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Chapter 10
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Around the World in Eighty Days, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Modernity, Time, and Control
Imperialism
Chance, Adventure, and Human Connection
Honor, Reputation, and Duty
Summary
Analysis
On the train to Calcutta, Fogg and Passepartout share a carriage with Sir Francis Cromarty, a brigadier-general who fought in the last Sepoy revolt and now lives in India. Sir Francis has educated himself on Indian history and assimilated to their customs, but Fogg has no interest in hearing about these topics because he is only concerned with the challenge of circling the globe in eighty days, not immersing himself in other cultures.
The Sepoy revolt was an uprising in India against British rule and the East India Company. Sir Francis’s decision to live in India, then, is an interesting one; although he fought against Indians in this conflict, it is clear that he prefers their culture and way of life to that of England.
Themes
Literary Devices
Sir Francis warns Fogg that Passepartout’s mishap at the pagoda may get them in trouble with the British government, but Fogg dismisses his concerns. Passepartout begins to romanticize the journey and feels his “vagabond nature” returning. While Fogg is level-headed about the wager, Passepartout obsessively stresses over the time. Like Detective Fix, Sir Francis suggests that Passepartout should change his watch from London time, but he refuses.
Passepartout’s continual refusal to change his watch suggests that he, like Fogg, is desperate to uphold a sense of control and consistency while they travel. Unlike Fogg, however, Passepartout holds a romantic view of the journey and values travel as an emotional endeavor—not just a practical one.
Themes
Suddenly, the conductor orders everyone off the train because the railway has not been finished past the current point. Passepartout and Sir Francis are furious, but Fogg remains calm and assures Sir Francis that he foresaw a delay and has two days gained that he can sacrifice.
Throughout the novel, Passepartout tends to react emotionally while Fogg always stays calm. Unlike spontaneous Passepartout, Fogg always plans ahead, and therefore trusts that circumstances will always work themselves out.
Themes
Literary Devices
Passepartout spots an elephant outside of a nearby hut and suggests that they use it as a means of transportation to Allahabad. Fogg haggles with the owner to buy the elephant (whose name is Kiouni) for £2,000 and hires an experienced Parsee elephant driver to lead them. Fogg, Passepartout, Sir Francis, and the guide set off on Kiouni through a dense forest.
Fogg is forced to embark on his first of many uncertain adventures, rather than staying sheltered in the mechanized, tightly-controlled safety of a steamship or a train. Although travelling by elephant is antiquated, it is ironically more reliable here than modern modes of transport.
Themes
Literary Devices
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