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
The next day, February 12, Ned and Conseil are both stunned to hear that the Nautilus has arrived in the Mediterranean. Ned requests to have a conversation with Arronax, and without hesitation announces his desire to escape the submarine. Arronax does not want to “shackle the freedom of [his] companions,” but also has no desire to abandon the submarine, which has provided him the best possible opportunities for scientific research and writing—opportunities he knows he will never have again. Ned admits that in some ways he’s happy about the time they’ve spent on board the Nautilus, but balks at Arronax’s suggestion that they be patient and remain on the submarine for now.
Here the novel provides a reminder that freedom and constraint are complicated, often producing ambiguous feelings. In Ned’s case, he feels conflicted about his time on the Nautilus, since he, like Arronax, has enjoyed himself at least somewhat. At the same time, Ned is also totally adamant that—even if he has had some good experiences aboard the submarine—he wants to seek his freedom anyway.
Themes
Arronax continues that they can’t trust that Nemo will ever let them go, despite his kind nature. This means that it is imperative that their first escape attempt be successful. He eventually concedes that Ned can keep an eye out for the right opportunity to escape, but warns him not to take one unless he is absolutely sure it will work. He adds that Nemo likely suspects that they will try to flee, particularly now that they are back in European waters. On February 14, Arronax learns that the Nautilus is heading to the Cretan island Candia, where the local inhabitants recently revolted against “despotic Turkish rule.” Arronax doesn’t know whether the revolt was successful, and doesn’t believe he will get any answers from Nemo.
Stories of colonization, oppression, and rebellion are scattered throughout the book, but it remains somewhat ambiguous what purpose they serve. Of course, Arronax and the other captives are themselves planning a rebellion against Nemo. Yet it is Nemo who positions himself as the character on the side of the oppressed. For 19th-century European writers like Verne, issues of colonialism and rebellion were everywhere—yet this didn’t necessarily lead to clear-sighted positions on these matters.
Themes
Standing in the saloon with Nemo, Arronax gazes out into the water. He takes note of a number of interesting animals and plants, before spotting a diver who is still alive. Panicking, he calls Nemo over, but Nemo explains that the diver is Nicholas Pesca, a man who spends his time swimming between Cretan islands. Without saying anything else, Nemo opens a chest, which Arronax is shocked to see is filled with gold ingots. Nemo writes something on it in modern Greek, then pushes a button which calls members of the ship’s crew into the room. The men carry the chest out, and shortly after Nemo bids Arronax goodnight.
This is the first indication that Nemo might still be in contact with people outside of the submarine, since it appears as though he is sending the gold to someone in Greece. In addition, it seems as if Nicholas Pesca is like Nemo: someone who shuns human society in order to spend as much time as possible in the ocean.
Themes
Literary Devices
The next day, Arronax tells Conseil and Ned about what he saw the night before. They wonder aloud where Nemo could be sending this huge sum of money. In the evening, Arronax notices that it is unusually hot, and fears that there might be a fire on board the submarine. Nemo enters, and calmly mentions that they are “floating in a current of boiling water.” Arronax is horrified, but Nemo explains that it is a product of the volcanic formation of the islands, which is an ongoing process. Looking outside, Arronax sees that the water is red. There is also a strong smell of sulphur. When Arronax expresses his distress to Nemo, Nemo casually gives the signal for the boat to turn away from the boiling spot, and toward the sea’s surface for some fresh air.
Again, part of the book’s purpose appears to be an almost encyclopedic exploration of the ocean’s myriad wonders. While to ordinary human eyes the ocean might seem like one vast and homogenous ecosystem, the book shows that there is an incredible amount of diversity within it. Not only are there different kinds of plant and animal life all over the ocean, but there are even different atmospheres—storms, undersea forests, and hot areas caused by volcanoes.
Themes
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