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The Way of the Strong
The Way of the Strong

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The Way of the Strong is here in full — 370 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ridgwell Cullum • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Way of the Strong
Context Illustration Reading 1/74 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.
Nor was it even a mask.
It was an expression of his attitude toward the world, toward all mankind.
His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.
But his smile was for those looking on.
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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 Way of the Strong

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The Way of the Strong is here in full — 370 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/74 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.
/ded ˈfaɪərz tʌɡ dɪd moʊst θɪŋz wɪð ə smaɪl bʌt ɪt wɑːz ˈnevər ðə ˈhæpi smaɪl ʌv ə ˈplezənt ˈneɪtʃər/
Line 2
Nor was it even a mask.
/nɔːr wɑːz ɪt ˈiːvɪn ə mæsk/
Line 3
It was an expression of his attitude toward the world, toward all mankind.
/ɪt wɑːz æn ɪkˈspreʃən ʌv hɪz ˈætətuːd təˈwɔːrd ðə wɜːrld təˈwɔːrd ɔːl ˈmænˈkaɪnd/
Line 4
His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.
/hɪz aɪz kənˈveɪd ˈɪnsələnt kənˈtempt ənd hɪz smaɪl wɑːz wʌn ʌv ðə ˈɪrəteɪtɪŋ ˈaɪrəni ənd ˈsɪnɪsɪzəm wɪtʃ ˈpɜːrmieɪtɪd ɔːl hɪz θɔːts ənd ˈfiːlɪŋz/
Line 5
But his smile was for those looking on.
/bʌt hɪz smaɪl wɑːz fɔːr ðoʊz ˈlʊkɪŋ ɑːn/

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.

conveyed verb US /kənˈveɪd/

past form of “convey” — (of information) make known; pass on

From this reading “His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cynicism noun US /ˈsɪnɪsɪzəm/

a cynical feeling of distrust

From this reading “His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
insolent adjective US /ˈɪnsələnt/

marked by casual disrespect

From this reading “His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
irony noun US /ˈaɪrəni/

witty language used to convey insults or scorn

From this reading “His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
irritating adjective US /ˈɪrəteɪtɪŋ/

causing irritation or annoyance

From this reading “His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mask verb US /mæsk/

hide under a false appearance

From this reading “Nor was it even a mask.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
permeated verb US /ˈpɜːrmieɪtɪd/

past form of “permeate” — spread or diffuse through

From this reading “His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Tug verb US /tʌɡ/

pull hard

From this reading “DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

all mankind adjective + noun

In this reading “It was an expression of his attitude toward the world, toward all mankind.”

2,409 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 46

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 DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
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 It was an expression of his attitude toward the world, toward all mankind.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading It was an expression of his attitude toward the world, toward all mankind.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
attitudenounUS /ˈætətuːd/

a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways

From this reading It was an expression of his attitude toward the world, toward all mankind.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
contemptnounUS /kənˈtempt/

lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike

From this reading His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
conveyedverbUS /kənˈveɪd/

past form of “convey” — (of information) make known; pass on

From this reading His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cynicismnounUS /ˈsɪnɪsɪzəm/

a cynical feeling of distrust

From this reading His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DEADadjectiveUS /ded/

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

From this reading DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Nor was it even a mask.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
expressionnounUS /ɪkˈspreʃən/

the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading It was an expression of his attitude toward the world, toward all mankind.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
feelingsnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋz/

emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity)

From this reading His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FIRESnounUS /ˈfaɪərz/

plural of “fire” — the event of something burning (often destructive)

From this reading DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But his smile was for those looking on.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading It was an expression of his attitude toward the world, toward all mankind.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
insolentadjectiveUS /ˈɪnsələnt/

marked by casual disrespect

From this reading His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ironynounUS /ˈaɪrəni/

witty language used to convey insults or scorn

From this reading His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
irritatingadjectiveUS /ˈɪrəteɪtɪŋ/

causing irritation or annoyance

From this reading His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading But his smile was for those looking on.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mankindnounUS /ˈmænˈkaɪnd/

all of the living human inhabitants of the earth

From this reading It was an expression of his attitude toward the world, toward all mankind.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
maskverbUS /mæsk/

hide under a false appearance

From this reading Nor was it even a mask.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
naturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NorconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading Nor was it even a mask.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading But his smile was for those looking on.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
permeatedverbUS /ˈpɜːrmieɪtɪd/

past form of “permeate” — spread or diffuse through

From this reading His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smileverbUS /smaɪl/

change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading But his smile was for those looking on.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading It was an expression of his attitude toward the world, toward all mankind.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TugverbUS /tʌɡ/

pull hard

From this reading DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading His eyes conveyed insolent contempt; and his smile was one of the irritating irony and cynicism which permeated all his thoughts and feelings.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading DEAD FIRES Tug did most things with a smile; but it was never the happy smile of a pleasant nature.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading It was an expression of his attitude toward the world, toward all mankind.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 6 of The Way of the Strong by Ridgwell Cullum holds 370 sentences, grouped into 74 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 6 of The Way of the Strong contain?

Chapter 6 holds 370 sentences of The Way of the Strong, unabridged, divided into 74 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of The Way of the Strong by Ridgwell Cullum exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 370 sentences, grouped into 74 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 6 of The Way of the Strong?

Work through the 74 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 74 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Way of the Strong

Common questions about reading The Way of the Strong by Ridgwell Cullum on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Way of the Strong?

Yes. All 13505 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35776 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Way of the Strong is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #35776, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Way of the Strong take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2701 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Way of the Strong section by section

How to work through The Way of the Strong section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Way of the Strong 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 Way of the Strong

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Way of the Strong, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Way of the Strong; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Twins
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Way of the Strong; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Suffering
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Way of the Strong; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Creek
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Way of the Strong; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.