'Cabbages and Kings' Summary

In one of the chapters, "The Admiral", inspired by the author's experiences in Honduras, where he had lived for six months, he refers to Anchuria as a "small maritime banana republic"; naturally, the fruit was the entire basis of its economy. According to a literary analyst writing for The Economist, "his phrase neatly conjures up the image of a tropical, agrarian country. But its real meaning is sharper: it refers to the fruit companies from the United States that came to exert extraordinary influence over the politics of Honduras and its neighbors." The expression "banana republic" has been used widely since that time, particularly in political commentaries.