Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea: Part 2, Chapter 1 Summary & Analysis

Arronax has developed a burning curiosity about the source of Nemo’s resentment toward human civilization. Conseil has his own theory—that Nemo is a “misunderstood genius”—but Arronax remains bewildered by Nemo’s rejection of human society. The Nautilus is currently in the Indian Ocean, moving at a depth of between 50-100 fathoms. Arronax reflects that if he had not been such an ardent lover of the sea he would have felt bored by his time down there, but thankfully, he doesn’t. He is fascinated by the great array of marine life they pass on their journey. The light of the vessel attracts fish, though most swim away in fright shortly after.

The Nautilus spends the day of January 25 on the surface of the water. Arronax passes most of the day on the platform, fantasizing about encountering another vessel. In the early evening, he and Conseil spy a shoal of argonauts (a type of mollusk). The next day, the vessel is surrounded by a large group of terrifying sharks. When they pass creatures like this, Ned is overcome with an irrepressible urge to harpoon them. However, he never gets a chance—the Nautilus always speeds away. When the Nautilus enters the Bay of Bengal, they see a large number of corpses floating along the water. The water itself is a milky color, which Arronax explains to Conseil is the result of a large number of small worms within it.