# VII: The Altar of Heaven explained — On a Chinese Screen > Chapter companion for On a Chinese Screen by W. Somerset Maugham. ## What happens The chapter describes the Altar of Heaven in Peking, a sacred site where the Emperor of China once performed the winter solstice ritual to worship Heaven. It contrasts this ancient grandeur with the modern tourist Willard B. Untermeyer, who carves his name on the marble pavement in a bid for immortality, only to have a Chinese caretaker casually erase it with spittle, illustrating the futility of his gesture. ## Themes in this chapter ### Cultural Clash and Misunderstanding Untermeyer's act of carving his name on the sacred altar contrasts sharply with the Chinese caretaker's erasure, highlighting a clash between Western individualism and Eastern reverence for tradition. ### Futility of Western Superiority Untermeyer's attempt to assert his presence and achieve immortality is rendered meaningless by the caretaker's casual act, underscoring the futility of Western pretensions in the face of ancient culture. ### Search for Meaning and Identity Untermeyer's desire to be remembered reflects a search for personal significance, but his crude method and its swift erasure suggest the emptiness of such efforts. ## Character check-ins ### Willard B. Untermeyer Visits the Altar of Heaven and writes his name on the marble pavement, seeking immortality. ## Key lines > It stands open to the sky, three round terraces of white marble, placed one above the other, which are reached by four marble staircases, and these face the four points of the compass. The Altar of Heaven is an open-air structure consisting of three circular white marble terraces, connected by four stairways aligned with the cardinal directions. _Describes the physical layout of the altar._ > And here at the very spot where the vice-regent of heaven and earth knelt down, Willard B. Untermeyer wrote his name in a fine bold hand and the town and state he came from, Hastings, Nebraska. At the exact place where the emperor once knelt, Untermeyer inscribed his name and hometown. _Highlights the contrast between imperial ritual and tourist behavior._ > So he sought to attach his fleeting personality to the recollection of that grandeur of which some dim rumour had reached him. He tried to link his transient identity to the memory of the ancient splendor he had vaguely heard about. _Explains Untermeyer's motivation for carving his name._ > But vain are the hopes of men. For no sooner had he sauntered down the steps than a Chinese caretaker who had been leaning against the balustrade, idly looking at the blue sky, came forward, spat neatly on the spot where Willard B. Untermeyer had written, and with his foot smeared his spittle over the name. Human aspirations are futile. As soon as Untermeyer left, a caretaker casually spat on the inscription and rubbed it out with his foot. _Emphasizes the ephemeral nature of Untermeyer's act._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/on_a_chinese_screen_se/chapters/vii-the-altar-of-heaven - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/on_a_chinese_screen_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/on_a_chinese_screen_se/chapters