Phileas Fogg accepts a wager to travel around the world in 80 days with his valet Passepartout. Along the journey, they face many obstacles like incomplete train tracks and Detective Fix suspects Fogg of robbing a bank. They rescue Aouda from bandits in India. After a series of adventures, Fogg is arrested at the end but discovers he has still won the wager by arriving in London in time. He and Aouda get married, proving it is possible to travel around the world in 80 days.

1. AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS by JULES VERNE
Synopsis
The story begins at England. We are introduced to Fogg, a very precise man who regularly goes to the Reform Club every
evening. At one such visit to the club to play cards, he gets into a conversation with his fellow card players as to whether it is possible to
go around the world in eighty days. He believes that it is and is challenged to complete the adventure. This is the beginning of the entire
plot and from then on we see how Fogg goes around the world and we witness the amazing adventures that he has with his companions.
The main plot is based on Fogg’s travels, while other such plots merely support the central theme Fix, the detective follows Fogg all
over. He believes that Fogg is the bank robber who has robbed a great sum from the bank of England. He puts obstacles in Fogg’s path
just so that he can arrest him whenever he gets the warrant from England. The suspicion that Fogg might be a clever gentleman robber is
the sub-theme of the book and the author makes the reader also suspicious. Passepartout too wonders whether his master might be a
robber though in his heart he has ample trust in Fogg’s integrity.
The plot moves ahead with Fogg striving through various obstacles to reach London in time. He goes through Brindisi, Suez,
Bombay, Calcutta, Hong Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco, New York and finally Liverpool. Fix arrests Fogg at Liverpool and this
delays our hero. He thinks that he has missed the deadline and hasn't reached London in time when in reality he reached a full day
earlier. Thus Fogg wins the wager and in the course of his travels, finds himself a worthy charming, beautiful wife too.
PLOT
• Phileas Fogg believes that it is possible to travel around the world in 80 days. He is willing to bet £20,000 in
a wager against his friend, Andrew Stuart. Fogg wants to prove that it is indeed possible to do so. He starts
Exposition his journey with his butler, Jean Passerpartout, and £20,000 cash.
• Fogg faces several obstacles along his journey. detective Fix suspects him of robbing the Bank of England.
The railway line from Bombay to Calcutta turns out to be incomplete and he has to ride an elephant to get to
Rising Action the next station. Foggs rescues Aouda from the bandits.
• Passerpartout discovers Detective Fix's intentions to arrest Phileas Fogg while in Hong Kong but he does
not inform Fogg about it. Instead, he agrees to cooperate with Detective Fix while on-board the General
Conflict Grant. In Liverpool, Fogg is arrested.
• When Passerpartout meets with the Reverend to arrange for Phileas Fogg and Aouda's wedding, he
discovers that Phileas Fogg has not lost the wager yet as that it is still 21 Dec,1867 and not 22 Dec. Phileas
Fogg and Passerpartout the rush to the Reform Club with only minutes to spare. meaanwhile, Fogg's friends
Climax already expect him to lose the wager.
• Phileas Fogg wins the wager and also the heart of Aouda. He does not lose all his fortune. as he initially
feared, even though he spent a lot of money along the journey in order to travel around the world in 80 days
Falling Action
• Phileas Fogg and Aouda get married two days later. Passerpartout continues on as their butler.
Resolution
CHARACTER LIST
Major Characters
Phileas Fogg
The hero and chief protagonist in the novel.
He is introduced to us as a 40-year-old Englishman.
He is very particular about how things are done in the household.
A tall man with dark hair and serious face.
A wealthy man.

2. A regular at the Reform Club where he eats most of his meals.
He is challenged by a fellow gambler to go around the world in eighty days and he takes up the challenge.
His rationality, calmness, generosity and self-control impress the readers.
Character traits – disciplined and meticulous, practical, generous, caring, brave, patient and calm, kind, confident
Jean Passepartout
He appears in the initial stage of the novel itself, as the new butler of Mr. Fogg.
He is 30 years old.
He is looking for a solid routine and orderly life.
He is an honest as well as a funny French man, who is loyal to his master and yet gets into situations that hinder his master’s
plans to travel around the world.
Passepartout endears himself to the reader with his warmth, his sense of humor and his ability to act bravely as well as
comically.
Character traits – eager and enthusiastic, efficient, protective of his master, quick thinking, appreciative of his travels,
trustworthy, kind, honest, ignorant of local laws, funny and comical
Detective Fix
He is a detective sent by the Bank of England to look for the bank robber.
He is a short man with small eyes and bushy eyebrows.
There is a major bank robbery in England around the same time that Fogg leaves for his journey round the world.
Detective Fix is one of the many other detectives who seek to find the culprit so they can get a percentage of the stolen money
as an award.
He comes to the wrong conclusion that Fogg is the bank robber and is merely pretending to go around the world when his real
purpose is to flee the law.
Character traits – observant, curious, persistent, suspicious, deceitful, apologetic
Minor Characters
Aouda
Aouda is a Parsee Indian princess who is orphaned at an early age.
She is the daughter of wealthy merchant in Bombay
Her family is killed by the bandits.
She is a young and pretty girl who is captured by the bandits.
Her cousin, Jeejah Jeejeeboy, is in Holland.
She is rescued by Fogg’s group – Phileas Fogg, Jean Passepartout, Ali and Sir Francis from being killed by the bandits.
Character traits – grateful and appreciative, caring, protective of her friends, concerned, sincere
Sir Francis Cromaty
He is a tall and fair man
He is 50 years old.
He is a general in the British army stationed in Benares, India
He meets Phileas Fogg on board the Mongolia and joins him on the train journey to Calcutta
He thinks that Fogg is mad to attempt to travel around the world in 80 days
He is brave and he takes part in the rescue of Aouda from the bandits
Ali the Guide
He is the elephant handler and guide for the journey to Allahabad
he is cautios as he avoids the bandits throughtout the journey to Allahabad
He is brave and he takes part in the rescue of Aouda from the bandits
He is appreciative of Phileas Fogg’s gesture of giving him Kiouni, the elephant
Colonel Proctor
He is brave and determined to get the train cross the damaged bridge at high speed, a mile away from Medicine Bow
He fights the outlaws as they try to rob the train passengers
Minor Characters
James Foster
He had been a servant of Fogg’s, but Fogg had fired him because he had committed the minor offence of bringing the shaving
water at the wrong temperature.
Diplomat Stephenson
He waits along with detective Fix for the boat Mongolia to arrive at Suez.
Daily, he would see English ships pass through the canal.
The detective tells the consul that they must try and detain Fogg here, but the consul cannot do that lawfully and so doesn't.
Phileas Fogg’s Partners at the Reform Club
The engineer, Andrew Stuart - challenges Fogg to go around the world in eighty days.
John Sullivan & Samuel Fallentin – newspaper owner. Samuel Fallentin is confident that Phileas Fogg will win the bet.
The landowner, Thomas Flanagan
Ralph Gauthier – a Bank of England employee. He is confident that the bank detectives will catch the robber. He is sceptical
that any man could travel around the world in 80 days

3. - are Fogg’s partners at the Reform club where he plays card with.
Captain John Bunsby
He is the master of the boat Tankadere, on which Fogg, Fix and Aouda travel.
He is skillful in making sure the boats sails fast enough to catch up with the Carnatic
William Batulcar
He is the manager of an acrobatic troupe of buffoons at Yokohama before leaving for America
He is kind to give Passepartout a job with this troupe in order to be able to leave for America with them.
Mudge
the owner of a sled with sails
helps to take Phileas Fogg and his companions to Omaha after being left behind by the train
The Bandits
They have killed Aouda’s family and kidnapped her
They carry giant sabers and sharp swords while guarding Aouda
They are violent and cruel
The Outlaws
There are about 100 men who attack the train
They are armed with guns and wear handkerchiefs over their faces
They rob the train and escape when the soldiers arrive
They kidnap Passepartout and other train passengers when they escape
SETTING
Physical setting
Fogg’s house in London The Suez Canal Elephant journey to Allahabad Hong Kong The train journey across
America
The Reform Club Bombay Calcutta Yokohama Liverpool
Time setting
 The different time zones that Phileas Fogg passes through on his journey enables him to gain a day by the time he
arrives in Liverpool.
 This is due to the International date Line (IDL), an imaginary line located on the 180º line of longitude that passes
through the Pacific ocean which separates two consecutive calendar days.
 As Fogg travels east from Yokohama, Japan towards San Francisco in the United States of America, he gains an
additional day which enables him to win the wager even though he has lost some time in Liverpool when he is arrested
by Detective Fix on the charges of the bank robbery.
Social setting
 Victorian era – a long period of prosperity for the British people – economic and industrial progress while its colonies
stretched across the world.
 The time when advances in printing and communication enabled news and important events to be available to the
public ( the wager started when they read about an article about world travel in 80 days)
 English society – upper class, middle class and the working class. Phileas Fogg is in the upper class society ( evidence
– personal butler, member of Reform Club, house in upper class neighbourhood – he has no worries about his finances
and work)
THEMES/MESSAGES - evidence
Hope and optimism are important to achieve our goals / ambitions or when facing life challenges
Patience and persistent –incomplete train track, Passerpartout’s arrest, miss the ship - does not give up – overcoming them
Punctuality – time management – 80 days schedule , the train departs on time, Andrew Speedy departs at 9 a.m, Fogg’s late
arriva; causes him to miss the China voyage to Liverpool
Kindness and concern for others is very important – rescuing Aouda from the bandits, refuses payment from Det.Fix, look for
Passerpatout and leave money for him to be found.
Generosity – Fogg gives Ali the elphant , pays capt. Andrew Speedy the price of two ships when he takes over Henrietta.
Being truthful. – Passerpartout is honest when Det.Fix tells him about Fogg’s journey around the world , Aouda telling Fogg
about her family, her feelings ( not being truthful causes problems – Passerpartout not telling Fogg that Det. Fix wants to arrest
him)
Trust – Fogg trusts Passerpartout even though he only starts works hours before – askes Passerpartout to care for his money
- Passerpartout trusts that Fogg is not the bank robber when he defends his master against Det.Fix.
Courage - rescuing Aouda is very risky , Passerpatout stops the train from crashing , Fogg rescuing his butler