# Prologue explained — At the Earth’s Core

> Chapter companion for At the Earth’s Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

## What happens

The narrator introduces the incredulous tale of a man he met in the Sahara, who claims to have spent ten years in a hidden inner world. The man's sincerity and a strange creature he brought back convince the narrator of the story's truth.

## Themes in this chapter

### Exploration and Discovery

The prologue sets up the discovery of a hidden inner world and the narrator's journey to hear the story.

## Character check-ins

### David Innes

The man encountered in the Sahara who tells his story of the inner world.

## Key lines

> In the first place please bear in mind that I do not expect you to believe this story.

The narrator warns the reader that the tale may seem unbelievable.

_Establishes the frame narrative and the story's fantastical nature._

> Had you seen, as I did, the fire of truth in those gray eyes; had you felt the ring of sincerity in that quiet voice; had you realized the pathos of it all—you, too, would believe.

The narrator insists that the storyteller's demeanor and passion make the story credible.

_Emphasizes the narrator's conviction and the emotional impact of the tale._

> Ten years! he murmured, at last. Ten years, and I thought that at the most it could be scarce more than one!

The man is shocked to learn that ten years have passed, not just one.

_Highlights the time distortion experienced in the inner world._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/at_the_earth_s_core_se/chapters/prologue
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/at_the_earth_s_core_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/at_the_earth_s_core_se/chapters