# A Prisoner explained — A Princess of Mars

> Chapter companion for A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

## What happens

John Carter is taken to the Green Martian city, where he meets Tars Tarkas and the chieftain. He struggles with the low gravity, is forced to perform jumps, and eventually asserts himself by striking a Martian. He is then led by Sola to a chamber and encounters a Martian hound.

## Themes in this chapter

### Survival and Adaptation

Carter must adapt to the low gravity and the customs of the Green Martians to survive.

### Civilization vs. Barbarism

The contrast between the ancient, refined architecture and the crude, violent Green Martians highlights this theme.

## Character check-ins

### John Carter

Narrator and protagonist, captured and brought to the Green Martian city.

### Tars Tarkas

Vice-chieftain who captured Carter and presents him to the ruler.

### Sola

A young female Martian who leads Carter to a chamber and shows him a Martian hound.

## Key lines

> I swung my fist squarely to his jaw and he went down like a felled ox.

Carter punched a Martian who had roughly handled him, knocking him out.

_Carter's first act of defiance against his captors._

> Only about one Martian in a thousand dies of sickness or disease, and possibly about twenty take the voluntary pilgrimage.

Very few Martians die naturally; most die violently or choose to embark on a final journey.

_Explains the high rate of violent death among Martians._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_princess_of_mars_se/chapters/iv-a-prisoner
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_princess_of_mars_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_princess_of_mars_se/chapters