Novel Element analysis: Journey to the Centre of The Earth by Jules Verne

I.                   INTRODUCTION

This novel is about the quest to the centre of the earth. The expedition is led by Professor Otto Liedenbrock and includes Axel and their Icelandic guide Hans. Liedenbrock stumbles upon this discovery when he was going through a runic script. In the runic script he discovers a coded message written by an Icelandic alchemist Arne Saknussemm, saying that he has been to the centre of the earth. He goes on to describe how exactly he did it. So Professor Otto Liedenbrock, Axel, and Hans go to Sneffels where they are let down by cloudy skies. But on the last day the sun comes out and they enter the correct crater.

Jules Verne was born in France (1828) and died (1905), spending his life writing many books. After his first book was published in 1863, he devoted his life to writing. Verne had no formal training in science. His passion was geography; everything else he learned from his reading, which included about fifteen newspapers a day. He took voluminous notes giving him a good sense of the emerging knowledge in many fields. He was very modest about his ability to predict inventions, saying he only extended what was already happening at the time.

From a scientific point of view, this story has not aged quite as well as other Verne stories, since most of his ideas about what the interior of the Earth contains have since been soundly refuted. However, a redeeming point to the story is Verne's own belief, told within the novel from the viewpoint of a character, that the inside of the Earth does indeed differ from that which the characters anticipate. One of Verne's main ideas with his stories was also to educate the readers, and by placing the different extinct creatures the characters meet in their correct geological era, he is able to show how the world looked a long time ago, stretching from the ice age to the dinosaurs.

II.                ANALYSIS

1.        Analysis Internal Element of the Novel

A.       Characters

Ø Professor Otto Lidenbrock -

“Such was the character calling for me so impatiently. Imagine a tall, thin man, with an iron constitution and youthful blond hair that made him look a good ten years younger than his fifty. His big eyes darted incessantly around behind imposing glasses; his nose, long and thin, was like a sharpened blade; unkind people even claimed that it was magnetised, and picked up iron filings.”(page 34)

“If I add that my uncle took mathematical strides of exactly three feet, and that, while walking, he firmly clenched his fists—the sign of an impetuous temperament—then you will know him well enough not to wish to spend too much time in his company.” (page 34)

“He lived in his little house on Königstrasse,” (page 34)

 “He was a professor at the Johanneum, and gave a course on mineralogy, during which he normally got angry at least once or twice.”(page 33)

“He was a learned egoist and a selfish scholar, a well of science whose handle groaned whenever someone wanted to draw something out of it: in a word, a miser.” (page 33)

“Unfortunately my uncle suffered from a slight pronunciation problem, if not in private, at least when speaking in public: a regrettable handicap for an orator.”(page 33)

““It still took three more hours to reach the capital of Denmark. My uncle hadn’t shut his eyes all night. In his impatience, I think he was even pushing the carriage along with his feet.” (Page 60)

“My uncle was careful not to forget a supply of tobacco, powder for

hunting, and tinder, nor a leather belt..” (page 73)

“I have to say that my uncle kept close to me as often as possible” (page86)

He is the eldest on the journey.  He is very adventurous, and it was his decision to undertake the journey.  The Professor shows great optimism and determination throughout the journey, and rarely accepts defeat.  He uses the fact that Arne Saknussem claimed to have reached the center of the earth as a means to continue the journey despite how long it would take him or if they would have enough food to last.  However, he has a fairly large ego.  The only times he admits that he is wrong are when he chooses to wrong tunnel to enter in the beginning and his decision to cross the large body of water they encounter.  He often looks to disprove theories of many famous philosophers so that he doesn't look wrong.  Some of the theories were disproved, but many times the Professor was wrong.

Ø Axel -

“and ringing words to his nephew:

‘Axel, I’m here!’” (page32)

“...I spluttered.”(page 42)

“if the ascending route was becoming more difficult, I consoled myself by thinking that it was bringing me closer to the surface of the Earth. It was a hope.”(page 99)

““...with a hard-working guide like Hans and a committed nephew like myself?” (page 111)

He is the narrator of the novel.  This nephew of the Professor is a lot more pragmatic than his uncle.  He often sticks to the theories of philosophers, and is the quickest to suggest that they ascend back to the surface when something goes wrong.  Sometimes it hurts the journey when he is not as optimistic as his uncle, but he is more practical and uses a little more common sense.

Ø Hans -

“...but so little that his long hair hardly moved.”(page 70)

“Everything became clear when Mr Fridriksson reminded me that this calm person was only a hunter of eider, a bird whose plumage constitutes the main resource of the island. Called eider-down, you do not need to move a great deal to collect sit.”(page 71)

“This serious, phlegmatic, silent type was called Hans Bjelke; and he came with Mr Fridriksson’s recommendations. He was our future guide— and his manner contrasted singularly with my uncle’s. Nevertheless they got on well from the start. Neither of them discussed prices; the one was ready to accept whatever was offered, the other to pay whatever was asked.”(page 71)

““...with a hard-working guide like Hans and a committed nephew like myself?” (page 111)

Hans, an eider-gatherer from Iceland, does the most labor for the crew.  He is a very strong and hard worker, so he often carries things that Axel and the Professor are not fit enough to.  Hans is very indifferent, and rarely shows emotion or states an opinion on an issue.  He is very loyal, but only as long as he is paid money.  He stated before the journey that he would go as far as the Professor's scientific expeditions would take him, but he would leave immediately if he did not receive his money on Saturday, his payday.  He will do whatever the Professor, his "Master", will tell him because that is who pays him.

Ø Gräuben -

“daughter Gräuben, a seventeen-year-old girl from Virland..”(page 35)

“the pretty little Virland girl and the professor’s nephew loved each other with all Germanic patience and calm. We had got engaged without my uncle knowing..” (page 41)

“Gräuben was a charming girl, blonde with blue eyes, of a slightly serious character; but she did not love me any the less for that.” (page 41)

“fate of the unfeeling stones that she had manipulated with her graceful

hands!” page 41)

Gräuben is a beautiful girl. She is 17 years old. She is also creative, she can make usual stone become prettier with her hands.

She is Axel's cousin and fiancé. She makes very few appearances in this book, but is often mentioned by the narrator, Axel.  Seeing her again is one of Axel's motives to survive when the journey gets challenging.

B.       Point of view

Literature provides a lens through which readers look at the world. Point of view is the way the author allows you to "see" and "hear" what's going on. Good authors can fix their readers' attention on exactly the detail, opinion, or emotion the author wants to emphasize by manipulating the point of view of the story.

            In the novel, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Jules Verne mostly use the first person point of view.  First-person point of view is in use when a character narrates the story with I-me-my-mine in his or her speech.

“On 24 May 1863, a Sunday, my uncle, Professor Lidenbrock came rushing back towards his little house at No. 19 Königstrasse, one of the oldest streets in the historic part of Hamburg.” (page 32)

“‘H’m,’ I said to myself.” (page 32)

“Such was the character calling for me so impatiently.”(page 34)

It is clear that the author use first person point of view because the author use I-me-my-myself which sign that the author wants the reader (when reading his novel) feels the first person position in this novel namely Axel.

The advantage of this point of view is that you get to hear the thoughts of the narrator and see the world depicted in the story through his or her eyes. However, remember that no narrator, like no human being, has complete self-knowledge or, for that matter, complete knowledge of anything. Therefore, the reader's role is to go beyond what the narrator says.

C.       Plot

EXPOSITION

      Professor Lidenbrock and his nephew, Axel, decoded amessage written 300 years ago by a famous Icelandic explorer, Arne Saknussemm. In his coded message, Arne Saknussem wrote that he had been to the center of the earth and hewent on to describe how he did it.

      Brushing aside the concerns of his nephew, the Professorinsists that Axel accompany him on the expedition. Sadly, Axel takes his leave from his beloved Gretchen. Professor Lindenbrock and Axel travel for ten days by ship before reaching Iceland. ProfessorLidenbrock employs, Hans Bjelke, as their guide on their adventure.

      Ten days later, on Monday, June 29th, they reach the top of Mount Sneffel. The shadowof the afternoon sun shows which crater they should descend.

RISING ACTION

      The trio descend into the crater and they travel downward until they reach the bottom of the pit. There are two tunnels and the Professor chooses the one on the right. After several days trekking underground and almost out of water, they have to retrace their steps because the path leads to a dead end.

      Axel collapses and assumes they will return to the surface after returning to the beginning of the two tunnels. Then, they descend into the second tunnel and emerge into a chamber of clear white mica. The chamber resembles a giant diamond cavern.

      Hans finds an underground river and they quench their thirst. By the next evening the professorestimates their position tobe 90 miles southeast of Mount Sneffels and eight miles deep. Axel finds himself alone. In desperation he retraces his steps but becomes hopelessly lost.

CONFLICT

This novel consist of some conflict.

The most obvious conflict in the beginning of the story is between Axel and his uncle (man vs man). Axel thinks almost everything about this entire trip, and thinks it will be a big waste of time when they all die in the end. Lucky for axel they do not. Towards the end of the story, he becomes very excited about the entire trip, quits complaining, and actually starts helping. He is actually the one who cuts their trip down form years to a few hours. Internal- Axel thinks this trip is going to become the end of him and his uncle. Proved wrong later, he starts to become excited about the entire trip.

The big conflict is whether he should go along with his uncle (man vs himself), or stay sure they will all die soon. Internal- Professor Lidenbrock is not sure how to treat his nephew. He loves him very much but also realizes he is almost as stubborn as he is. He has a hard time showing his love, but it always shines through when needed most.

The further conflict is Man vs Nature, where they should pass some dangerous places, animals, and condition underground.

CLIMAX

•                    Axel is reunited with his uncle and Hans and meets Lidenbrock Sea. They then found a forest of giant mushrooms.

•                    They also see ferns as tall as trees and a mastodonskeleton.

•                    The Professor decides that they must cross the ocean. Hans builds a raft from giant reeds and a sail from a sleeping rug.

•                    They push out to sea leaving behind the shore which they named Port Gretchen.

•                    Hans drops a hook and soon a fish is caught.

•                    The professor wants to learn the depth of the sea so Hans attaches a pick axe to a long rope and throws it overboard. When Hans retrieves the pickaxe it bears marks that look like teeth.

•                    Two huge sea monsters surface, battle and almost swamp the raft.

•                    A storm hits them and they have been carried back to the same shore from which they left.

FALLING ACTION

      The travelers continue to explore the coastline, and find a passageway marked by Saknussemm. However, it is blocked. The adventurers plan to blast the rock with gun cotton and paddle out to sea to escape the blast. However, they discover that behind the rockfall was a seemingly bottomless pit, not a passage to the center of the earth.

      After spending hours being swept along at lightning speeds by the water, the raft ends up inside a large volcanic chimney filling with water and magma. The three are rushed upwards, through stifling heat, and are ejected onto the surface from a side-vent of a volcano. When they regain consciousness, they discover that they have been ejected from the active volcano on the Isle of Stromboli.

RESOLUTION

      They land outside the volcano. While making their way down, they learn from a young shepherd that they are on the island of Stromboli in Italy. They have entered the earth by one volcano and come out by another, over 3,000 miles apart. Four months after discovering Arne Saknussemm’s coded message, they return to Hamburg where the trio are treated like heroes and the Professor's achievements are recognized.

D.       Setting

  SETTING OF PLACE

-          Professor Lidenbrock’s little house on King’s street, Hamburg, Germany.

“On 24 May 1863, a Sunday, my uncle, Professor Lidenbrock,came rushing back towards his little house at No. 19 Königstrasse, one of the oldest streets in the historic part of Hamburg.” (page 32)

“He lived in his little house on Königstrasse, a half-wood, half-brick

construction with a crenellated gable-end. It looked out on to one of the

winding canals that criss-cross in the centre of the oldest part of Hamburg,

fortunately unharmed by the fire of 1842.”(page 34)

From chapter 1 to 3, the story took place in Professor Lidenbrock’s little house on King’s street (Königstrasse), one of the oldest streets in the old part of Hamburg. This house was built half of brick and half of wood, overlooking canal. This place was the place where Professor Lidenbrock, Axel, Martha, and Gräuben lived.

The story took scene in kitchen when martha cooked, in dining room where they ate (breakfast, lunch and dinner), study room where Professor Lidenbrock and Axel worked and firstly the mysterious parchment fell down, King’s Street itself where the Professor rushed away forgetting his supper, Altona Road where Axel walked confusing his uncle idea, here he also met Gräuben, and the last was a station at Altona where they waited for a train to go to Copenhagen.

-          Copenhagen

“It was intended to afford us every facility in Copenhagen with a view to being granted recommendations to the governor-general of Iceland.”(page 59)

 “At 10 a.m., we finally alighted in Copenhagen. The luggage was loaded on to a cab and driven with us to the Phoenix Hotel in Bredgade,...” (page 60)

Before reaching Copenhagen, Axel and his uncle arrived at Kiel and went by ship and then another train to Copenhagen. In Copenhagen they went to a quays (place where ships are tied up), they went to the church spire in the south west district and climb the spire for five days.

-          Reykjavik, Iceland

“To get lost in the two streets of Reykjavik would have been difficult. I did not therefore have to ask my way, which can cause problems in sign language.”(page 65)

” After a good walk I returned to Mr Fridriksson’s house...”(page 67)

“we had left Reykjavik.”(page 74)

Then they went to Reykjavik, Iceland by a Danish ship for 10 days. Towards evening, the ship went round the northern point of Denmark, and during the night, sailed along the southern coast of Norway and entered the North Sea. After two days they sighted Scotland and reached Atlantic. They anchored in Faxa Bay of Reykjavik. Then they climbed down into a waiting boat and were soon on Icelandic soil.

In Reykjavik, they stayed in Mr.Fridriksson’s house. When Professor Lidenbrock went to the library to look for Saknussemm manuscripts, Axel went out to explore the town which was look uninteresting for him. Then they went to Sneffel by horse with their guide, Hans.

-          Gufunes village, Gardӓr village, Budir village, Stapi village; Iceland

“we arrived at the aoalkirkja (‘main church’ or ‘settlement’) of Gufunes. It contained nothing special. Just a handful of houses. Hardly enough for a hamlet in Germany.” (page 76)

“It should have been dark, but on the sixty-fifth parallel I was not surprised to see light during the night in the Arctic regions: in June and July in Iceland the sun never sets.” (page 77)

“On Saturday, 20 June, at 6 p.m., we got to Büdir, a village on the seacoast,” (page 80)

“the horses stopped of their own accord at the front door of Stapi parsonage.” (page 81)

“Stapi is a settlement of about thirty shacks, built on the lava itself and in the rays of the sun reflected from the volcano. It lies at the end of a little fjord which forms part of a basalt wall of a most curious appearance. It needs no repeating that basalt is a dark brown rock of igneous origin. It takes on regular forms which produce surprising patterns.(page 81)

In their way, they stopped and had breakfast in Gufunes. Hans answered some questions from the professor. They stopped to sleep for the night in a house in Gardӓr. They also took a rest in many village before reaching Sneffel.

-          Sneaffels, dead Volcano in Iceland

“We now began to move up the slopes of Snaefells.”(page 86)

“we reached the summit of Snaefells. Before going to shelter inside the crater,..”(page 87)

“A five-thousand-foot-high mountain, one of the most remarkable on the island—and definitely the most famous in the whole world, if its crater leads to the centre of the globe.’” (51)

They started to climb the mountain, a 5000 feet high-mountain (dead volcano). They arrived  on the peak and went down by chimney of the Sneffels to explore the way that Saknussemm went before. They went about 2.250 miles from Reykjavik. Along their journey, they found many strange things, like big mushroom forest, fishes without eyes, monsters like a large snake, sea with high wave and temperature, and etc.

During their journey underground, they found water source (after their mad thirst) and they gave it name ‘Hansbach’ because Hans made a hole in the wall which brought out water, a hot water (stream water), for them to drink. They found a port and they named it Port Mary. They also found an island and sea, they named it Axel Island and Lidenbrock Sea.

They also had many difficulties in their journey, like the lack of water and food, hot wheater,  lost, storm, wave, tired and many other anxious feeling.

They guest they passed many area like, such as Mediteranean, england, and they reached Italy.

-            Hans’s Stream

“‘Hans was not wrong. What you hear is the roaring of fast-flowing water.’

‘A stream?’...”(page 109)