The Innocents Abroad

The ancient city of Pompeii was buried under an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Twain imagines what the lives of the people of Pompeii must have been like and wonders whether U.S. history would be correctly reported if something similar occurred in the United States. What do you think prompts Twain to wonder such a thing?

Asked by Cat on 29 Jul 01:39

Last updated by Cat on 29 Jul 01:41

1 Answers

Answered by Cat on 29 Jul 01:41

Twain is all about imagination. He must visualize how people worked, lived, loved, and fought to get a clear picture of what their lives must have been (or must be) like. The easiest way to do this is to put oneself in that other person's shoes. So, by imagining a similar event occurring in his own life, Twain can postulate about what might have occurred in the lives of the people of Pompeii.