The Innocents Abroad · Chapter
Genoa the Superb explained
The travelers return to their ship after a brief conflict with British sailors, then sail to Genoa.
What happens
The travelers return to their ship after a brief conflict with British sailors, then sail to Genoa. They explore the city's palaces, churches, and streets, admire the beautiful women, and encounter a frustrating guide. The chapter reflects on Genoa's history, architecture, and decline from its medieval glory.
Themes in this chapter
Travel as Education
The narrator states 'I travel to learn' and reflects on the lessons of the journey.
American vs. European Culture
Contrasts American and European customs, such as the narrow streets and heavy stone architecture of Genoa versus American buildings.
The Past vs. the Present
Genoa's former grandeur is contrasted with its current state of decay and unostentatious commerce.
Satire of Tourism
The narrator mocks the guide's incompetence and the frustrating experience of touring palaces with a stiff servant.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
Describes the war with British sailors, arrival in Genoa, and observations of the city.
- Jack
Mentioned as being in Switzerland, absent from the ship.
- Mr. Blucher
Gone, none could tell where.
- The Captain
The executive officer ordered the men ashore to fight the British.
- Undertaker-Looking Servant
A stiff, unsmiling servant who guided them through the palaces.
- Christopher Colombo
His birthplace was shown, though the guide later admitted it was his grandmother's.
Key passages
“I probably would not have mentioned this war had it ended differently. But I travel to learn, and I still remember that they picture no French defeats in the battle-galleries of Versailles.”
The narrator admits he only reports the victory because it was favorable, and compares this selective memory to how French battle galleries omit their defeats.
Reflects the theme of travel as education and the narrator's ironic perspective.
“I did not see how a man of only ordinary decision of character could marry here, because before he could get his mind made up he would fall in love with somebody else.”
The beauty of Genoese women is so overwhelming that an indecisive man would constantly fall for someone new before choosing a wife.
Hyperbolic praise of the women's beauty.
“Never smoke any Italian tobacco. Never do it on any account. It makes me shudder to think what it must be made of.”
The narrator warns against Italian tobacco, implying it is made from repulsive materials.
Satirical commentary on local customs and the 'stub-hunters' who collect cigar butts.
“He showed us the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, and after we had reflected in silent awe before it for fifteen minutes, he said it was not the birthplace of Columbus, but of Columbus’ grandmother!”
The guide misled them into venerating the wrong site, then casually corrected himself, frustrating the travelers.
Example of the guide's incompetence and the satire of tourism.