# Unknown Narrator — To Cuba and Back character guide > Unknown Narrator in To Cuba and Back by Richard Henry Dana Jr.. **Role:** major **Also known as:** myself, mine, your, am **First appearance:** 0001-to-cuba-and-back ## Snapshot A sharp-eyed American traveler who measures Cuba's sugar fields, schools, and politics against his own sober doubts about human nature and self-rule. ## Who they are He arrives from a New York midwinter into Cuban heat, recording railroad stations, cane fields, and the cocoa groves with a naturalist's patience. Yet his real subject is government: whether popular self-rule is a right or a faculty, and whether Cubans can govern themselves at all. That tension between wonder and skepticism shapes every plantation visit and political aside in the book's central chapters. ## Relationships ### [Coolies](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/characters/coolies) _social_ The narrator observes and interacts with the coolies as part of his travel experience, noting their conditions and treatment. ### [The Master](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/characters/the_master) _professional_ The Master is likely a ship captain or authority figure whom the narrator interacts with regularly during the voyage. ### [Father Antonio Cabre](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/characters/father_antonio_cabre) _social_ Father Antonio Cabre is a Catholic priest the narrator meets and converses with, discussing religious and social matters in Cuba. ### [The Jesuits](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/characters/the_jesuits) _social_ The Jesuits are a religious order the narrator encounters, engaging in discussions about education and influence in Cuba. ### [Cubans](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/characters/cubans) _social_ The narrator observes and interacts with Cubans as part of his travel, noting their culture and social conditions. ### [The Cahawba](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/characters/the_cahawba) _social_ The Cahawba is the ship the narrator travels on, representing a setting and a collective of passengers and crew. ### [The Kangaroo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/characters/the_kangaroo) _social_ The Kangaroo is another ship or vessel encountered by the narrator, possibly a fellow traveler or a point of comparison. ### [Spaniards](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/characters/spaniards) _social_ Spaniards are colonial authorities or residents the narrator observes, often representing the ruling class in Cuba. ### [The Young Captain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/characters/the_young_captain) _professional_ The Young Captain is a ship officer the narrator interacts with, likely in a professional capacity during the voyage. ### [Father Antonio Cabre](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/characters/father_antonio_cabre) _social_ Father Antonio Cabre is a Catholic priest the narrator meets and converses with, discussing religious and social matters in Cuba. ## In the story ### [To Cuba and Back](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/to-cuba-and-back) The narrator describes the voyage and his first impressions of Cuba. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/i) The narrator describes their own experience as a vacation-maker on the voyage, interacting with the young captain and adjusting their stateroom. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/ii) The narrator reflects on the ship's discipline, the passengers, and the Cuban children, expressing a sense of home on the Cahawba. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/iii) The narrator observes the passengers and the approach to Cuba, expressing wonder at the scenery. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/iv) The narrator arrives in Havana, observes the harbor, undergoes customs, and drives through the city. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/v) The narrator arrives at Le Grand's hotel, navigates the indifferent service, enjoys a tropical breakfast, and visits merchants' counting houses. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/vi) Describes his morning routine, observations of the chain gang, sea baths, and attendance at mass in the Cathedral. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/vii) The narrator explores Havana, observes Coolies, visits the Bishop's residence, and attends the opera. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/viii) The narrator experiences a noisy night, receives a bishop's invitation, and dines with clergy, reflecting on Cuban society and politics. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/ix) The narrator visits the Belen, describes the Jesuit college and its activities, and reflects on the history of the Jesuits. ### [X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/x) Travels from Havana to Matanzas, observes the harbor, Coolies, and learns about the poet Placido. ### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xi) The narrator travels by train, observes the Cuban interior, and arrives at the plantation. ### [First Day on a Sugar Estate](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xii) The narrator observes the plantation operations, interviews the engineer, and dines with the master and his son. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xiii) The narrator observes plantation life, converses with the young master, and reflects on the effects of foreign education. ### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xiv) The narrator observes plantation life, rides to Santa Catalina, and departs for Matanzas. ### [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xv) The narrator stays at Ensor's hotel, rides to the Cumbre and Yumurí, and visits Mr. C⸺'s family. ### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xvi) Travels from Matanzas to Havana by train, observes the landscape and reflects on Cuban society. ### [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xvii) The narrator visits Havana, attends social calls, and observes the trial and music. ### [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xviii) The narrator attends Mass at Belén, visits the Casa de Beneficencia and Military Hospital, and observes the Sisters of Charity. ### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xix) The narrator drives over the Paseo de Tacón, meets the Bishop and Count de la Fernandina, and visits the hospital and prison. ### [XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xx) The narrator attends the bullfight, observes the cruelty and crowd behavior, and reflects on the moral and political implications. ### [Habits of the Cubans, Visit to the Bishop, and the Coolie Mart](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xxi) Observes Cuban habits, visits the Bishop and the Coolie market, and accepts an invitation to see a slave sale. ### [XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xxii) Describes his morning bath, observations at the slave sale, and purchases in Havana. ### [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xxiii) The narrator analyzes Cuba's condition and reflects on his role as a critic and philosophizer. ### [Political Condition](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/political-condition) The narrator observes and reports on the political situation in Cuba, noting the limitations of his own brief residence and conversations. ### [Religion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/religion) The narrator observes and analyzes the religious landscape of Cuba, noting the church's diminished authority and moral challenges. ### [Slavery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/slavery) The narrator analyzes slavery statistics, laws, and enforcement in Cuba, drawing on personal observation and testimony from others. ### [Material Resources—Education](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/material-resources-education) The narrator provides a detailed analysis of Cuba's resources, education, and political future, drawing on personal observation and reflection. ### [The Cahawba — Her arrival — Last night in Havana — Leave-takings — On board the Cahawba — Getting underway — Last views of Cuba — Night at sea](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xxiv) The narrator experiences the final day in Havana, makes last calls, and boards the Cahawba for departure. ### [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xxv) Observes the death of G⸺, the harbor entrance, and the hackmen fight; reflects on patriotism and contrasts with Cuba. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/characters/unknown_narrator - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/characters