Chapter 8 of "The Innocents Abroad" by Mark Twain ,Summary of The Innocents Abroad Chapter 8 ,The Innocents Abroad Chapter 8 Summary for university students, Line by line analysis of The Innocents Abroad.

 Chapter 8 of "The Innocents Abroad" By Mark Twain

Chapter 8 of "The Innocents Abroad" by Mark Twain ,Summary of The Innocents Abroad   Chapter 8 ,The Innocents Abroad   Chapter 8 Summary for university students, Line by line analysis of  The Innocents Abroad.

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Arrival in Tangier:

Mark Twain's party arrives in Tangier, Morocco. They are excited to leave Spain and experience something truly foreign. Tangier is unlike anything they have seen before, even in pictures. Everything about Tangier is new and strange to them, making it feel like they have entered a story from "The Arabian Nights."

First Impressions:.

The city is surrounded by a massive stone wall that is over a thousand years old. Most houses are one or two stories high, made of thick stone walls, and plastered white. The streets are very narrow, with some only three feet wide. The people in Tangier are very different from what the travelers are used to. There are Bedouins, Moors, Jews, Riffians, and many other groups, each with unique and exotic clothing.

Clothing and People:

Mark Twain describes the various people in detail. Moors wear large turbans, embroidered jackets, sashes, and baggy trousers. Some people wear long, white robes with cowls, while others have shaved heads with small patches of hair. Moorish women are completely covered, leaving only one eye visible. Jewish men wear blue gabardines, sashes, and little skullcaps, and they have a distinct hairstyle with hair combed straight across their foreheads.

Ancient History:

Tangier has a rich history, having been inhabited and fought over by many civilizations, including the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Moors, and English. Mark Twain is fascinated by the ancient ruins, like a Roman fountain built 1200 years ago and a bridge built by Julius Caesar 1900 years ago. He imagines the historical figures who once walked these streets.

The Market and Economy:

The market in Tangier is lively and full of people selling figs, dates, melons, and other goods. The shops are tiny, and the shopkeepers sit on the floor, reaching for items customers want. The moneychangers are busy counting old bronze coins, which are worn and not very valuable. Twain humorously describes buying a lot of these coins for very little money.

Coins and Currency:

The Moors use small silver coins and rare silver slugs worth a dollar each. They also have small gold coins worth two dollars. During wars, Arab couriers swallow these gold coins to keep them safe from robbers, but the robbers soon figured this out and forced the couriers to vomit the coins.

Government and Rich People:

The Emperor of Morocco is a cruel ruler, and his officials are also harsh. There is no regular system of taxes. When the Emperor needs money, he takes it from rich people, who must pay or go to jail. As a result, people hide their wealth and pretend to be poor to avoid attention. Sometimes, the Emperor arrests someone he suspects of being rich and tortures them until they reveal where their money is hidden.

Protection by Foreign Consuls:

Moors and Jews sometimes seek protection from foreign consuls. Under this protection, they can display their wealth without fear of the Emperor.

Chapter 8 of "The Innocents Abroad" by Mark Twain ,Summary of The Innocents Abroad   Chapter 8 ,The Innocents Abroad   Chapter 8 Summary for university students, Line by line analysis of  The Innocents Abroad.