Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Scientific Discovery and Technological Innovation
Freedom vs. Constraint
Human Intelligence and its Limits
Exploration, Imperialism, and Conquest
Nature vs. Civilization
Summary
Analysis
On hearing Ned’s cry, everyone on board the ship rushes to look. Just ahead of the ship, the monster glows with an extraordinary light. Someone exclaims, “It’s nothing but a vast collection of phosphoric particles,” but Arronax disputes this. Arronax points out that the creature is moving toward the ship, and Farragut immediately orders that they reverse. After initially seeming to retreat, the monster pursues them at frightening speed.
The fact that the monster is its own source of light heightens its mystery. It recalls the frightening-looking angler fish of the deep sea, which have a light attached to a kind of antenna used to attract prey.
Themes
Literary Devices
Farragut approaches Arronax and says that their only choice is to retreat, as they have no idea what the creature is or what it’s capable of. Farragut speculates that it is an electric “gigantic narwhal.” At midnight, the narwhal seems to disappear, but less than an hour later makes an extremely loud whistling sound. The crew stays awake all night, nervously anticipating a clash with the monster. At dawn, the light is obscured by a thick fog. Around eight a.m., Ned exclaims that he sees the animal, and everyone on board rushes to get a proper look. Arronax guesses that it is a mammal about 250 feet long.
The passages describing the Abraham Lincoln’s initial contact with the narwhal introduce the importance of electricity in the novel. In the 19th century, electricity was still somewhat novel and certainly not as ubiquitous as it is today. The fact that a monster deep in the ocean could be electric would be a thrilling thought to readers at the time.
Themes
Literary Devices
Farragut signals for the ship to head straight toward the monster. The creature turns away, and the ship increases its speed to 18.5 knots. Yet despite going full steam ahead, the Abraham Lincoln never manages to get very close to the creature. To the frustration of all those aboard, the creature is much faster than the ship. A gunner manages to fire one of the ship’s guns at the monster, but it has little effect, sliding right off the monster’s skin into the water. Arronax hopes that the monster will tire itself out, but it doesn’t.
The crew of the Abraham Lincoln are both intrigued and frightened by the monster. Indeed, their pursuit of the mysterious creature is an example of how curiosity and fear often coexist and create conflict with each other.
Themes
Night falls, and Arronax laments that the mission is doomed. However, to his surprise, an opportunity arises: the monster appears to fall asleep, and the ship is able to get close to it. Ned harpoons the monster, and immediately massive jets of water erupt from its body, sending those on the Abraham Lincoln—including Arronax—overboard into the sea.
Ned’s rather blunt and brutal approach to the monster—a significant contrast to Arronax’s cautious, rational method of scientific observation—has disastrous results in this passage.
Themes
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