The Innocents Abroad · Chapter
Damascus: The Eternal City explained
The narrator describes the grueling journey to Damascus, the beauty of the city from a distance, its ancient history, and the disappointing reality of its cramped and dirty streets.
What happens
The narrator describes the grueling journey to Damascus, the beauty of the city from a distance, its ancient history, and the disappointing reality of its cramped and dirty streets. He reflects on Muhammad's legendary refusal to enter the earthly paradise, the city's claim to be the oldest in the world, and the contrast between its glorious past and present decay. The chapter ends with the travelers arriving at a surprisingly luxurious hotel.
Themes in this chapter
The Past vs. the Present
The narrator contrasts the legendary beauty and ancient glory of Damascus with its modern reality of cramped, dirty streets and decay.
Satire of Tourism
The narrator humorously suggests that it is better to view Damascus from a distance than to enter it, mocking the romantic expectations of travelers.
Religion and Hypocrisy
The narrator juxtaposes Muhammad's paradise with the Bible's, and notes the contrast between the city's holy reputation and its squalid conditions.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
Describes the journey, the view of Damascus, and his impressions of the city.
- Jack
Bathes with the narrator in the ice-cold fountain of Figia.
Key passages
“He said man could enter only one paradise; he preferred to go to the one above.”
Muhammad chose not to enter Damascus, saying a person can only experience one paradise, and he would save himself for heaven.
The narrator recounts the legend of Muhammad's refusal to enter Damascus.
“Damascus is simply an oasis—that is what it is. For four thousand years its waters have not gone dry or its fertility failed.”
Damascus is essentially an oasis, and its water supply has sustained it for four millennia without interruption.
The narrator explains the city's longevity due to its water.
“She measures time, not by days and months and years, but by the empires she has seen rise, and prosper and crumble to ruin.”
Damascus marks time by the rise and fall of empires rather than by ordinary units.
The narrator emphasizes the city's ancient and enduring perspective on history.