The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia

The valley, designed for perpetual pleasure, meets every desire of its residents, keeping them safe and content. However, Rasselas, at 26, grows increasingly restless, finding the endless entertainments hollow and unsatisfying. He seeks solitude, observing the natural world and envying the simple contentment of animals, whose needs are easily met. This dissatisfaction drives him to ponder the nature of happiness and human satisfaction.

Rasselas’s old instructor notices his withdrawal from the palace’s pleasures and seeks to counsel him. Initially resistant, Rasselas eventually explains that the luxuries and ease of the palace no longer satisfy him, leaving him feeling empty and purposeless. He articulates a sense of aimlessness—of lacking a desire or goal to motivate him. The instructor tries to reassure him by describing the miseries of the outside world, suggesting that understanding these might make him appreciate his current state. However, this only ignites Rasselas’s curiosity and desire to see the world beyond the valley, as he hopes that knowledge of human suffering might bring him the happiness he seeks.

After his conversation with his old instructor, Rasselas continues to reflect on his feelings of emptiness and stagnation. Despite outwardly participating in the valley’s pleasures, he feels a deep internal disconnection. His introspective thoughts grow more critical as he regrets the passive consumption of time without meaningful accomplishment. Comparing himself to the natural world, he envies the growth and movement of birds learning to fly and rivers continuously flowing. Rasselas daydreams of overcoming obstacles and engaging in heroic deeds. His struggle reaches a critical point when an impulsive attempt to act out one of his fantasies brings him face-to-face with the valley’s physical barriers, forcing him to acknowledge the time he has wasted and his longing for a more purposeful life.

Rasselas becomes increasingly desperate to explore the world beyond the valley. Driven by his longing for freedom and new experiences, he investigates every possible escape route from the naturally fortified valley. He examines the mountains for hidden passages and the cavern through which the valley’s water discharges, but he finds all routes blocked or insurmountable. Despite numerous setbacks and months of unyielding efforts, Rasselas finds the pursuit of escape enriching. His daily explorations and observations of the natural world provide a sense of purpose and contentment even as he faces disappointment. Though resigned to the possibility that he may never escape, Rasselas remains hopeful and resolved to seize any opportunity for freedom and knowledge.

An inventive artist in the Happy Valley captivates Rasselas with his mechanical innovations, including a sailing chariot and the concept of human flight. The artist argues that flying is akin to swimming through the air, a less dense medium, and proposes building wings based on a bat’s structure. Rasselas, intrigued but concerned about practical challenges, agrees to keep the project secret, fearing the potential misuse of such power. After a year of construction, the artist attempts to fly but fails, falling into the lake. Although the experiment ends in disappointment, it reinforces Rasselas’s desire to find other means of escape.

As Rasselas deals with his disappointment and seeks other means of escape, the onset of the rainy season forces him and others to remain indoors, limiting their activities to domestic amusements. During this period of confinement, Rasselas’s attention is captivated by a poem recited by Imlac, a learned man and poet, who eloquently describes the various conditions of humanity. Rasselas feels a strong connection with Imlac and recognizes his experiences and wisdom as a window to the outside world he longs to know. He eagerly engages Imlac in extended conversations, asking numerous questions about the world beyond the valley.

Rasselas’s curiosity and desire for knowledge are so intense that he finds himself regretting the need for sleep, as it interrupts his learning. He arranges for private sessions where Imlac could share more of his knowledge and stories. Just as Imlac is about to share his own history and possibly reveal how he ended up in the valley, Rasselas is momentarily called away to a concert.

Imlac recounts his life story to Prince Rasselas. He spent his early life in the kingdom of Goiama, near the source of the Nile, where his father was a prosperous merchant. Despite his father’s wealth and success, Imlac was drawn not to commerce but to the pursuit of knowledge. His father, having narrow views, hoped that Imlac would follow in his footsteps and increase the family’s wealth. However, Imlac found himself more interested in intellectual pursuits than in the accumulation of riches.

As Imlac grew older, his father reluctantly allowed him to travel for business, hoping it would prepare Imlac for a commercial life. A trading expedition to the Red Sea ignited Imlac’s curiosity about the world, and he decided to use the opportunity to explore further. Rather than continue in trade, he chose to pursue his passion for learning and experiencing new cultures, so he boarded a ship to Surat, India.

The uniformity of the sea troubled Imlac, who worried that all regions would be equally unvarying. Nevertheless, he took advantage of his time aboard ship to learn sailing.

After arriving in Surat, Imlac joined a group of traveling merchants, who saw his naivete and allowed others to swindle and extort from him, even though they themselves did not benefit. This behavior astonishes Rasselas. Eventually Imlac reached Agra, where he met and impressed the tutor of the emperor’s sons. He consequently became acquainted with the emperor himself, and his former traveling companions tried to ingratiate themselves with Imlac.

Sometime later, Imlac traveled to Persia, which he describes as a culture of great antiquity, and Arabia, which he describes as nomadic and “warlike,” though he notes its inhabitants do not fight for personal enrichment.

Imlac discusses the significance of poetry, noting its revered status across cultures and the observation that the earliest poets are often considered the greatest. He reflects on the reasons for this trend, suggesting that these pioneers captured essential truths about nature and human emotion that later poets could only echo or refine.

Aspiring to join the ranks of esteemed poets, Imlac immersed himself in the study of Persian and Arabian poetry but realized that true greatness comes from original engagement with nature and human experiences. To become a poet, one must absorb and reflect the beauty and terror of the natural world, understanding both the grand and minute aspects of life, making the specific universal, and providing moral and philosophical insights to readers.

Imlac recounts his travels through Syria and three-year stay in Palestine, noting European superiority in technology and knowledge. When Rasselas asks why Europeans dominate, Imlac attributes it to their greater knowledge and the will of the Supreme Being. The discussion shifts to pilgrimage, with Rasselas imagining Palestine as a hub of wisdom. Imlac explains that pilgrimage’s value depends on the pilgrim’s intentions; it can reinforce religious convictions but should not be seen as automatically gaining divine favor. Imlac then explores the impact of knowledge on happiness, arguing that it generally increases pleasure by broadening understanding. He contrasts European advancements with simpler lifestyles in his homeland, highlighting Europe’s better healthcare and infrastructure. However, he concludes that these advantages don’t guarantee complete happiness, as human life everywhere involves enduring hardships and fleeting pleasures.