Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea: Part 1, Chapter 17 Summary & Analysis

Approaching the forest, Arronax notices that all of the plants and branches are pointing directly up toward the surface of the ocean. The forest consists of a spectacular collection of plants; in between these, fish swim like birds flying through treetops. After a substantial period of exploration, Nemo indicates for the group to stop. Arronax suddenly feels very tired, and lets himself drift off into sleep. He is not sure how long he is unconscious. When he wakes up, he sees that Nemo is already awake, and that there is an enormous sea spider nearby. Ned kills the spider, but Arronax remains nervous, as he knows that there are other frightening creatures lurking down there.

The men walk for four hours, before coming across a huge pile of “blocks,” which Arronax soon realizes is the edge of the island. He is stunned by the realization that he is standing in front of a land mass, and is tempted to try and climb it even though he knows this will prove impossible. The men turn around, but instead of going back the way they came, they instead begin swiftly moving up toward the surface of the sea. At one point, Arronax watches Nemo take out his gun, and soon after sees that he’s shot a majestic sea otter, which Arronax realizes must have a “very valuable pelt.”

The group of men walk along the sand, and at one point Nemo shoots a bird flying just above the surface of the water. As they head back toward the Nautilus, they find themselves surrounded by two fearsome, man-eating sharks. In this moment, Arronax does not think of himself as a scientist—only a potential victim. He is terrified, but fortunately the sharks cannot see well and thus swim past without noticing the men. Around half an hour later, the men safely arrive back at the Nautilus.