20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA

SHORT SUMMARY (Synopsis)

The story opens in the year 1866. Everyone in Europe and America is talking about a mysterious creature that has been
sinking ships. Finally, the United States government decides to intervene and commissions the Abraham Lincoln to
capture and identify the creature. On board the ship are Pierre Aronnax, a renowned scientist along with his manservant,
Conseil, and Ned Land the king of harpooners.

The Abraham Lincoln is attacked by the creature. Aronnax, Conseil and Land go overboard. The three men find
themselves on top of the mysterious creature, which is actually a submarine vessel. They are taken on board and placed
in a cell.

The men meet Captain Nemo, the commander of the vessel, known as the Nautilus. He tells them they can stay on
board the ship and enjoy freedom as long as they return to the cell if asked. They are never to leave the vessel again.
Ned Land says he will not promise that he will not try to escape.
Captain Nemo treats the men, especially Aronnax, very well. They are clothed and fed and may wander around the
vessel at their leisure. Aronnax is thrilled by Nemo’s vast library. The men spend their time observing sea life through
observation windows. Aronnax studies and writes about everything he sees.

During their time on the Nautilus, the men experience many exciting adventures. They hunt in underwater forests, visit
an island with angry natives, visit the lost city of Atlantis, and fish for giant pearls. However, there are also many
distressing events coupled with the erratic behavior of Captain Nemo. One night the men are asked to return to their
cell. They are given sleeping pills and awake the next morning very confused. Nemo asks Aronnax to look at a crewman
who has been severely injured. The man later dies and they bury him in an underground cemetery, where many other
crewmen have been laid to rest.
On a voyage to the South Pole, the Nautilus becomes stuck in the ice. Everyone must take turns trying to break a hole
in the ice so the vessel can get through. The ship almost runs out of its oxygen supply and the men grow tired and light
headed. However, they escape just in time.
Another time, the vessel sails through an area heavily populated by giant squid, when a giant squid gets stuck in the
propeller of the submarine. The men and the crew must fight off the squid with axes because they cannot be killed with
bullets. While fighting, a crewmember is killed by a squid. Nemo is moved to tears.

The rising action of the story begins with Nemo’s attack on a warship. Aronnax does not know to which nation the
warship belongs, but he is horrified when Captain Nemo sinks it. The men decide they must escape at all costs.

One night, while off the coast of Norway, Aronnax, Conseil and Land plan a rash escape. To their dismay they realize
they are heading toward a giant whirlpool--one that no ship has ever survived. Amazingly, in only a small dinghy they
emerge safely. They awake in the hut of a fisherman. At the conclusion of the story, Aronnax is awaiting his return to
France and rewriting his memoirs of his journey under the sea.

Themes
Man versus Nature

This major theme of the story is encapsulated both in the conflict between Aronnax and Nemo as well as Nemo and
himself. Aronnax, the “naturalist” must decide between his own love of science and his fellow man. Nemo, who has
gained incredible power by defying nature, must reconcile his power and his humanity.

In this novel man vs. nature is a bit more complex than the typical man vs. nature theme, which usually entails men
battling the forces of nature. In this case, which is typical of science-fiction, man is trying to overcome nature; man is
trying to defy nature. Captain Nemo tries to create an alternate nature, which at the time of this novel was a foreign as
living in outer space (which Nemo says, himself).

It seems that Nemo’s ultimate goal in creating an alternative nature, was to thwart the one into which he was born
because it created circumstances too hurtful to bear. However, in the Nautilus, Nemo is still subject to the forces of
nature. He must find a way to create an atmosphere like that found on land; he must battle natural creatures. It is
apparent that nature has won when Nemo uses it to end his mission. Despite his attempt to create a new environment,
he cannot escape his human nature, his capacity to feel pain. It is this pain that drives Nemo to kill; however, it is not
enough.
Revenge

Captain Nemo repeatedly mentions that he is seeking revenge for injustices he incurred while on land. Interestingly,
the reader must consider that while Nemo’s violence seems senseless and evil, he is not necessarily different from a
nation state. For example, Nemo has declared himself sovereign; he has his own laws; he claims he has a wealth that
rivals France; and he has his own military. At least in the cases of the Abraham Lincoln and the final warship, Nemo
was attacked first. He is not entirely evil--he makes large donations to people in need of them and comes to the aid of
those he believes worthy. The world in the 19th century was not quite the same as it is today. While the nature of
warfare was certainly changing, as it always is, nations still engaged in battle over issues that would not be
considered legitimate today, such as colonization.
Nemo, technically residing in a territory controlled by no one, having claimed land of his own, and fighting under his
own flag is not entirely different from a recognized and respected nation that bludgeons its enemy to advance its own
cause.

Liberty

Liberty is another theme that pervades this novel. The world is seeking to liberate itself of the “creature,” the Nautilus.
Nemo seeks liberty from society and from the land itself. Aronnax, Conseil and Land seek liberty from Nemo. Yet no
one is truly free.

If the world became free from the terrors of the Nautilus it was only through the will of Nemo, who apparently committed
suicide. However, much like any scientific progress, they are not free from the technology to produce another submarine
capable of the same evil. Aronnax has survived. He knows the mechanical secrets of the ship and he is preparing to
publish them

Nemo seeks refuge at the sea’s bottom; yet he is repeatedly outraged and haunted by mankind. He continues to battle
humanity and thus causes himself great mental anguish. Moreover, he is plagued by his vengeful spirit which drives his
entire existence. He is not in control of his life.

Major Characters

Dr. Pierre Aronnax

The narrator, aged forty. He is a former medical doctor turned scientist and lecturer at the Museum of Paris. He is
unmarried and childless. He resides in Paris with his manservant, Conseil. While lecturing in the United States, he is
asked by the U.S. government to join the expedition aboard the Abraham Lincoln in search of the mysterious monster
that has been attacking ships.

Conseil
Aronnax’s domestic servant. He is thirty years old. He follows Aronnax on all of his voyages and never offers counsel.
He is knowledgeable of science, yet has little practice. He never complains.

Ned Land
A Canadian traveling on the Abraham Lincoln. He is revered as the king of harpooners. He is forty years old, large,
quiet, and angry when contradicted.

Captain Nemo
The commander of the Nautilus. He is a mysterious man. He is often moved to tears, yet easily angered. He is a
brilliant man who was formerly an engineer. He designed the Nautilus himself. His nationality remains unknown to the
narrator.
Minor Characters

Captain Anderson

The captain of the Scotia, the ship that sank and provoked the United States to send the Abraham Lincoln in search of
the Nautilus. The root word “ande” means man; therefore, Anderson can be read as son of man. It is possible that Verne
employed this name because it was this final stand off--between “man” and machine--that incited government action.
However, it is likely that Verne based this character on the real life Captain Anderson of the Great Eastern described in
Part II.

Captain Farragut

The captain of the Abraham Lincoln. His name is taken from a Union Civil War admiral, David G. Farragut. David Farragut
is famous for his statement: “Damn the torpedoes--full speed ahead!!!”

Sir Samuel Cunard

The name of the well-known Canadian ship-owner of a prestigious British and North American Line. When his ship, the
Scotia is attacked, the world is outraged. Cunard’s ships have an outstanding reputation and never sink.

CONFLICT

Protagonist
The protagonist of a story is the main character, who traditionally, undergoes some sort of change. He or She must
usually overcome some opposing force. In Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas the protagonist is Dr. Pierre
Aronnax. He is the narrator and central character of the tale. Aronnax is repeatedly described as a naturalist throughout
the story. A naturalist is, essentially, a person who is well studied in natural sciences such as zoology and botany--as is
Aronnax. However, within the context of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, a tale of science fiction, his position
of a naturalist is juxtaposed with that which seeks to thwart nature--Captain Nemo and the Nautilus. Ironically,
Aronnax’s confrontation with Nemo, during which he sees how science can be used for evil, he chooses his fellow man
over science.

Antagonist
The antagonist of a story is the character that provides an obstacle for the protagonist. In this case the antagonist is
Captain Nemo. The obstacle is the imprisonment of Aronnax and the other characters aboard the Nautilus.

Climax
The climax of a story is the major turning point that determines the outcome of the plot. It is the point to which the
rising action leads. In this story the climax is in Chapter 22, “Captain Nemo’s Last Words,” when the men make the
decision to escape. This is a major decision, which permanently changes their condition of imprisonment.

Outcome
Also known as the resolution or denouement, this is the place in the plot where the action is resolved or clarified. In this
novel, the outcome is that the men survive the giant whirlpool. Captain Nemo remains a mystery; we do not know if he
has survived, nor do we know where he came from or who he really is. Aronnax plans to return to France.