Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days Essay -- Around World 80 Da

Jules Vernes Around the World in 80 DaysJules Vernes 19th century novel round the travels of the eclectic Phileas Fogg at first seems a quick read, an adventurous narrative written in a light-hearted vernacular. Yet a close interlingual rendition of passages, such as the paragraph at the beginning of chapter two, reveals more complex, possible themes amidst the pages of such mass fiction. An analysis of one passage in particular1 1 suggests that this perfect novel has little to do with travel, adventure and love, but rather that it makes a statement about the human condition. Foggs famous eighty-day challenge seems notwithstanding a vessel, a means of transportation, to mask and guide his own self-whispered journey. Vernes earliest portrayals of Fogg reveal some of his peculiarities an unnatural fixation on following routing and being on time, as well as precise attention for detail.2 2 Yet Foggs apparent obsession with exactitude denies him whatever hint of indi viduality. According to Verne, Fogg is so exact that he is never in a hurry, makes no superfluous gestures, and is never seen to be locomote or agitated.3 3 He meticulously reads two papers to each one day without comment, avoids both confrontation and agreement, and is at once mysterious and predictable. Phileas Fogg seems, therefore, to comprise in such a state of mediocrity and liminality, lacking be or distinctive characteristics, that prior to accepting the challenge, he would fade from the reviewers view. Vernes poetic prose further highlight Foggs wee banalityPhileas Fogg was indeed exactitude personified, and this was betrayed even in the expression of his rattling hands and feet the limbs themselves are expressive of the passions. (Verne 14)... ...ons do not match on a word-for-word basis. This is the passage as it appears in my versionsPhileas Fogg was indeed exactitude personified, and this was betrayed even in the expression of his very hands and feet f or in men, as well as in animals, the limbs themselves are expression of the passions.He was so exact that he was never in a hurry, was always ready, and was scotch in both whole tones and his motions. He never took one step too many, and always went to his destination by the shortest way he make no superfluous gestures, and was never seen to be moved or agitated. He was the most deliberate person in the world, yet always arrived on time.He lived alone, and so to speak, outside of every social relation and as he knew that in this world there must be friction, and since friction slows things down, he never rubbed against anybody. (Verne 14-15)