The Innocents Abroad · Chapter
XXXVI explained
The travelers arrive in Odessa, Russia, and are struck by how much it resembles an American city, though local details like a turnip-domed church and a hack-driver in a petticoat break the illusion.
What happens
The travelers arrive in Odessa, Russia, and are struck by how much it resembles an American city, though local details like a turnip-domed church and a hack-driver in a petticoat break the illusion. They enjoy a holiday with no sights to see, indulge in ice cream, and learn the story of the Duc de Richelieu, who founded Odessa and built its grand staircase but died in poverty. The chapter ends with the group preparing to visit the Emperor, causing anxiety about courtly etiquette.
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 Falling action.
- Setup
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
In this passage, the narrator reaches the summit of Mount Vesuvius, achieving the physical and narrative goal…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Home and Belonging
The narrator feels at home in Odessa because it looks like an American city, but the illusion is shattered by foreign details, highlighting the tension between familiarity and foreignness.
- Satire of Tourism
The travelers are relieved that there are no sights in Odessa, allowing them a 'holiday' from sightseeing, and they indulge in ice cream as a rare treat, mocking tourist priorities.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
Describes Odessa's American-like appearance, the story of Richelieu, and his anxiety about meeting the Emperor.
Key passages
“When it is six o’clock in the morning here, it is somewhere about week before last in California.”
The time difference is so extreme that morning in Odessa feels like weeks earlier in California.
Hyperbolic humor about time zones and disorientation.
“Ah, Robbie, ye asked them for bread and they hae gi’en ye a stane.”
You asked for basic necessities, but they gave you a stone monument instead.
Quoting Robert Burns' mother to criticize the city's belated tribute to Richelieu.
