Erewhon · Chapter
Waste Lands explained
The narrator, a young Englishman seeking fortune in a new colony, describes his journey to a remote pastoral settlement near a vast mountain range.
What happens
The narrator, a young Englishman seeking fortune in a new colony, describes his journey to a remote pastoral settlement near a vast mountain range. He works as a cadet watching sheep on a high mountain, and becomes obsessed with exploring the unexplored territory beyond the second range, hoping to find workable land or precious minerals.
Themes in this chapter
Colonialism and Exploitation
The narrator's intent to claim and exploit 'waste' land for personal profit reflects colonial attitudes toward indigenous territories.
Wealth and Social Status
The narrator's desire to better his fortunes and achieve a position beyond ordinary men drives his exploration and risk-taking.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“If the reader will excuse me, I will say nothing of my antecedents, nor of the circumstances which led me to leave my native country; the narrative would be tedious to him and painful to myself.”
The narrator skips his backstory, claiming it would bore the reader and upset himself.
Establishes the narrator's reluctance to disclose personal history, hinting at possible shame or secrecy.
“Never shall I forget the utter loneliness of the prospect—only the little faraway homestead giving sign of human handiwork;—the vastness of mountain and plain, of river and sky; the marvellous atmospheric effects...”
The narrator vividly recalls the profound solitude and grandeur of the landscape.
Highlights the sublime and isolating nature of the colonial frontier.
“Could I hope to cross it? This would be the highest triumph that I could wish for; but it was too much to think of yet.”
The narrator dreams of crossing the great mountain range, seeing it as the ultimate achievement.
Foreshadows his eventual journey into Erewhon and sets up the central adventure.