# LXXI explained — Roughing It

> Chapter companion for Roughing It by Mark Twain.

## What happens

The narrator describes the journey down a lava mountain to Kealakekua Bay, the site of Captain Cook's death. He reflects on the volcanic landscape, the frequent rainbows, and the historical events of Cook's assassination, offering a critical view of Cook's treatment of the natives. The chapter ends with the narrator waiting for his ship, hungry and weary, before finally boarding and sleeping peacefully.

## Themes in this chapter

### Colonialism and Cultural Change

The narrator critically examines Captain Cook's colonial interactions with the native Hawaiians, highlighting the violence and exploitation that led to his death.

### Humor and Exaggeration

The narrator uses wry humor, comparing the red sun to a 'blooming whiskey bloat' and noting the lack of lava casts of Kanaka sentinels, contrasting them with Roman sentinels.

## Character check-ins

### The Narrator

Describes the landscape, reflects on Captain Cook's death, and waits for the ship.

### Captain Cook

Historical figure whose assassination at Kealakekua Bay is recounted and critically analyzed.

## Key lines

> Plain unvarnished history takes the romance out of Captain Cook’s assassination, and renders a deliberate verdict of justifiable homicide.

The straightforward historical account removes any heroic gloss from Cook's death and concludes it was a justified killing.

_The narrator argues that Cook's own actions justified the natives' retaliation._

> Why did not Captain Cook have taste enough to call his great discovery the Rainbow Islands?

The narrator suggests that the Hawaiian Islands should have been named for their frequent rainbows, criticizing Cook's lack of aesthetic sense.

_Highlights the beauty of the islands and the narrator's ironic tone._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters/lxxi
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/roughing_it_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters