Around The World In Eighty Days

Jules Gabriel Verne (1828 to 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. Verne wrote widely popular series of adventure novels including Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870), and Around the World in Eighty Days (1873).Verne is generally considered a major literary author in France and most of Europe, Verne has been the second most-translated author in the world.

Characters:

Major Characters:

1) Phileas Fogg –

The hero and chief protagonist in the novel. He is challenged by a fellow gambler to go aroundthe world in eighty days and he takes up the challenge. His rationality, calmness, generosity and self-control appeal to the readers.

2) Passepartout –

He is an employee of Phileas Fogg. He is an honest as well as a comic French man. He is loyalto his master and yet gets into situations that make his master’s plans difficult to travel around the world. Passepartout attracts the reader with his loyalty, warmth and his sense of humour.

3) Detective Fix –

He is the detective. He comes to the wrong conclusion that Fogg is the bank robber and ismerely pretending to go around the world when his real purpose is to cheat the law. He tries tocapture Fogg.

4) Aouda –

Aouda is a Parsee Indian princess who is orphaned at an early age. She has to marry an old King and when he dies, she has been asked to commit the sacrifice of her life as per the Hindu Tradition of that time. She is rescued by Fogg’s group. She goes back with them to England, as she is unable to find her relative in Hong Kong.

Theme : 

The novel is full of adventure and the excitement which the readers come across and enjoy from the beginning to the end. Phileas Fogg, the major character in the novel, accepts the challenge to go around the world in eighty days and in accomplishing this feat he goes through various lands and meets with diverse adventures. Thus the novel proceeds at a fast pace and there is always some excitement resulting from the various encounters. The beauty of the novel is that the writer takes the readers to a journey of many hair-raising incidents and exciting, adventurous, thrilling yet beautiful places in the world.The most important feature of this adventure novel is ‘Time’. It illustrates repeatedly that time is fickle, and eitherworks for or against them. In many cases, time foils their plans, when the delays build up and ships and trains leave without them that sometimes land the characters in trouble. In the end, Fogg wins the bet as he gained a day when crossing the International Date Line. The ultimate message is that no one can control time; time will work the way it wants to work, and humans are at its mercy.Before his journey around the world, Fogg lived a solitary life. He closed himself off to others and cared little about the way he was perceived by other people. By the end of the trip, though, he recognizes the importance of human connections, both in the form of love, with Aouda, and friendship and loyalty, with Passepartout. Above all, this new understanding and appreciation is the greatest thing he has gained from this trip.Though he has the opportunity to double his fortune, Fogg’s motivation to embark on such a crazy adventure has little to do with the money. Instead, he wants to preserve his honour and prove his worth to the men of the Reform Club, to show that he can do what he sets out to do. Fogg spends nearly all of his money along the way, showing that riches are not what he is truly out for. For Phileas Fogg, honour is more important than money.Throughout the entire trip, Fogg and his group encounter various obstacles standing in their way. These challenges allow them to use their quick thinking to come up with innovative solutions to even the most complicated of problems, relaying the message that no problem is unsolvable. It is not only Fogg who shows his clever wit in coming up with solutions; Passepartout, too, shows his ingenuity in multiple situations.

Plot :

Around the World in Eighty Days begins at the Reform Club in England with Phileas Fogg, Thomas Flanagan, Samuel Fallentin, and John Sullivan sitting by a fireplace reading newspapers. We are introduced to Fogg, a very precise man who regularly goes to the Reform Club every evening.At the Reform Club, Fogg, Flanagan, Fallentin, and Sullivan are talking about a recent bank robbery. This conversation leads to a wager. Fogg is quite sure he can travel around the world in eighty days, while Sullivan doesn’t believe it can be done. Sullivan, Flanagan, and Fallentin think Fogg is not considering the unexpected; all of the men accept the wager for twenty-thousand pounds.This is the beginning of the entire plot and from then on we see how Fogg goes around the world and we witness the amazing adventures that he has with his companions. The main plot is based on Fogg’s travels, while other such plots merely support the central theme. Fix, the detective, followsFogg all over. He believes that Fogg is the bank robber who has robbed a great sum from the bank of England. He puts obstacles in Fogg’s path just so that he can arrest him whenever he gets the warrant from England. The suspicion that Fogg might be a clever gentleman robber is the sub-theme of the book and the author makes the reader also suspicious. Passepartout too wonders whether his master might be a robber though in his heart he has ample trust in Fogg’s integrity.The plot moves ahead with Fogg striving through various obstacles to reach London in time. He goes through Brindisi, Suez, Bombay (Now Mumbai), Calcutta (Now Kolkata), Hong Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco, New York and finally Liverpool. Fix arrests Fogg at Liverpool and this delays Fogg a bit. He thinks that he has missed the deadline and hasn’t reached London in time when in reality he reached a full day earlier. Thus Fogg wins the wager and in the course of his travels, finds himself a worthy charming, beautiful wife too.

 Activities -  ( Hsc board exam sept 2021) 

(i) Complete the table highlighting the various traits of the major characters in the extract.

Phileas Fogg-  punctual, honest, intelligent, determined, generous, forgiving, helpful, confident, heroic, eccentric

Aouda - honest, loyal charming, beautiful caring, kind

Passepartout - faithful, loyal, honest, innocent, reliable, hard working, self - respecting 

Detective Fix- dutiful, determined, regretful.

ii) ' We can go around the world in less time by journeying eastward '

         Justify it with Fogg's journey in the from ' Around the world in Eighty Days'

➡️   Mr. Fogg, the main character in the novel is challenged by his friends to go around the world in 80 Days. The concept of time is the most important theme of the novel. Mr Fogg wins the bet because he had gained a day while crossing the International Date Line. Thus by travelling eastward Fogg wins the bet.

🟣 Explain how the author has made use of International Date Line and time zones in his novel.

Ans : Phileas Fog accepts the challenge of going around the world in eighty days. The members of the Reform club in England accepts the wager for twenty-thousand pounds. Fog goes around the world. He goes through Brindisi, Suez, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hong Kong, Yokohama , San Fransico, New York  and Liverpool. He thinks that he has missed the deadline of eighty days and hasn't reached London. His companion Passepartout  learns that their journey through the different time zones had gained them a day. They reached London a day before the deadline. The author has aptly used time zones in his novel 'Around the World in Eighty days.'

🟣 'Money was never a concern for Mr. Phileas Fogg; it was for honour he accepted the wager.' Discuss.

Ans: Mr Phileas Fogg has the opportunity to double his fortune. But Fogg's adventurous journey has nothing to with the money. He accepts the wager to preserve his hon our and prove his worth. He wants to show the members of the Reform Club that he can do anything he sets out to do. He spends nearly all of his money along the way . This shows that for Fogg, honour is more important than money.

🟣 Phileas Fogg's travel around the world was full of adventures and surprises. Illustrate.

Ans : The title 'Around The World in Eighty Days' itself indicates the adventures in the novel. The novelist takes the readers to a journey of many hair-raising incidents and exciting, adventurous and thrilling places. The journey with trains and ships add adventures. To the surprise Fogg wins the heart of a beautiful and charming woman in India. The detective arrests Fogg at Liverpool. The great surprise is that he keeps his word travelling around the world in eighty days.

🟣 Explain how the time gained of a full day is revealed to Mr. Fogg.

Ans : Passepartout is sent to engage a clergyman. He runs out to get a reverend to marry Fogg and Aouda whom Fogg brought from India. The marraige is to be solemnised the next day on Monday according to them. Passepartout learns that the next is Sunday not Monday. He concludes that their journey through the different time zones had gained them a day. He hurries home and reveals the truth to Mr Fogg.  

🟣 Passepartout stations himself outside Phileas’ door. Give reasons 

Ans: Passepartout stations himself outside Phileas' door because he wants to keep watch upon his master. Mr. Phileas confined himself as he thought he didn't reach London in time and lost the wager. Knowing that Englishmen  governed by a fixed idea sometimes resort to suicide. Mr Phileas may do that.  Passepartout wants to avert the situation if happens. He remains outside Phileas's door.

🟣 Passepartout blamed himself for the misfortune of his master. Justify.

Ans : Passepartout blamed himself for the misfortune of his master Mr Fogg. He had concealed Fix's errand from his master. Fix had revealed his true character and purpose . If he had warned his master about Fix's purpose, his master would have given proof of his innocence. Fix would not have been on the heels of his master to arrest him.

🟣 Compare the remorse in the minds of Mr. Fogg and Aouda for the seeming failure of his wager.

Ans: Aouda is surprised when Mr Fogg is arrested. Her heart revolts against a charge of robbery on Fogg. She weeps bitterly as she can do nothing to save her protector. Mr. Fogg thought that he was rich enough when he decided bring Aouda from India. She would be free and happy. But as he lost his wager he was ruined.

🟣 Narrate the happenings at a prison where Fogg was kept under arrest.

Ans: Mr Fogg was kept in prison. He was arrested by Fix, the detective for robbery. Passepartout would have fallen upon Fix had he not been held by some policemen.  Aouda and he had remained at the prison to see Mr Fogg. Mr Fogg seated motionless, calm and without anger on the bench. At thirty-three past two Fix disclosed that the real robber is arrested and he set Mr Fogg free.

🟣 Narrate the happenings at Reform Club on the 80th day of the wager.

Ans : The  five club members awaited Mr Fogg at Reform club on the 80th  day of the wager. They were excited about winning the wager as they were sure Mr Fogg would not reach there in time . Thomas Flanagan enquired about arrival of last train. They were constantly looking at the clock. They counted the seconds. At the fifty-fifth second a loud cry was heard followed by applause. And Phileas Fogg appeared before the pendulum beat the sixtieth second. He put his promise of traveling the world in 80 days. 

🟣 Explain the stress on the mind of Fogg after returning from world tour at Saville Row.

Ans: After returning from the world tour at Saville Row, Fogg locks himself in his room and, for the first time, allows himself to be seriously depressed about seemingly losing the bet. ... Still, Mr. Fogg handled his misfortune with calmness. He also felt guilty and blames himself for bringing misfortune to Aouda.

Around the world in 80 days with Marathi Translation ( Click on the following link to download the PDF file )👇

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GzMclxWOqSY8lTH5mGtCNUH7EFtthLaX/view?usp=drivesdk

 4.3- AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS* या कादंबरीतील कथानकावर आधारित Hollywood ने एक चित्रपट बनविलेला आहे. मूळ इंग्रजी भाषेतील हा चित्रपट हिंदीमध्ये डबिंग करण्यात आला आहे...