4.

3 Around the World in Eighty Days

WRITER: Jules Gabriel Verne:
He was a 19th century French novelist, poet, and playwright. Verne wrote widely popular
series of adventure novels including Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864), Twenty
Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870), and Around the World in Eighty Days
(1873).Verne is generally considered a major literary author in France and most of
Europe, Verne has been the second most- translated author in the world.

Characters:
Major Characters:
1) Phileas Fogg –
The hero and chief protagonist in the novel. He is challenged by a fellow gambler to go
around the world in eighty days and he takes up the challenge. His rationality, calmness,
generosity and self-control appeal to the readers.
2) Passepartout –
He is an employee of Phileas Fogg. He is an honest as well as a comic French man. He is
loyal to his master and yet gets into situations that make his master’s plans difficult to
travel around the world. Passepartout attracts the reader with his loyalty, warmth and
his sense of humour.
3) Detective Fix –
He is the detective. He comes to the wrong conclusion that Fogg is the bank robber and is
merely pretending to go around the world when his real purpose is to cheat the law. He
tries to capture Fogg.
4) Aouda –
Aouda is a Parsee Indian princess who is orphaned at an early age. She has to marry an
old King and when he dies, she has been asked to commit the sacrifice of her life as per
the Hindu Tradition of that time. She is rescued by Fogg’s group. She goes back with them
to England, as she is unable to find her relative in Hong Kong.

Minor Characters
1) Sir Francis Cromarty:
He is the Brigadier General. He accompanies Fogg from Bombay to Calcutta.
2) John Bunsby:
He is the master of the boat Tankadere, on which Fogg, Fix and Aouda travel. John is a
skilled sailor who takes the trio from Hong Kong to Shanghai so that Fogg is able to board
the San Francisco boat.
3) The Reform Club Members:
The engineer Andrew Stuart, the banker's John Sullinan & Samuel Fallentin, the brewer
Thomas Flanagan and Gauthier Ralph and one of the governors Bank of England are
Phileas Fogg’s partners at the Reform club.
4) The Parsee Guide:
A bright looking young Parsee, offers to be the guide on the elephant which will take the
travellers to Allahabad. He is a brave and intelligent man and does his job well in
conveying the passengers swiftly to Allahabad.
5) Colonel Stamp Proctor:
At San Francisco Fogg, Fix and Aouda find themselves in Montgomery Street, which is
crowded by the members of two opposing political parties. The opposing members
become violent and Fogg’s group is caught in between. A huge fellow with a red goatee, a
ruddy complexion and broad shoulders, raises his fist over Mr. Fogg. Fogg is very angry
and later these two men even resort to duelling.
6) Elder William Hitch:
A priest boards the train from San Francisco to New York at Elko Station. He is a Mormon
missionary, who gives a lecture on Mormonism in Car no. 117 of the train.
7) Mudge:
An American at Fort Kearney station, offers to transport Fogg and group on a sledge to
Omaha station. This skipper of a land craft manages to transfer the group safely to Omaha
station in a few hours.
Activities:-
1) Plot:
Arrange the incidents in the correct sequence as per their occurrence in the
extract.
a) Aouda accepted Fogg's proposal of marriage.
b) When set free, the first thing that Fogg did was he knocked Fix down.
c) As a part of duty, Fix arrested Fogg.
d) At the fifty-seventh second, Fogg entered the Reform Club Saloon.
Answer:
Correct sequence of the incidents:
c) As a part of duty, Fix arrested Fogg.
b) When set free, the first thing that Fogg did was he knocked Fix down.
d) At the fifty-seventh second, Fogg entered the Reform Club Saloon.
a) Aouda accepted Fogg's proposal of marriage.

2) Plot:
Arrange the incidents in the correct sequence as per their occurrence in the
extract.
(a) Fogg knocked detective Fix down.
(b) Passepartout had extinguished the gas burner, which had been burning for eighty
days.
(c) Fogg ordered a special train to go to London.
(d) Detective Fix had arrested Fogg
Answer:
Correct sequence of the incidents:
(d) Detective Fix had arrested Fogg
(a) Fogg knocked detective Fix down.
(c) Fogg ordered a special train to go to London.
(b) Passepartout had extinguished the gas burner, which had been burning for eighty
days.

Character sketch: James Strand

He is the robber, who had robbed the Bank of England and was arrested three days
before Fogg’s mistaken arrest. Though the pursuit of Fogg as “the robber” is one the sub-
plots, James is only mentioned in the novel at the time of his arrest. Thus, he is not a
major character.

Complete the table highlighting the various traits of the major characters in the
extract.

Phileas Fogg precise, honest, intelligent, courageous, eccentric, exact, fastidious,

tranquil, phlegmatic, honourable, punctual, generous, forgiving, helpful,
altruistic, determined, composed, confident, impassible, heroic.

Aouda honest, loyal, charming, beautiful, grateful, self-respecting, caring, kind,

intuitive, perceptive.

Passepartout faithful, loyal, endearing, warm, humorous, brave, innocent, clever,

energetic, gullible, reliable, honest, honourable, economical, diligent, hard-
working, rueful

Detective Fix dutiful, determined, sneaky, self-aware, regretful

Phileas Fogg is as cool as a cucumber whereas Passepartout is as crazy as a loon.
Explain the statement by citing some references from the extract.

Passepartout’s personality is completely opposite to Fogg’s. While Fogg is serious and

meticulous, Passepartout is comical and clumsy. Fogg is worldly, rational, and capable of
making informed decisions after carefully studying any situation, while Passepartout is
naive, gullible, and tends to get carried away on occasion. This is evident when he is
easily manipulated by Fix into hiding Fix’s true motives which result in the arrest of Fogg
at Liverpool.
Passepartout is eager, energetic and excited by everything. This is vastly different from
Fogg, who always remains calm even under trying circumstances. When Fogg is arrested
at Liverpool, he realizes that he may no longer be able to win the bet and is devastated. In
spite of having his victory snatched away from him at the last hour, Fogg does not display
any anger or sorrow. He is calm and composed. Passepartout, on the other hand, wears
his heart on his sleeve at all times. He is so burdened by his guilt of keeping a secret from
Fogg that he “wept till he was blind, and felt like blowing his brains out”. When it
becomes clear that Fogg has lost the bet, Fogg bears this too, calmly and with restraint.
Though he is depressed at having lost everything, he behaves rationally and maturely and
begins to think about his next course of action. Passepartout, in contrast, is “tortured by
remorse” and even besides his own guilt, is anxious and worried about his master. He
urges Fogg to react to the situation with anger, but instead, Fogg chooses to remain calm.

Detective Fix tried hard but could not fix the charge of robbery on Fogg. Explain the
statement from the point of view of Fix.

Detective Fix is a tenacious and determined inspector, who suspects Phileas Fogg of
robbing the Bank of England. His suspicions are confirmed when a drawing of the robber
bears a close resemblance to Fogg. However, Fix cannot arrest Fogg without a warrant. At
the same time, he does not want Fogg to get away and thus follows him around the world
on his travels, all the while waiting for the warrant to arrive. Even though Fix is
sometimes identified as the ‘antagonist’ of the novel, his desire to catch Fogg is not
motivated by enmity. Instead, Fix’s motivation is primarily professional. He deems it his
duty to catch the robber and bring him to justice. However, it is also true that Fix desires
the reward and the fame that awaits the detective who catches the robber. He succeeds in
placing numerous obstacles in Fogg’s path and does so without Fogg ever realizing his
true motives. Though it is easy for the reader to detest Fix for delaying and disrupting
Fogg’s plans, his motive is somewhat justified as Fogg’s innocence is never truly
confirmed until the end of the novel and thus, the reader, too remains suspicious of him.
Fix is noble in his mission to catch a criminal, but also wavers from his morals when he
tries to manipulate Passepartout.

Describe the character sketch of Aouda from Fogg’s point of view.

Aouda is a charming, young woman, rescued from dangerous circumstances by Fogg, who
then brought her all the way from India to London, to guarantee her safety. She is
adventurous and tough in her decision to journey around the world with Fogg. Aouda
seems to be the perfect companion for a man such as Fogg. She is beautiful, sophisticated
and kind. Throughout their journey, she is grateful to Fogg for saving her. This gratitude
soon turns into love. Fogg’s cold, serious, and secretive nature is no match for Aouda’s
love. Slowly, she begins to penetrate his tough exterior and in the end, he is softened by
her love. She is, therefore, perceptive, for she recognizes that even though on the surface
Fogg seems mechanical and emotionless, he has a kind and gentle heart. She is loyal, for
she weeps bitterly when Fogg is arrested and never doubts his integrity. She is caring, for
when she sees that he is disappointed and hurt, she asks Passepartout to never leave his
side. Moreover, she is just as self-respecting as Fogg himself, for when she finds out that
he has lost his fortune, her love for him does not change. She is also equally brave and
bold, for she is the one to propose marriage to him. Through Aouda, Fogg learns the most
important lesson of all, that of the importance of human connection. Even though the trip
around the world earns Fogg nothing, he considers himself to be the “happiest of men”
because Aouda’s love has been his greatest reward. Thus, even though he wins the bet, his
ultimate victory lies in attaining Aouda’s love.
Arrange the incidents in the correct sequence as per their occurrence in the
extract.
a. Aouda accepted Fogg’s proposal of marriage.
b. When set free, the first thing that Fogg did was he knocked Fix down.
c. As a part of duty, Fix arrested, Fogg.
d. At the fifty-seventh second, Fogg entered the Reform Club Saloon.

Solution:

c. As a part of duty, Fix arrested Fogg.

b. When set free, the first thing that Fogg did was he knocked Fix down.
a. Aouda accepted Fogg’s proposal of marriage.
d. At the fifty-seventh second, Fogg entered the Reform Club Saloon.

Which of the following are used as a means of transport in the novel? How do they help
the character/s in the extract?
a. Elephant
b. Horse
c. Train
d. Steamer

All four of the given modes of transport are used by Fogg and his companions at some
time or the other during the course of the journey. However, in the given extract, only the
train has been used to travel from Liverpool to London. Worried that he might not make
it in time to win the bet, Fogg, Passepartout and Aouda arrive at the station to catch the
express train to London. However, the express train had already left the station.
Desperate to reach London, Fogg then orders a special train and bribes the engineer to
set out for London as soon as possible. There is also mention of the Steamer (China)
which the men at the Reform Club assume Fogg must have taken to come to Liverpool.
However, this journey is not part of the extract and in reality, Fogg had missed the
Steamer and ended up finding an alternative way to reach Liverpool.

The beginning of the extract is a scene in the prison at the custom-house. From
there the novel moves further from one place/spot to another. Pick and explain all
the places/spots where the incident took place.
The most of the part of the setting in the extract is in London. Explain how the
setting of the extract is suited to the theme of the novel.

The following is an outline of the places/spots mentioned in the extract:

The extract begins in the prison at the custom-house in Liverpool. Fogg has been wrongly
imprisoned and the deadline of the bet is drawing near. Fogg’s arrest at Liverpool proves
to be the worst blow to his plans. Once released, Fogg and his companions rush to the
station to take a train to London. Here, Fogg orders a special train and bribes an engineer
to set out for London as soon as possible. This shows Fogg’s desperation to reach London
in time. However, they are too late when they arrive in London, Fogg loses the bet and
they all retire to Fogg’s house on Savile Row. Fogg’s home is the only place where he
allows himself to be truly upset. It is also a sanctuary for Aouda who has been provided
with food and shelter. It is here, in Fogg’s home, that Fogg and Aouda confess their love
for each other and intend to marry, thereby sending Passepartout to hire a Reverend for
the marriage ceremony to be performed the next day. Passepartout’s interaction with the
Reverend makes it clear that they have made a mistake in keeping time and that there is
still some time left before the deadline. Passepartout then travels back home to Savile
Row, quickly convinces Fogg to come along and they rush to the Reform Club where they
arrive just in time to win the bet.
Describe the importance of the following place in the development of the plot and
behaviour of the character.
Liverpool

It is the final stop in Fogg’s eighty-day journey before he returns to London. It is of

particular importance to Detective Fix because it marks Fogg’s arrival in England, where
Fix has the authority to arrest him. This arrest severely delays Fogg’s plans to reach the
Reform Club before the deadline and he almost loses the bet.

London
It marks the beginning and the ending of Fogg’s eighty-day journey. Towards the end of
the novel, reaching London becomes the most important objective for Fogg and when
released from prison, he even orders a special train and bribes an engineer just to get to
London on time.

Reform Club
It acts as the starting point of the plot, since it is the place where the bet is first made. The
members of the Reform Club, as with all gentlemen’s clubs of that era, hold the values of
honour and morality in high esteem, which leads to Fogg accepting the bet to defend his
honour. It is also the place where the bet is finally won and the action of the novel is
resolved.

Savile Row
It is the street where Fogg lives, located in central London. It is an upscale
neighbourhood, indicating that Fogg is a wealthy man. From the point of view of the
extract, Savile Row is significant because of two reasons. Not only is it the first place
where Fogg truly allows himself to be upset about losing the bet, but it is also the place
where Fogg and Aouda declare their love for each other. Both these instances serve as a
reminder of Fogg’s transformation from a cold, distant individual at the beginning of the
trip, to one softened by the power of human relationships at the end of it.

Edinburgh
It is the place where the actual robber of the Bank of England is finally arrested. Because
of his arrest, Fogg, who has been wrongfully imprisoned, is finally released and is free to
go to London, even as the deadline of the bet draws near. In addition, the actual robber’s
arrest clears Fogg’s name in the eyes of the English people and they once again consider
him to be a man of honour and even place bets in favour of him successfully completing
his extraordinary journey around the world.

Write 4-5 sentences on the ‘Time’ theme of the extract.

The most important theme of the novel is the concept of ‘Time’. Through the given
extract, the writer tries to convey to the readers that time cannot be controlled or
manipulated. When Fogg is arrested at Liverpool, this causes a delay in Fogg’s plans.
Throughout his journey, Fogg is depicted as a particular, precise man, who is obsessed
with planning for every moment. However, even he could not have predicted his arrest
and therefore, could not have prepared for such an event in advance. This shows that no
matter how many plans you make, whether time will work for you or against you is
uncertain. Consequently, Fogg loses his bet because he is late by five minutes, an example
of his defeat at the hands of time. Time also plays a crucial role in the climax of the novel,
wherein Fogg wins his bet because he had ‘gained time’ by travelling eastwards on his
journey around the world. However, he does not realize this on his own and almost loses
the bet. Through sheer coincidence and luck, Fogg becomes aware of the additional ‘day’
that he had gained and wins the bet with just seconds to spare. Thus, the extract
ultimately wishes to convey the lesson that no one can control time; it is an
uncontrollable, random force and humans are at its mercy.