In the twenty thousand leagues under the sea, Nemo comes out as a captain who does not value the chain of command. He believes in himself and thinks that his decisions are his visions. In chapter nine of part two, he shows up in the submarine only to exit with Professor Aronnax for the deep-sea adventures. The paper will discuss Nemo’s attitude on the lost continent.
The attitude of Captain Nemo on the lost continent is a mixture of pure motivation to accomplish goals and the hopelessness of humanity. The writer does not indicate where he is coming from when he meets Professor Pierre Aronnax in the cabin (Sebel 590). However, from the previous discussions, there is an indication that they had been busy the last night. The captain does not even venture into the topic of the previous day’s activities.
As they journey through the ocean and pass the sea creatures, Professor Aronnax becomes aware of the depths he had never covered before while in the sea (Telotte 68). At one time he tries to get the captain’s hand to speak to him, but the captain points to the direction they are supposed to go. Verne indicates that he said “Come on! Come with me! Come higher” (385) Aronnax points out that he looked forward to seeing some of, “those underwater towns that Captain Nemo dreamed about!”
Verne says that when they arrived on the mountain, Nemo wrote: “ATLANTIS” (360). It brought many memories of the past to his comrade (“Atlantis” 275). But Nemo seemed to be in deep thought. Verne says that he appeared to be, “dreaming of those lost generations, asking them for the secret of human destiny” (369). He had discovered the ancient Atlantis city, and he was sharing this history with his friend.
Aronnax thinks that Nemo is a brilliant captain. Verne says that he “followed him with unshakeable confidence” (368). Even when Ned Land casts doubt about the master’s guidance, Aronnax believes in him. Other colleagues in the ship portray him as an astute man who knows.
Nemo does not reveal what he is going to do or where he is going. His skills lead to the discovery of a land that many people have just narrated its tales for thousands of years. Even though Nemo becomes motivated by the outcome due to the discovery, there is a sense of hopelessness in the land. Verne indicates that Nemo comes here to continue “reliving that bygone life” (389). And yet Nemo does not say anything but takes the time to reflect.
Nemo’s attitude about the hopelessness of humanity seriously affects him. He knows that he believes in the sea because it buries many memories (Sebel 589). His roaming of the seabed motivates him to discover a ruined city. Even though he has hatred for imperialism, the outcome of a natural disaster that sunk a whole continent is even more hopeless than he imagined. He does not show any emotions in words, but his body language epitomizes and exemplifies his resolution. Verne says that they stayed in that place an “entire hour” (389). The captain sees the sea life as his destiny.
The captain and his crew believed in sea life. His aspirations in the submarine helped him to lead a solitary life. He trusted his instincts and made others think of him as a strange man. He did whatever he wanted and when he wanted it done. And that was his life.
Works Cited
Atlantis. Memphis, Tennessee: General Books, 2010. Print.
Sebel, Peter S. “20,000 Leagues under the Sea.” Anesthesia & Analgesia 111.3 (2010): 589-590. Print.
Telotte, J. P. “Science Fiction as “True-Life Adventure”: Disney and the Case of 20,000
Leagues under the Sea”. Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Television Studies 40.2 (2010): 66-79. Print.
Verne, Jules. 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. Lanham, Maryland: Start Publishing LLC, 2013. Print.