Around the World in Eighty Days

Jean Passepartout is a character foil of Phileas; that is, his characterization highlights Phileas’s contrasting characteristics. Compare and contrast Phileas and Passepartout. How does each character contribute to the different themes in the novel?

Punctuality, Time, and Time Management, especially during travel, is an important theme within the novel. What role does this theme play throughout the journey? Considering that traveling and journeys are often metaphors for life more broadly, what might this theme suggest about how to approach life?

The novel was written during a period of British imperialization and demonstrates period-typical racism. Discuss moments in the novel when Phileas shows a lack of cultural sensitivity typical of Victorian England. What do his failures in these moments suggest about the Victorian view of the world?

Phileas is often described as odd or eccentric. At the same time, he demonstrates characteristics typical of Victorian ideals. What precisely about Phileas makes his peers perceive him as strange? What tensions in the Victorian era, due to shifting norms and ideas, might this characterization hint at?

Travel and technology are key aspects that classify the novel as an early work of science fiction. Discuss the significance of these elements within the novel and how they shape its style and structure.

In many ways, Aouda’s characterization is an example of the period-typical racism and cultural bias of Victorian England. Discuss her characterization in the context of this theme. How does Verne portray Aouda as both exotic and familiar, and what does that portrayal suggest about Victorian-era ideals?

Before Around the World in Eighty Days was published as a novel, it was released in chapters as serial fiction. Consider how the novel still reflects its original format. What elements are unique about it compared to traditional novels? How would these elements help attract and engage readers of serial fiction?

Legacy was an important Victorian concept. How does this concept manifest within the novel? Especially consider Passepartout’s character development and how he fits within this motif.