# Travel as a Lens for Social Critique in To Cuba and Back

> Theme guide for To Cuba and Back by Richard Henry Dana Jr..

The journey itself—from the steamship voyage to visits to plantations, prisons, and hospitals—serves as a framework for Dana's detailed observations and philosophical reflections on Cuban society and human nature.

## Where it surfaces

- [To Cuba and Back](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/to-cuba-and-back): The narrator uses the journey to Cuba as an opportunity to observe and comment on the social and natural environment.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/i): The chapter uses the voyage as a setting to observe the diverse passengers and to critique the U.S. Navy's promotion system through the young captain's story.
- [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/ii): The journey provides a platform for observing and critiquing the effects of climate, slavery, and political systems on individuals and society.
- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/iii): The journey serves as a framework for observing and describing the diverse passengers and the exotic landscape of Cuba.
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/iv): The narrator's detailed observations of Havana's people, vehicles, and architecture serve as a critique of Spanish colonial society.
- [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/v): The narrator uses his travel experiences to critique both Cuban and American customs, from hotel management to dining habits, highlighting the strangeness and charm of Havana.
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/vi): The narrator's detailed observations of daily life in Havana—from baths to mass—serve as a critique of both Cuban society and the behavior of foreign visitors.
- [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/vii): The narrator uses his observations of Coolies, coinage, and social customs to critique Cuban society and its inequalities.
- [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/ix): The narrator uses his visit to the Belen to observe and critique the Jesuits' system, Cuban culture, and religious practices, reflecting broader social and moral issues.
- [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xi): The narrator's journey into the interior provides a firsthand view of Cuban rural life and the sugar industry, serving as a critique of the system.
- [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xiv): The narrator's observations of plantation life, security measures, and the decaying burying ground serve as a critique of the social system.
- [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xv): The narrator's observations of Matanzas society, the Cumbre, and the Yumurí valley serve as a lens for comparing Cuban and American life.
- [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xvi): The railroad journey provides a vantage point for observing and critiquing Cuba's political and economic conditions.
- [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xvii): The narrator uses his travels to observe and critique the political and social conditions in Cuba, such as the trial and the music.
- [XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xx): The narrator uses the bullfight as an opportunity to observe and criticize Cuban society, comparing it unfavorably to Northern values.
- [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's observations of Havana, the departure process, and the chain gang serve as a critique of colonial society and its injustices.
- [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/chapters/xxv): The return journey provides a final opportunity for the narrator to critique American society, from the chaos at the dock to the mixed reactions to death aboard ship.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/themes/travel_and_observation
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/to_cuba_and_back_se/themes