XXVI explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Satire of Politics and Society

  The Baron's attempts to impose European customs and the resulting political backlash lampoon the challenges of governance and reform.

• Critique of Human Nature

  The people's stubborn adherence to barbaric customs despite the Baron's benevolent intentions highlights the irrationality and resistance to change inherent in human nature.

• The Marvelous and the Absurd

  The absurd plan to import fudge to civilize the population and the pseudo-scholarly etymology linking the Africans to moon inhabitants exemplify the marvelous and absurd.

Characters to notice

• Baron Munchausen

  The narrator and protagonist, who becomes viceroy of the interior of Africa and tries to reform local customs.

• Hilaro Frosticos

  Advisor to the Baron, offers counsel on how to handle the people's resistance to change.

• Gog

  One of the Baron's noble friends, consulted about accepting the government.

• Magog

  Another of the Baron's noble friends, consulted about accepting the government.

• Sphinx

  Part of the Baron's company, mentioned among the marvels that impressed the locals.

Key passages

• “Having passed over the nearest mountains we entered a delightful vale, where we perceived a multitude of persons at a feast of living bulls, whose flesh they cut away with great knives, making a table of the creature's carcase, serenaded by the bellowing of the unfortunate animal.”

  After crossing the mountains, we came to a pleasant valley where a crowd was feasting on live bulls, slicing off flesh with large knives and using the animal's body as a table, all while the beast bellowed in pain.

  Describes the barbaric feast that the Baron seeks to reform.

• “I immediately perceived the true descent of this people, which does not appear of terrestrial origin, but descended from some of the inhabitants of the moon, because the principal language spoken there, and in the centre of Africa, is very nearly the same.”

  I realized that these people are not originally from Earth but are descended from moon inhabitants, since their language closely resembles that of the moon.

  The Baron's fanciful theory linking Africans to lunar origins.

• “My opinion, therefore, is, that we should at once cease all endeavours to compel or persuade them. But let us, if possible, procure a quantity of fudge from England, and carelessly scatter it over all the country; and from this disposal of matters I presume—nay, I have a moral certainty, that we shall reclaim this people from horror and barbarity.”

  I think we should stop trying to force or convince them. Instead, let's get some fudge from England and scatter it across the land; I am sure this will civilize them.

  Hilaro Frosticos's absurd yet clever plan to win over the people with fudge.