Erewhon · Chapter
Into Erewhon explained
The narrator descends from the mountain pass into a hidden, inhabited country, where he is discovered by two young women and subsequently taken in by a group of men.
What happens
The narrator descends from the mountain pass into a hidden, inhabited country, where he is discovered by two young women and subsequently taken in by a group of men. He observes that the people, their customs, and their environment are strikingly similar to Europe, yet subtly different, and he realizes he is now a captive in this unknown land.
Themes in this chapter
Colonialism and Exploitation
The narrator's initial hopes of exploiting the country's resources are dashed upon finding it already inhabited, highlighting colonial assumptions of discovery and ownership.
Truth and Deception
The narrator's uncertainty about the inhabitants' intentions and his own fate underscores the theme of deception and the elusive nature of truth in a foreign land.
Characters to notice
- Narrator
Descends into Erewhon, is discovered by locals, and is taken in by the inhabitants, observing their customs and his own captivity.
- Erewhonians
The inhabitants who discover the narrator; they are dark-skinned, handsome, and curious about him, treating him with a mix of wonder and deference.
- Erewhon
The hidden country the narrator enters, characterized by its quasi-European features and primitive technology.
Key passages
“I got below the level of the clouds, into a burst of brilliant evening sunshine, I was facing the northwest, and the sun was full upon me. Oh, how its light cheered me! But what I saw! It was such an expanse as was revealed to Moses when he stood upon the summit of Mount Sinai, and beheld that promised land which it was not to be his to enter.”
Emerging from the clouds into bright evening sunlight, the narrator is overwhelmed by the sight of a vast, beautiful landscape, which he compares to the Promised Land seen by Moses.
This moment marks the narrator's first view of Erewhon, blending awe with biblical allusion.
“I reflected that these people might not be the ten tribes after all; in which case I could not but regret that my hopes of making money, which had led me into so much trouble and danger, were almost annihilated by the fact that the country was full to overflowing, with a people who had probably already developed its more available resources.”
The narrator realizes that the inhabitants are not the lost ten tribes, dashing his hopes of exploiting the country's resources for profit.
This reveals the narrator's colonial mindset and the theme of economic exploitation.