Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea: Analysis of Major Characters
"Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" is a classic science fiction novel by Jules Verne that delves into the adventures of various characters aboard the submarine Nautilus. The enigmatic Captain Nemo is a pivotal figure, having constructed the Nautilus on a secluded island. He is portrayed as a complex character who, despite his disdain for society, utilizes treasure from sunken ships to assist the less fortunate. Professor Pierre Aronnax, the narrator and a naturalist, embarks on a mission aboard the frigate Abraham Lincoln to investigate mysterious maritime incidents attributed to a colossal sea creature, believed to be a giant narwhal. Alongside him is Ned Land, a skilled harpooner, who becomes instrumental in the unfolding events. Also accompanying them is Conseil, Aronnax's devoted servant, who participates in their oceanic explorations. The narrative unfolds with a series of adventures across diverse oceanic landscapes, ultimately leading to a dramatic conclusion after a harrowing maelstrom. The interactions among these characters highlight themes of exploration, the conflict between man and nature, and the search for knowledge.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Jules Verne
First published: Vingt mille lieues sous les mers (1870, serial form, 1869–1870; English translation, 1873; substantially revised English edition, 1965)
Genre: Novel
Locale: At sea
Plot: Science fiction
Time: 1866–1867
Captain Nemo (NEE-moh), a mysterious man who designs and builds the submarine Nautilus on a desert island. It provides its own electricity and oxygen, and the sea supplies food for its crew. Nemo hates society but uses gold recovered from sunken ships to benefit the unfortunate.
Professor Pierre Aronnax (pyehr ah-roh-NAKS), of the Paris Museum of Natural History, who heads an expedition aboard the American frigate Abraham Lincoln to track down a mysterious sea creature that has attacked and sunk ships all over the world.
Ned Land, a harpooner taken along on the theory that the killer is a gigantic narwhal. An explosion aboard the Abraham Lincoln tosses him, along with Aronnax and Conseil, aboard the Nautilus, where he and Nemo save each other's lives.
Conseil (kohn-SEHY), the servant of Aronnax, who shares their adventures aboard the Nautilus in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Polar Oceans. After a maelstrom overcomes the submarine in Norwegian waters, Aronnax, Land, and Conseil recover consciousness on an island, in ignorance of the fate of Captain Nemo and the Nautilus.