CHAPTER SUMMARY AND NOTES

CHAPTER 24

Summary

In this chapter, is related what happens with Fogg when they sight the ship at Shanghai. Aouda, Fix and Fogg got on board the steamer, which resumed her journey to Yokohama. Fogg finds out on reaching Yokohama, that Passepartout too had reached the city, aboard the Carnatic. Fogg starts searching for Passepartout and finally finds him in Honorable BatulcarÂ’s performance. Aouda tells Passepartout about their journey aboard the Tankadere along with Fix but Passepartout betrays no sign of knowing Fix.

Fogg hears Passepartout’s story and gives him some money for garments. Fogg, Aouda and Passepartout sail in the ‘General Grant’ from Yokohama to San Francisco. The passengers and the journey on the ship is described. Aouda starts getting more and more drawn towards Fogg and Passepartout notices this. He likes Aouda and hopes that a relationship between his master and her would materialize. The technicalities of Fogg’s travel are related.

Fix in the meanwhile is aboard the General Grant too. But he is without warrant and is frustrated. On seeing Passepartout on the ship, he hides but they do come face to face one day. After Passepartout gives Fix a blow, the latter explains that he is determined to help Fogg reach England as early as possible because it is only in England that it can be decided whether Fogg is guilty or not. The both decide to be allies and Passepartout warns Fix not to be treacherous. After eleven days, the General Grant reaches San Francisco.

Notes

The journey on the ship General Grant is related after we are told what transpires, when John Bunsby signals the larger ship. Verne manages to interpolate various episodes, the past and the present neatly and systematically. So all the gaps in the story are bridged. The reader gets to know exactly how Fogg, Aouda and Fix reach Yokohama. At Yokohama, Fogg takes extreme pains to locate Passepartout, one can see that the master is genuinely anxious about his valet, though he may not express it so openly. Aouda on the other hand is very open about her affection for Passepartout.

Once, the two parties are reunited Fogg shows that he can be large hearted and forgiving. He does not reprimand Passepartout for getting intoxicated at Hong Kong. He merely gives him some money quietly for clothes. We know that Passepartout respects Fogg greatly. We now learn that AoudaÂ’s affection for Fogg is deepening into love. This romantic interest in the novel seems natural and does not seem contrived. We can understand how a young beautiful, helpless princess can fall in love with a calm efficient and handsome man of the world. However we do not know how Fogg feels as he rarely expresses his emotions. Passepartout understands AoudaÂ’s heart and hopes the best for her.

In this chapter too a little space is devoted to the depiction of the ship and its passengers. This is necessary in order to create an authentic background. The detective Fix is not doing too well. His warrant of arrest for Fogg has expired and he now has to follow the man all the way to England. Fix is clever and manages to convince Passepartout that he will be aiding Fogg to reach England early. ItÂ’s a pity that Passepartout trusts Fix so easily. In VerneÂ’s otherwise compact and believable story, the relation between Fix and Passepartout seems a little anomalous. We wonder why Passepartout does not reveal FixÂ’s true intentions to Fogg but we see how this step then contributes to the growth and development of the plot.

Passepartout and Fix agree to be allies. Fogg finally reaches San Francisco and has so far neither gained nor lost a single day.

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