A world beneath the waves

By: Pramudith Fernando

The ocean, so familiar yet so unknown. Much of it remains unexplored and uncharted even to this day. In the age of exploration, it was of great interest and amusement to speculate what’s out there and down below. In the mid-1800s, submarines were still unperfected and undersea exploration was mostly a dream. In the classic science fiction adventure novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Author Jules Verne beckons you to dive below the depths and relish in his vision of what the submarine could be and what undersea exploration could hold.

The premise is as such:

In 1866, an unidentified phenomenon causes a great disturbance in the maritime world, where ships on various oceans and seas spotted or were also attacked by what was initially believed to be a sea monster. The narrator of the story, Professor Pierre Aronnax is a French natural scientist who was invited aboard an expedition on a U.S. ship to search and destroy the monster. After a failed attempt by the crew to capture it, the monster rams into the vessel, throwing Aronnax and their harpooner Ned Land overboard, also prompting Aronnax’s faithful servant Conseil to jump overboard to join them.

They survive by climbing onto the monster and realize that it’s a submarine, far more futuristic than the subs of that time. Soon captured, they’re introduced to the ship named the ‘Nautilus’ and its mysterious designer and commander, Captain Nemo who treats them favorably but establishes that they can never leave the submarine as his operations are secret to the rest of the world.

Thus begins the trio’s journey with Captain Nemo and his crew which spans a total horizontal distance of about 20,000 leagues through all the Earth’s oceans and major seas. Their travels take them to vivid locales, both real and fictitious such as vivacious coral reefs, caves, and remote islands whose beauty is described exquisitely and also to somber and desolate shipwrecks and mythical sunken cities.

“For two hours an aquatic army escorted the Nautilus. During their games, their bounds, while rivaling each other in beauty, brightness, and velocity, I distinguished the green labre; the banded mullet…..spider lampreys, serpents six feet long, with eyes small and lively and a huge mouth bristling with teeth; with many other species”

A walk far below the surface, inside breathing suits

Primarily an adventure story, there’s much traveling, peril, and action, routinely interspersed between moments of blissful, almost magical discovery of sights never before seen and also quiet, self-revealing exchanges, particularly between Aronnax and Nemo. The most conflict here is a struggle against the harsh, unforgiving conditions or dangerous life forms of the very places that the travelers are enticed into. Often the Nautilus finds itself trapped or attacked by unfriendly animals. In each unfortunate circumstance, it took quick and clever thinking by the captain and the protagonist, to ensure the Nautilus survives to journey another day. The action taken against these challenges exemplifies the spirit of exploration, courage, and ingenuity which is a staple of the adventure genre.

There will be much peril for the crew of the Nautilus

In addition to being an adventure, Twenty Thousand Leagues delivers satisfyingly in the science fiction aspect as well. The technology of the ship is logically consistent and explained enough to guide the reader’s imagination but not as much that it confines it. The buoyancy of the submarine, its propulsion, the production of electricity chemically, and the function and use of various navigational instruments onboard the ship are explained either scientifically or partially so. The scientific explanations also extend to the natural phenomena experienced, such as pressures, light effects, and characteristics of species, which help make the scenarios more believable and immersive.

“Then, when the Nautilus is afloat under these circumstances, one-tenth is out of the water. Now, if I have made reservoirs of a size equal to this tenth, or capable of holding 150 tons, and if I fill them with water, the boat, weighing then 1507 tons, will be completely immersed.”

Readers will be intrigued by the incredibly secretive captain in self-exile from the surface world, harboring disdain for mankind. More fascinated with the ocean, he’s on a quest for knowledge while dabbling in occasional vengeful attacks against warships of global superpowers, rationalized by his twisted morality and philosophy, which the reader would be compelled to ponder on. As they proceed through the journey, more will be uncovered and understood, not only of the depths of the oceans but also of the man pursuing said depths.

“Your dead sleep quietly, at least, Captain, out of the reach of sharks.”

“Yes, sir, of sharks and men,” gravely replied the captain.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is a fantastic tale of thrilling adventure, brimming with imagination throughout. Unlike a lot of other adventure novels, it cleverly presents something deeper to think about, without indulging in excessive sentimentality, thus not distracting from the adventure. It’ll leave you in awe and wonder of the past and the future of exploration and perhaps even inspire some adventures of your own!

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