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

From this reading He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.

beat

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

From this reading He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.

began

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

From this reading He began to fume with rage and exasperation.

down

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

From this reading There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no rest, to give him no time to sit down and think.

enemy

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

From this reading This advance of the enemy had seemed to the youth like a ruthless hunting.

exasperation

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

From this reading He began to fume with rage and exasperation.

fled

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

From this reading Yesterday he had fought and had fled rapidly.

flood

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

From this reading He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.

foe

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

From this reading There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no rest, to give him no time to sit down and think.

foot

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

From this reading He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.

fought

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

From this reading Yesterday he had fought and had fled rapidly.

fume

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

From this reading He began to fume with rage and exasperation.

give

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

From this reading There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no rest, to give him no time to sit down and think.

ground

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

From this reading He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.

had

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

From this reading This advance of the enemy had seemed to the youth like a ruthless hunting.

hate

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

From this reading He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.

He

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

From this reading He began to fume with rage and exasperation.

him

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

From this reading There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no rest, to give him no time to sit down and think.

his

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

From this reading He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.

hunting

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

From this reading This advance of the enemy had seemed to the youth like a ruthless hunting.

in

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

From this reading There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no rest, to give him no time to sit down and think.

like

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

From this reading This advance of the enemy had seemed to the youth like a ruthless hunting.

maddening

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

From this reading There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no rest, to give him no time to sit down and think.

no

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

From this reading There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no rest, to give him no time to sit down and think.

of

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

From this reading This advance of the enemy had seemed to the youth like a ruthless hunting.

phantomnounUS /ˈfæn.təm/

A ghost or apparition; a figment of the imagination or a hidden dweller.

From this reading He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.

quality

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

From this reading There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no rest, to give him no time to sit down and think.

rage

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

From this reading He began to fume with rage and exasperation.

rapidly

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

From this reading Yesterday he had fought and had fled rapidly.

resolution

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

From this reading There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no rest, to give him no time to sit down and think.

rest

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

From this reading There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no rest, to give him no time to sit down and think.

ruthless

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

From this reading This advance of the enemy had seemed to the youth like a ruthless hunting.

scowled

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

From this reading He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.

seemed

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

From this reading This advance of the enemy had seemed to the youth like a ruthless hunting.

seeming

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

From this reading There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no rest, to give him no time to sit down and think.

sit

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

From this reading There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no rest, to give him no time to sit down and think.

smoke

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

From this reading He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.

swirling

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

From this reading He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.

that

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

From this reading He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.

the

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

From this reading This advance of the enemy had seemed to the youth like a ruthless hunting.

There

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

From this reading There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no rest, to give him no time to sit down and think.

think

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

From this reading There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no rest, to give him no time to sit down and think.

This

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

From this reading This advance of the enemy had seemed to the youth like a ruthless hunting.

time

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

From this reading There was a maddening quality in this seeming resolution of the foe to give him no rest, to give him no time to sit down and think.

to

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

From this reading This advance of the enemy had seemed to the youth like a ruthless hunting.

upon

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

From this reading He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.

was

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

From this reading He beat his foot upon the ground, and scowled with hate at the swirling smoke that was approaching like a phantom flood.

with

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

From this reading He began to fume with rage and exasperation.

Yesterday

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

From this reading Yesterday he had fought and had fled rapidly.

youth

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

From this reading This advance of the enemy had seemed to the youth like a ruthless hunting.

Chapter 17 of The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane holds 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 17 of The Red Badge of Courage contain?

Chapter 17 holds 120 sentences of The Red Badge of Courage, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 17 of The Red Badge of Courage?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 The Red Badge of Courage

Common questions about reading The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Red Badge of Courage?

Yes. All 3525 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #73 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Red Badge of Courage is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #73, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Red Badge of Courage take to read?

About 293 minutes of reading across 705 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Red Badge of Courage section by section

How to work through The Red Badge of Courage section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Red Badge of Courage 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 The Red Badge of Courage

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Red Badge of Courage, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Passed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Badge of Courage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Reluctantly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Badge of Courage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Earth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Badge of Courage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Retiring
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Badge of Courage; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.