Curiosity

One of the dominant themes of the book is curiosity. This is one of the big reasons why people travel and a big reason for Twain's travels. Twain, like others, wanted to see the places and things that he had read and heard about. He wanted to meet other people and learn their customs and how they lived. Twain talked to the people wherever he went, such as the hired servant Manuel in Bombay. He wanted to know how the Indian had a Spanish name. Twain's curiosity led him to learn about the local customs and culture, like attending the betrothal party of an Indian girl and putting up with the variety of servants that were always in and out of their quarters in Bombay. Everywhere he went, he experienced the entire cultural experiences and continually made comparisons between America and England and the different countries and cities...