Hunter Johnson

Dr. Sanderson

Eng. Comp. I

10-23-13

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

            Of the hundreds of books I have read, none have captivated me so as did Jules Verne’s novel, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as this novel immediately draws readers in and holds their attention. The story of a French naturalist, Monsieur Aronnax, his dutiful servant, Conseil, a Canadian harpooner, Ned Land, and Verne’s iconic Indian prince, Captain Nemo, and their submarine excursion around the world. This book illustrates thrilling adventure in travels, great mystery as the reader is kept in constant suspense, and dynamic characters as they develop throughout the book.

            The adventure begins with Monsieur Aronnax’s trip, along with Conseil and Ned Land aboard the Abraham Lincoln. The Abraham Lincoln finds and pursues a leviathan, soon revealed as the Nautilus. The three are thrown from the Abraham Lincoln when the Nautilus turns and attacks the offending ship; the three are captured and held hostage by Nemo on board the Nautilus. After great discussion and argument, the three come to terms with their presumed eternal imprisonment. However, as it is only situational captivity, the three vow to try any given chance at escape. The Nautilus travels from the seaweed forests of the pacific to the Indian Ocean to observe the pearl divers of Sri Lanka. Then the Nautilus ventures into the Red Sea where they observe the many fish species there and then through a subterranean tunnel beneath the Suez Peninsula into the Mediterranean. They visit Vigo Bay, where divers from the Nautilus collect treasures lost by the Spanish galleons sunken there in 1702. They visit the lost city of Atlantis and the Antarctic ice shelves whereupon they temporarily become entrapped under the ice. Of course they cleverly elude certain death by boiling the surrounding water with electric pulses, thus freeing them. And as many movies have shown the Nautilus is set upon by an enormous squid which succeeds in devouring an unlucky crew member.

            As for the mystery, the book begins with the world in a great confusion. Newspaper headlines read of a leviathan of the deeps that is mangling or even sinking ships around the globe. To the reader, this is quickly dissolved with the capture of Aronnax and his two companions. The question then shifts to who their captor is, where he is from, and just what he has in store for them. The “what” is hastily answered, as Captain Nemo concisely states that their only choice is to remain with him eternally or be put to death. Since one only does as best suits his preservation, they wisely choose to remain with the Captain on board the Nautilus. Sadly the “who” and “where” are never brought to light as Verne never states Captain Nemo’s origins or his real name. Subsequently, Monsieur Aronnax, Conseil, and Ned Land are kept in constant wonder as to their next destination. Captain Nemo surprises them time and again as he takes them on undersea walks, pearl expeditions, and shark hunts. Monsieur Aronnax is held in perpetual astonishment as he is shown the increasingly fantastic anomalies of the world’s oceans, and he endeavors to classify them. These ranging from an enormous pearl, a giant squid, and a sea of white, caused ironically enough by an unfathomable number of infinitesimal worms. Although Nemo is consistently adamant of having no ties to any land or government, Aronnax in continually puzzled by his actions. This consisting of Nemo’s saving the life of the Sri Lankan pearl diver and the subsequent provision of pearls given to said diver, the evident charity of a great sum of gold to an unknown recipient in the Greek Isles, and Captain Nemo’s obvious empathy toward the “poor and oppressed” in the civilized world. The mystery of Captain Nemo deepens when the Nautilus ventures to the South Pole whereupon it is temporarily trapped, and Nemo becomes more concerned with the chance of his Nautilus failing him rather than the likelihood of their imminent deaths.

            As for the characters, no reader could expect a more inexplicable and exciting character than Captain Nemo, a more relatable or steadfast character than Monsieur Pierre Aronnax, or superior supporting characters than Ned Land and Conseil. Nemo, the enigmatic Captain of the Nautilus. He is indubitably independently wealthy, boundlessly charismatic, and incontestably ingenious. Monsieur Aronnax being a worldly man but also a man of science is very logical in his actions and seems to put research and new discoveries above all else. This is shown in Ned Land’s many attempts at prompting an escape that Aronnax repeatedly postpones. Ned Land, of course, is depicted as a man of action, constantly ready for an attempt on escape and all too willing to risk life and limb in altercation for the mere chance at restoring his, and his companion’s, freedom. Conseil, on the other hand, is quite the opposite. He seems to be devoid of any personal aspirations short of serving and accompanying Monsieur Aronnax in all activities and expeditions. Conseil commits himself entirely to M. Aronnax and consents to all of Aronnax’s decisions.

            As is said, no other tomb has captivated me so as has 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Jules Verne did exceptional work in the form of his writing and is quite a remarkable writer. The intrigue of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in extraordinary for a book published over one hundred and forty years ago. Anyone seeking great adventures, fascinating mysteries, and in-depth characters need look no further than Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, for the journey is there, just waiting to be read.