Roughing It · Chapter
LXVI explained
The narrator describes the social fabric of Honolulu, where strangers are assumed to be either whaling captains or missionaries.
What happens
The narrator describes the social fabric of Honolulu, where strangers are assumed to be either whaling captains or missionaries. He observes the Saturday market, native riders, poi preparation, and the decline of traditional dances like the hula hula due to missionary influence and colonial laws. The chapter reflects on the drastic population decline of native Hawaiians since Captain Cook's arrival.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it presents the ultimate psychological peak of fear and vulnerabil…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Colonialism and Cultural Change
The chapter details how missionary and colonial laws suppressed native traditions like the hula hula and altered social life, while also noting the drastic population decline due to contact with whites.
- Humor and Exaggeration
The narrator's encounter with the 'solemn stranger' who mistakes him for a missionary, captain, or government official is a humorous exaggeration of Honolulu's social categories.
- Identity and Belonging
The narrator's difficulty in being categorized reflects the rigid social roles in Honolulu, where one must be a missionary, whaler, or government official to fit in.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
Describes his encounters and observations in Honolulu, including a humorous mistaken-identity conversation with a stranger.
- Captain Cook
Mentioned as the source of the original population estimate of four hundred thousand native Hawaiians.
Key passages
“Society is a queer medley in this notable missionary, whaling and governmental center. If you get into conversation with a stranger and experience that natural desire to know what sort of ground you are treading on by finding out what manner of man your stranger is, strike out boldly and address him as 'Captain.'”
Honolulu's society is a strange mix of missionaries, whalers, and government officials, so when meeting someone new, it's safest to assume they are a ship captain.
Highlights the dominant social categories in Honolulu.
“The demoralizing hula hula was forbidden to be performed, save at night, with closed doors, in presence of few spectators, and only by permission duly procured from the authorities and the payment of ten dollars for the same.”
The hula hula dance was banned except under strict conditions: at night, behind closed doors, with few spectators, and only with a ten-dollar permit.
Illustrates colonial suppression of native culture.
“But doubtless this purifying is not far off, when we reflect that contact with civilization and the whites has reduced the native population from four hundred thousand (Captain Cook's estimate) to fifty-five thousand in something over eighty years!”
The 'purifying' process is nearly complete, considering that contact with whites has reduced the native population from 400,000 to 55,000 in just over eighty years.
Sarcastic commentary on the devastating effects of colonization.
