Electricity represents the formidable, seemingly infinite opportunity and power provided by scientific innovation and technology. As such, electricity encapsulates both the fear and optimism about technology that are expressed within the novel. Captain Nemo’s submarine, the Nautilus, is powered by electricity. When the Nautilus is first spotted by various ships around the globe, it is mistaken for a “phosphorescent” narwhal because of the way it is illuminated by electricity. The fact that people who see the submarine assume that it is naturally rather than artificially illuminated indicates that, on some subconscious level, they have greater faith in the power of nature than in that of manmade objects. The revelation that the Nautilus isn’t a narwhal at all, but an electrically-powered submarine, thus becomes a commentary on the ways in which human invention is catching up to the power of nature. Indeed, all the mysteries surrounding the submarine—including its illumination, its speed, and its agility—end up being explained by the fact that it is electrically powered. This reflects a somewhat naïve impression of electricity and what it can do, influenced by the heady excitement over this new form of power.
From a contemporary perspective, the fact that the submarine is electrically powered does not appear particularly advanced or impressive, and doesn’t answer many questions about the way the vessel actually works. However, in the mid-19th century during which the novel is set, electricity was a new enough source of power that there was an outsize sense of exhilaration and optimism about what it was capable of achieving. This disproportionate excitement is expressed in the novel’s giddy representation of electricity as an infinitely expansive, potent, and magical force.
Electricity Symbol Timeline in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
