History of the Novel

make key notes of the following text:

The eighteenth century has gifted
English literature two entirely new forms
which are without any traces in the ancient
classical heritage. One of those was
‘The Periodical Essay’ and the other was
‘NOVEL’. Both of these forms, especially
‘Novel’, caught the spirit of the eighteenth
century as the age of intellectual,
sentimental and realistic plane and tried
to instruct the readers, which would help
them to a more purposeful and virtuous
life. Since the time of its origin, novel
has been gaining popularity and growing
gradually. Today, it is recognized as the
most dominant literary genre.
A Novel is a relatively long narrative
fiction which describes intimate human
experiences normally in a prose form. The
present English word ‘novel’ is derived
from the Italian ‘novella’, meaning ‘new’.
A Novel narrates a story embellishing it
with more details of time, place, nature,
people and their minds, their gestures and
activities. It presents the picture of the
society of that period. Novel makes life
easier to understand than in drama and
poetry. In modern era, novel has adopted
literary prose.
Novel as a literary genre has a history
of about two thousand years. Among the
early precursors of novel a collection of
tales known as Greek Romances dating
from the second to sixth century may top
the list. These imaginative and delightful
stories of ideal love and marvellous
4.1 History of Novel
SECTION FOUR
adventures profoundly affected the creative

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writing for the next thousand years. Though
novel in the modern era usually makes use
of a literary prose the earlier threads of the
genre can be found in Virgil’s Ecologues
or Malory’s ‘Morte De Arthur’ or Geoffrey
Chaucer’s ‘The Canterbury Tales’.
Lady Murasaki Shikibu’s ‘Tale of
Genji’ (1010) has been described as the
world’s first novel. The European novel
is often said to begin with ‘Don Quixote’
by Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes
which was published in two parts between
1605 and 1615. In the 18th century, the
appearance of newspaper and magazines
attracted a large number of readers from
the middle class. These new readers had
little interest in romances and tragedies,
which were appreciated by the upper class.
Thus, need for a new type of literature arose
that would express the new ideas of the 18th
century. The 18th century new literature was
characterized by the spirit of realism and
denial of romantic features like enthusiasm,
passion and imagination. The foreground
for the novel was prepared by all these
factors. After 1740, Novel originated as the
literary form in England. Increase in trade
and commerce, along with the Industrial
Revolution, gave rise to the middle class.
A class of people had emerged to occupy
an elite status. The realistic picture of
everyday life and problems of common
people depicted in the novels appealed
to the newly educated class and was
regarded by them as respectable reading
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material. Thus, novel as a form appeared
to have been designed for both-to voice
the aspirations of the middle and lower
classes and meet their longings. The advent
of machines provided time to the newly
formed educated middle class to indulge in

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reading and discussions about the books.
Drama and poetry were the two literary
forms that were fading away. Novel was
the combination of some features of drama
and poetry, some new more features were
added. It became the prominent form in the
eighteenth century by encompassing the
social, political and cultural happenings
and scientific progress.
‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ by John
Bunyan (1678) and ‘Oroonoku’ by Aphra
Behn (1688) initiated the plenteous and
colourful tradition of English novel and
was followed by Daniel Defoe ( Robinson
Crusoe, Mall Flanders), and Jonathan Swift
(‘Gulliver’s Travels’ - a famous satire).
Other major novelists of 18th century are
Samuel Richardson, (‘Pamela, or Virtue
Rewarded’ and ‘Clarissa,’ both epistolary
novels), Henry Fielding, Lawrence Sterne
and Tobias Smollett. The tradition was
enriched by many other stalwart novelists
such as Charles Dickens, Walter Scott,
Nathaniel Hawthorne, Horace Walpole,
Thomas Hardy, Willkie Collins and H.G.
Wells. The 20th century is marked by the
modern topics and innovative styles and
techniques and widened angles of the
views by the novelists like E.M. Forster,
James Joyce, Joseph Conrad, Henry James,
George Orwell, Graham Greene, D.H.
Lawrence, William Golding and Anthony
Burgess. They widened the circumference
of the genre by writing political, social,
psychological and other modern issues in
their novels. There are immigrant authors
like Salman Rushdie (India), V.S. Naipaul
(Trinidad), Kazuo Ishigura (Japan) and
many others.
The contribution of women novelists
to this great pageant cannot be neglected.
The novel of manners ‘Evelina’ by

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Frances Burney, Gothic novels by Ann
Radcliffe, a novel based on Science of the
age ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley are
landmark novels. Jane Austen has been
ruling over the minds of the people through
her novels. Bronte sisters Emily and
Charlotte have created their own place by
their incomparable works ‘The Wuthering
Heights’ and ‘Jane Eyre’. Mary Ann
Evans alias George Eliot wrote the novels
reflecting psychological insight. Virginia
Woolf is the pioneer of the Stream of
Consciousness technique in English novel.
Agatha Christie created her own place
by writing many novels based on crime.
Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple are the
evergreen detectives created by her. Harper
Lee, Margaret Atwood, Toni Morrison and
Alice Walker have elevated the tradition
further to prosperity.
Indian Scenario :
‘Rajmohan’s Wife’, by Bankim
Chandra Chattopadhyaya serialized in
‘The Indian Field’ was the first novel in
English written by an Indian. The period
after that is marked by few more novels
written by the Indian writers. These
novels bore either nationalistic virtues
or social issues as their main framework.
Mulkraj Anand, R.K. Narayan and Raja
Rao were the major trio who prevailed
in the period after that. Novelists like
Anita Desai, Nayantara Sahgal and Arun
Joshi and Manohar Malgaonkar uplifted
and revolutionized Indian English novel
through their works. Amitav Ghosh,
Vikram Seth and Upamanyu Chatterjee
ameliorated the Indian novel in English
by adding new features to it. Recent years
have witnessed the dazzling performance
by Indian novelists like Salman Rushdie,
Arvind Adiga, Arundhati Roy, Kiran Desai

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175
and Kiran Nagarkar. The tradition of
Indian English novel, since its inception,
has registered a marked shift exhibiting
global concerns.
Novella :
• Novella, the word originated from
the Italian word ‘novelle’, is a type of
narrative prose fiction which is shorter
than a full length novel and longer than a
short story. It is a well-stuctured yet short
narrative, often satiric or realistic in tone.
It usually focuses on one incident or issue
with one or two main characters and takes
place at a single tradition. Some of the
famous novellas in English are -
• ‘The Heart of Darkness’ by Joseph
Conrad
• ‘The Turn of the Screw’ by Henry
James
• ‘Billy Budd’ by Hermann Melville
• ‘Death in Venice’ by Thomas Mann
• ‘Seize The Day’ by Saul Bellow
• ‘Pearl’ by John Steinbeck
Elements of Novel/ Novella
There are six elements essential of
‘Novel’ or “Novella’. All these factors may
be related to one another in the work by an
author.
Theme : Theme is the central idea
in the novel which can be expressed in a
nutshell. It is a philosophical statement or a
truth which the writer has put forth through
the narration of the series of events in the
story and characters acting in the particular
setting.
Plot : Plot is essentially the story or the
course of events that make up the theme.
It is created by the conflict either internal
(inside the mind of the character) or external
(with other characters or entities). Plot may
be simple (one plot) or complex (consisting

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the interweaving of many subplots).
Character : Characterization is related
to the plot as the course of events take
place because of the certain behaviour of
the characters.
Depiction of character can range from
a thumbnail sketch to deep, wordy, highly
detailed verbal sketch. The important
character may have been described in
its every aspect by the writer. The minor
characters are not given much importance.
The reader follows the actions of one
main character throughout the novel. This
character is referred to as the ‘Protagonist’.
Protagonist (main character) is in conflict
with a character or an entity or a force
(internal or external) which is known as
Antagonist.
Setting : Setting is the background in
which the story takes place.
There are several aspects of the setting.
It includes place, period, time, climate or
weather and lifestyle. Plot and character
are the two major elements that are affected
due to setting.
Conflict : The struggle between
the opposite forces in the story is called
‘conflict.’ Conflict in the story provides
interest and curiosity about the plot.
Language / Style : The language and
the techniques used by the author for the
narration of the course of events is known
as the ‘Style’.
An author can use extensive vocabulary
and high phrases or he may be laconic and
would write only to the point or he may
mix both according to the requirement for
meeting his purpose. He may use linguistic
devices to make the narrative effective.
All these factors decide the ‘texture’ of
the narration and create an impact on the
readers.

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176
Types of Novel
Realistic novel : The realistic novel
is a piece of fiction that gives the effect
of realism and is also called a novel of
manner. It can be characterized by its
complex characters with mixed motives
that are rooted in the social class. The
characters in the realistic novel interact
with other characters and undergo plausible
and everyday experiences.
Picaresque novel : The word
‘picaresque’ is originated from the Spanish
word ‘picaro,’ which means a rogue. A
picaresque novel narrates the adventures
of the protagonist, who is an eccentric or
a disreputable person, in an episodic form.
Historical novel : A historical novel is
a novel set in a period earlier than that of
the writing.
Epistolary novel : The word
‘epistolary’ derives from the Latin word
‘epistola,’ which means a letter. The
epistolary novel is that in which the writer
presents the narrative through a series
of correspondence or other documents.
Although letters are the most common
basis for epistolary novel, diary entries are
also a popular form of this type.
Gothic novel : The novels that include
terror, mystery, horror, thriller, supernatural,
doom, death or decay or haunted buildings
are called the Gothic novels.
Autobiographical novel : The
autobiographical novel is a novel based on
the life of the author. Sometimes, the author
changes the places and names of characters
or even may change or avoid certain details
of his life. It may or may not be in the first
person narration.
Allegorical novel : An allegory is
a story that bears more than one level of

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meaning. The surface meaning of such
novel is different from the symbolic
meaning of it. The symbolic meaning of
an allegory may be political, religious,
historical or philosophical.
Utopian/ Dystopian novel : Utopia
is an imaginary community or society
possessing the ideal qualities. It is a common
literary theme, especially in science fiction
or speculative fiction.
Psychological novel : Psychological
novel is a work of fiction that treats the
internal life of the protagonist or even the
other characters as much as the external
factors.
Stream of Consciousness novel :
Stream of consciousness is a phrase coined
by William James in his treatise ‘Principles
of Psychology.’ (1890). It means the flow
of the thoughts. Incidents in the plot are
in the sequence of their occurrences. The
novelist narrates them as they enter the
mind of the character.
‘Bildungsroman’ novel : The German
word ‘bildungsroman’ indicates growth.
The fictional biography or autobiography
is concerned with the growth of the
protagonist’s mind, spirit and characters
from their childhood to adulthood.
In the first half of the 20th century a
cult of ‘pulp magazines’ became popular
in which fantastic fiction for the general
entertainment of the masses was printed on
the cheap pulp paper. The pulp fiction era
provided a building ground for the detective
novels and science fiction.
Science fiction is a genre of speculative
fiction dealing with imaginative concepts
such as futuristic setting, futuristic science
and technology, space travel, time travel,
parallel universes and extraterrestrial
life. Science fiction often explores the

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 potential consequences of scientific and
other innovations. ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary
Shelly (1823) is considered the first novel

Here are the key notes from the text:

Introduction to the Novel

The 18th century introduced two new literary forms: Periodical Essay and Novel.

The novel captured the intellectual, sentimental, and realistic spirit of the era.

It gained popularity over time and is now the most dominant literary genre.

Definition and Origin

A novel is a long narrative fiction that describes intimate human experiences in prose.

The term 'novel' comes from the Italian ‘novella’, meaning ‘new’.

It presents detailed descriptions of time, place, people, and society.

Compared to drama and poetry, the novel makes life easier to understand.

Historical Background
The novel has a history of around 2,000 years.

Early precursors: Greek Romances (2nd–6th century), Virgil’s Ecologues, Malory’s Morte
De Arthur, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

First novel in the world: Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki Shikibu (1010).

First European novel: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (1605–1615).

18th-century developments:

Growth of the middle class created demand for realistic literature.

The novel replaced romances and tragedies, reflecting the realities of everyday
life.

Industrial Revolution and trade expansion supported its popularity.

Major Novelists and Works

Early English Novelists (17th–18th Century)

John Bunyan – The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678)

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 Aphra Behn – Oroonoko (1688)

Daniel Defoe – Robinson Crusoe, Moll Flanders

Jonathan Swift – Gulliver’s Travels (satire)

Samuel Richardson – Pamela, Clarissa (epistolary novels)

Henry Fielding, Lawrence Sterne, Tobias Smollett

19th Century Novelists

Charles Dickens, Walter Scott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Thomas Hardy

H.G. Wells, Horace Walpole, Wilkie Collins

20th Century Novelists

E.M. Forster, James Joyce, Joseph Conrad, Henry James, George Orwell

Graham Greene, D.H. Lawrence, William Golding, Anthony Burgess

Salman Rushdie, V.S. Naipaul, Kazuo Ishiguro (immigrant authors)

Women Novelists

Frances Burney – Evelina (novel of manners)

Ann Radcliffe – Gothic novels

Mary Shelley – Frankenstein (science fiction)

Jane Austen – Social novels

Emily & Charlotte Brontë – Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre

George Eliot – Psychological novels

Virginia Woolf – Stream of consciousness technique

Agatha Christie – Crime novels (Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple)

Harper Lee, Margaret Atwood, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker

Indian English Novelists

First Indian novel in English: Rajmohan’s Wife by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyaya.

Pioneers: Mulk Raj Anand, R.K. Narayan, Raja Rao.

Later novelists: Anita Desai, Nayantara Sahgal, Arun Joshi, Manohar Malgaonkar.

Modern authors: Amitav Ghosh, Vikram Seth, Arundhati Roy, Salman Rushdie.

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Novella
A shorter form of narrative fiction, between a novel and short story.

Often satiric or realistic, with one or two main characters.

Famous novellas:

The Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad

The Turn of the Screw – Henry James

Billy Budd – Herman Melville

Death in Venice – Thomas Mann

Seize the Day – Saul Bellow

Elements of a Novel/Novella
1. Theme – Central idea or truth conveyed through events and characters.

2. Plot – Sequence of events driven by internal or external conflict.

3. Character – Protagonist (main character) and Antagonist (opposing force).

4. Setting – Background (place, time, climate, lifestyle).

5. Conflict – Struggle between opposing forces, driving interest.

6. Language/Style – Author’s choice of vocabulary, tone, and narration techniques.

Types of Novels
1. Realistic Novel – Reflects real life, social classes, and everyday experiences.

2. Picaresque Novel – Episodic adventures of a rogue (e.g., Tom Jones).

3. Historical Novel – Set in an earlier time period (War and Peace).

4. Epistolary Novel – Told through letters/diaries (Pamela).

5. Gothic Novel – Horror, mystery, supernatural elements (Dracula).

6. Autobiographical Novel – Based on the author’s life (David Copperfield).

7. Allegorical Novel – Has symbolic meaning (Animal Farm).

8. Utopian/Dystopian Novel – Imaginary ideal/dystopian societies (1984).

9. Psychological Novel – Focuses on internal thoughts (Crime and Punishment).

10. Stream of Consciousness Novel – Follows character’s thought flow (Ulysses).

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11. Bildungsroman – Protagonist’s growth from childhood to adulthood (Great Expectations).

12. Science Fiction – Based on futuristic science and technology (Frankenstein).

Conclusion
The novel has evolved over centuries, adapting to social, political, and cultural changes.

It remains the most dominant and influential literary form today.

These keynotes summarize the evolution, elements, types, and major figures in the history of
the novel. Let me know if you need any modifications or additional details! 😊
makes notes on :
Chapter 17
The half-yearly report of the Students’
Council was on November 15th, and
was one of the important days in the
calendar of Greenslade School. I had
heard quite a deal about these occasions
and became as excited as the children as
the day approached. It was entirely their
day, arranged, presented and controlled
by them. I observed the activities of my
class as they prepared for it, noting with
pride the business-like way in which
tasks were allocated and fitted into a
neat programme. There were whispered
conferences with members of other
classes in the arrangement of it. On that
day there was no assembly. The children
arrived smartly dressed and polished, and
Miss Joseph and Denham, who seemed to
be the important officials for the occasion,
moved about among their colleagues
ensuring that each one was ready to play
his (her) part.
A bell was rung at 10.00 a.m. and
everyone trooped into the auditorium to
sit together in classes. Miss Joseph and
Denham, the two most senior students,
sat on the stage, one on each side of Mr.
Florian, who, as soon as everyone was

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seated and silent, stood and addressed the
school. He spoke at length, reiterating the
aims and policy of the school and of the
important contribution each child could
make to the furtherance of those aims. He
gave praise wherever it was indicated, but
insisted that there was yet a great deal to
be done, by themselves, towards a general
To Sir, with Love
on History, and Miss Joseph on Domestic
Science. Denham creates a stir by speaking
on the required subject of P.T. and games,
complaining that the class ‘was ill-conceived
and pointless.’
Mr. Weston, Mrs. Dale-Evans, and Miss
Phillips are chosen at random to answer
students’ questions arising from the senior
presentations. When Denham pursues his
inquiry on the necessity of requiring all
students to take P.T., Mr. Weston responds
quite ridiculously, trying to bluster his way
out of the subject, and offering no coherent
argument. Unexpectedly, the quiet and
hesitant Miss Phillips steps in and gives a
sturdy defense of the practice, and Denham,
knowing that he has been outwitted, has no
choice but to respectfully cease his heated
protest. Braithwaite is immensely satisfied
with the progress of the students of his class.
182
improvement in conduct, cleanliness and
the pursuit of knowledge. As I listened
I realised that this man was in no way
remote from his school; his remarks all
showed that he identified himself with it
and everyone in it. He then wished them
success with the Council Meeting and left
the stage to tremendous applause.
Things now moved quickly into gear.
First, Miss Joseph stood up, and gave a
short explanation of the Council’s purpose
and its activities. Each class would report,

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through its representatives, on the studies
pursued during the half year which began
after Easter, a representative having
been chosen for each subject. When all
the classes had completed their reports
a panel of teachers would be invited to
occupy the stage and answer questions
from the body of the hall on matters
arising out of the various reports. The
selection of the panel, as with everything
else, was entirely at the discretion of
the children and no members of the staff
knew either how many or which teachers
would be invited to sit. The reports began
with the lowest or youngest class first.
These were mainly twelve-year-olds
who had joined the school the previous
summer. Most of them were shy and
rather frightened at standing up before
the entire school, but nevertheless they
managed it creditably; they had been
newly introduced to the difficulties of
seeking information for themselves, so
their report was understandably rather
short.
Class after class was represented, and
it was obvious that with each succeeding
term there was a marked development
in their ability to express themselves.
Much of the work was rather elementary,
but to them it loomed large because
they understood it and something of its
relationship to themselves. Throughout
all the reports, the emphasis was on what
they understood rather than on what they
were expected to learn. When the turn of
my class came I sat up anxiously. From
the list he held in his hand, Denham called
out the names of the representatives,
together with the subjects on which they
would report.
Potter — Arithmetic

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Sapiano — Nature Study
Miss Pegg and Jackson — Geography
Miss Dare and Fernman — Physiology
Miss Dodd — History
Denham — P.T. and Games
Miss Joseph — Domestic Science
I felt terribly pleased and proud to see
the confident courtesy with which Denham
used the term ‘Miss’ in addressing each of
the senior girls; I felt sure that this would
in itself be something for the younger
ones to aim at, a sort of badge of young
adulthood. As their names were called
they walked up to the stage and took their
seats with commendable gravity. Miss
Joseph then gave a short address. She
said that their lessons had a particular
bias towards the brotherhood of mankind,
and that they had been learning through
each subject how all mankind was
interdependent in spite of geographical
location and differences in colour, races
and creeds. Then she called on Potter.
Potter went on to speak of the work they
had done on weights and measures; of the
183
relationship between the kilogramme and
the pound, the metre and the foot. He said
that throughout the world one or other of
those two methods was either in use or
understood, and that it was a symbol of the
greater understanding which was being
accomplished between peoples. Sapiano
spoke of the study the class had made
of pests, especially black rot on wheat,
boll weevil on cotton, and the Colorado
beetle on potatoes. He showed how many
countries had pooled their knowledge
and results of research on the behaviour,
breeding habits and migration of these
pests, and were gradually reducing the
threat they represented to these important

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products. Miss Pegg and Jackson divided
the report on Geography between them.
Jackson spoke first on the distribution of
mineral deposits and vegetable produce
over the earth’s surface, how a country rich
in one was often deficient in the other; and
of the interchange and interdependence
which inevitably followed. Miss Pegg
dealt with human relationships, stressing
the problems facing the post-war world
for feeding, clothing and housing its
populations. She also made a reference
to the thousands of refugees, stateless
and unwanted; and to the efforts and
programmes of U.N.I.C.E.F. Fernman
as usual had a trump card up his sleeve.
When called he made a signal to someone
off-stage, and Welsh and Alison appeared
bearing a skeleton between them, together
with a sort of gallows.
When this arrangement had been set
up there was the skeleton hanging from
a hook screwed into the top of its skull,
gently revolving at the end of a cord. This
was somewhat in the nature of comic
relief, and the school showed its approval
by laughing uproariously. But levity
soon evaporated when Fernman began
to speak; his voice was clear and precise
and he had a strong sense of the dramatic.
Calmly he told them that it was a female
skeleton; that was a fact and could easily
be proved. But he could not say with any
assurance whether she had been Chinese
or French or German or Greek; nor could
he say if she had been brown or white or
a mixture of both. And from that, he said,
the class had concluded that basically
all people were the same; the trimmings
might be different but the foundations were
all laid out according to the same blueprint. Fernman was
wonderful; he had

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them eating out of his hand. Miss Dare’s
contribution was something of an anticlimax after
Fernman’s performance, and
she seemed to realise it. She spoke about
the problems which all humanity has to
face in terms of sickness and disease, and
of the advantages gained by interchange
of knowledge, advice and assistance.
Miss Dodd reported on the period
of History the class had studied – the
Reformation in England. She told of the
struggles of men of independent spirit
against clerical domination and of their
efforts to break from established religious
traditions. From those early beginnings
gradually grew the idea of tolerance
for the beliefs and cultures of others,
and the now common interest in trying
to study and understand those cultures.
Denham’s report was a bit of a shock. He
severely criticised the general pattern of
P.T. and games, emphasising the serious
184
limitations of space obtaining and the
effect of that limitation on their games
activities. He complained that the P.T.
was ill-conceived and pointless, and the
routine monotonous; he could see no
advantage in doing it; a jolly good game
was far better. Apparently he was voicing
the opinions of all the boys, for they
cheered him loudly. When the reports
were over, Denham called two children
at random from the audience and asked
them to write the name of each teacher,
including the Head on a slip of paper.
These slips were folded and placed
in a hat, juggled vigorously, and then
withdrawn one by one. The names were
called: Mr. Weston, Mrs. Dale-Evans,
Miss Phillips. Denham and Miss Joseph
led the others off the stage and the teachers

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took their seats, Weston big and bushily
untidy between the two women. Then the
questioning began. I believe I would have
gone a long way to see what followed; it
was an experience which I shall not easily
forget. The questions were mostly from
the two top classes, probably because the
young children were either too timid or too
uninformed to formulate their questions.
The teachers had no briefing, and were
often caught out stammering in their
indecision. But here again, I received a big
surprise. The frilly, seemingly brainless
Miss Euphemia Phillips proved to be the
coolest and best informed of the three.
She dealt with questions put to her with
candour and authority, and would often
intervene skillfully to assist one of the
others without causing embarrassment.
Weston cut a very ridiculous figure. In
the face of Denham’s blunt criticisms
and Fernman’s adroit questioning, he
found himself completely nonplussed
and tried to bluster his way out with a
show of offended dignity. He could not
effectively support the P.T. exercises,
for which he was partly responsible, as
having any definite physical advantage.
Denham was a trained boxer, and
insisted that such exercises were only
advantageous if practised daily and for
more sustained periods; P.T. twice weekly
for twenty minutes was a waste of time,
he asserted. Once again Miss Phillips
took the reins and her stock promptly
shot up a hundredfold. She reminded the
school that every subject, including P.T.
and games, had been carefully considered
and fitted into the teaching timetable
so that each student received maximum
benefit from it. The school with its limited
facilities must be considered in terms of

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the greatest good for the greatest number,
and it would be beyond anyone’s powers
to please everybody. ‘Some of you,’ she
concluded, fixing Denham with innocent
eyes, ‘are fortunate in your own fine
physical development and do not really
need the few meagre helpings of P.T. and
games which this school can offer; try to
remember that there are others for whom
our programme is ideally suited. It may
be that some of you older boys might
even be able to help in that respect.’
Denham was not to be put off by these
sugary remarks, and rose in reply. ‘Then
why do we have to do P.T.? Why don’t
they take only the kids who need it? The
rest of us can have a game of football or
something, ’stead of doing a lot of daft
things that’s no good to us!’ This was a poser, but she came
right back at him, her
baby-blue eyes twinkling in her delight at
this crossing of staves. ‘Let’s say it is as
much an exercise of the mind as it is of
the body, Denham. The whole timetable
in this school is meant to help you in the
world after you leave here, and doing
what you are told in spite of not liking it,
is part of the training. I feel sure that you
will see the point in that.’ That stopped
him. Poor Denham knew that he’d been
outwitted but he could do nothing about it and sat looking
rather rueful, while
Miss Phillips’ smile broadened; this frilly,
innocent-looking puss had gobbled her
canary without leaving the tiniest feather.
I began to understand how it was
that so slight a creature could cope so
effectively with her class. Soon after this,
as the morning ended, the Head went on
to the stage and closed the proceedings,
expressing his pride in all the children

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 and his deep appreciation of their efforts.
- E. R. Braithwaite

Here are the notes on Chapter 17:

Chapter 17: The Half-Yearly Report of the Students’ Council

Overview

The half-yearly report was held on November 15th and was an important event at
Greenslade School.

The event was entirely organized, presented, and managed by students, showcasing
their independence and leadership.

The narrator, E.R. Braithwaite, observed the preparations with pride, seeing how
students efficiently allocated tasks and worked together.

Event Proceedings

10:00 a.m.: A bell was rung, and students entered the auditorium, sitting in their
respective class groups.

Mr. Florian (Headmaster) addressed the students, emphasizing the school’s aims and
policies, their progress, and the need for further improvement.

Miss Joseph introduced the purpose of the Students’ Council, explaining that each class
would report on their subjects, followed by a teacher Q&A panel.

Student Reports

Reports began with the youngest students, who were shy but managed well.

As the reports progressed, the older students demonstrated increased confidence and
expression.

Braithwaite’s Class Reports

Denham (Host) called on student representatives:

Potter (Arithmetic): Discussed weights and measures and their global importance.

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 Sapiano (Nature Study): Spoke on crop pests and international cooperation in
combating them.

Jackson & Miss Pegg (Geography): Covered global distribution of resources and
post-war challenges, mentioning U.N.I.C.E.F..

Fernman & Miss Dare (Physiology): Fernman dramatically demonstrated a skeleton,

explaining that all humans are fundamentally the same, regardless of race or
nationality.

Miss Dodd (History): Spoke about the Reformation and the growth of tolerance
and cultural understanding.

Denham (P.T. & Games): Criticized the P.T. program, calling it monotonous and
ineffective.

Teacher Q&A Panel

Teachers were chosen randomly: Mr. Weston, Mrs. Dale-Evans, and Miss Phillips.

Denham challenged Mr. Weston about the necessity of P.T., but Weston fumbled his
response.

Surprisingly, Miss Phillips, who seemed delicate and frilly, defended the program
eloquently, arguing that it was beneficial for some students.

Denham was ultimately outwitted by Miss Phillips, who emphasized the importance of
discipline and following rules for future success.

Conclusion

Mr. Florian closed the event, praising the students for their excellent effort.

Braithwaite felt proud of his class’s confidence and engagement, especially noting their
critical thinking and leadership skills.

This chapter highlights student autonomy, public speaking, teamwork, and critical
thinking, reinforcing the progressive educational philosophy at Greenslade School. Let me
know if you need a more condensed version!

write notes on:

‘To Sir, with Love’ is a work of

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fiction based on the life of the author, E.R.
Braithwaite. The main character, E. R.
Braithwaite, works as an engineer in an
oil refinery. He served in the Royal British
Air Force in the war. After the war, being
a black person, he was unable to find
employment. As a last resort, he applied in
a school to become a teacher. Surprisingly,
he is accepted at the Greenslade School in
London’s East End, and is set to teach the
senior classes of the school.
While reading the novel, we have to
understand that the time period in which
the story takes place is very important.
Braithwaite finds that even though he
considers himself British and has served
in the Royal Air Force (RAF), the English
do not consider him to be one of them. This
makes Braithwaite bitter about the English
and the colonialism, as well as about his
white students.
Braithwaite’s teaching position starts
out roughly and he is embarrassed time
and again. He considers his students
disrespectful, ill-mannered and mischievous
while his students consider him to be an
arrogant outsider, unfamiliar with the social
environment in which they have grown
up. The students harass him from day one,
slamming their desks during his lecture,
using foul language, and bullying him to a
great extent. Even the girl students do not
spare a moment to harass Braithwaite. In a
reaction to that Braithwaite verbally scolds
the girls for acting in an unladylike manner
and being unruly in the class.
When he understands that his outburst
has not gained him any respect and cooperation from the
students, he changes his
teaching and handling tactics and he decides
Summary of the Novel
to interact with them as though they are

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adults and respectable persons. He requires
every girl be referred to as ‘Miss’ and that his
students call him ‘Sir.’ At first, the students
find this level of deference ridiculous and
unnecessary; however, they come around
after only a few weeks, completely changing
both their hygiene and their attitudes
towards one another. This marks the success
of Braithwaite in handling the students in a
very amicable way.
To increase the class cultural exposure,
he takes them on field trips and excursions to
museums and theatres, to everyone’s surprise
many of the students have never been. A
white female teacher, Gillian Blanchard,
accompanies the class on these excursions;
this marks the beginning of a friendship
between Blanchard and Braithwaite.
Similarly, Braithwaite’s relationship with
his students is tested many a times.
Although his students frequently
disappoint and hurt him, he learns to forgive
them, the students constantly surprise him
with their maturity, empathy and knowledge.
Another facet of the story which greatly
affects its narrative lies in the heavy history
of colonialism, its dark consequences,
mental and physical trauma that increases
Braithwaite’s hatred and wrath for British.
He constantly feels the prejudicial effects
of colonialism while living in England
after World War II, and these negative
experiences frequently shape his thoughts
and actions. Braithwaite is surprised and
shocked by the conditions in which these
students live, and also the physical trauma
of the war that can be seen throughout his
teaching environment.
180
Students-teacher relationship, prejudice
and racism are the major themes of the
novel.

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E. R. Braithwaite gets a job of a teacher
in a rather rough and notorious school.
He finds that the students belong to a
background that is not suitable for learning
and their overall development and progress.
He notices that the students are in no mood
to change their attitude and behaviour.
Braithwaite with his novel and creative ideas,
innovative techniques and understanding the
students’ psychology, ultimately wins their
hearts in no time. Though he was bullied,
harassed, mentally and physically tortured
many times, he didn’t lose his patience and
continued implementing his novel ideas
and techniques that helped him to bring a
significant change in his students’ lives.
The racism prevalent in Great Britain
during the mid-1940s, the time period
during which ‘To Sir, with Love’ takes
place, is of primary significance in the
novel. The narrator cites repeated incidents
in which he experiences the racism of white
Britons, including encounters on the bus, at
job interviews, at Greenslade school, when
searching for housing, at a restaurant with
his girl friend and so on.
Theme of the Novel
At the outset, Braithwaite is struck by
the unexpectedness of such prejudice. He
was brought up in British Guiana and he
viewed himself as a British citizen, not as
a black British citizen in a British colony.
When he served Great Britain in the Royal
Air Force, that gave him respect and esteem
in the society. The day he left the job, he
finds himself to be an outsider.
Braithwaite’s extensive experience and
education was of no use in job interviews,
where he is informed that the job has already
been filled or he is overqualified for it. This
heightens Braithwaite’s sense of betrayal
for the British. Interestingly, he never lashes

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out physically and only rarely does he do
so verbally. He exhibits patient endurance
at times, and at others he describes the
way the rage inside him is transforming
into hatred so strong that he desires to hurt
those who treat him unfairly. As a result
of such experiences, Braithwaite finds the
students at the Greenslade school to be a bit
notorious and rough in behaviour but with
proper care and treatment, all the students
would surely achieve success and desired
goals in their lives.
Synopsis of the Extract
In this extract, Braithwaite recounts
the half-yearly report of the Students’
Council, in which the students of the school
report to the faculty and other students on
what they have been studying thus far.
Braithwaite’s class representatives speak
knowledgeably about their coursework and
place a considerable amount of emphasis
on how much they have learnt about
different people, cultures, customs, and the
importance of international and interracial
cooperation.
Miss Joseph and Denham, both students
of Braithwaite’s class, preside over the
meeting. At the outset, Mr. Florian, the
headmaster, addresses the meeting with
a lengthy, but well-received presentation.
One after another, each class gives a brief
report of their progress, through their
chosen representatives, on what they have
been studying in each subject so far. A
panel of teachers is chosen for each class to
answer any questions regarding the report
submitted by the class. The lowest class
181
begins first, and it is obvious that as the
students progress through the ranks there
is ‘a marked development in their ability
to express themselves’. Mr. Braithwaite’s

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 class, being the oldest, was the last to present
their report.
Miss Joseph begins the highest class’s
proceedings by clarifying that the common
theme underlying all their studies this term
is the interdependency of mankind. Potter
speaks in the field of Math, focusing on
how greater understanding in the world is
fostered by the use of common weights and
measures. Miss Pegg and Jackson speak on
Geography, and Miss Dare and Fernman
discuss the subject of Physiology, with
Fernman stealing the show by exhibiting a
model of a human skeleton and stressing
the class conclusion that “basically all
people were the same.” Miss Dodd reports on History, and
Miss Joseph on Domestic
Science. Denham creates a stir by speaking
on the required subject of P.T. and games,
complaining that the class ‘was ill-conceived
and pointless.’
Mr. Weston, Mrs. Dale-Evans, and Miss
Phillips are chosen at random to answer
students’ questions arising from the senior
presentations. When Denham pursues his
inquiry on the necessity of requiring all
students to take P.T., Mr. Weston responds
quite ridiculously, trying to bluster his way
out of the subject, and offering no coherent
argument. Unexpectedly, the quiet and
hesitant Miss Phillips steps in and gives a
sturdy defense of the practice, and Denham,
knowing that he has been outwitted, has no
choice but to respectfully cease his heated
protest. Braithwaite is immensely satisfied
with the progress of the students of his class.

Notes on "To Sir, with Love" by E.R. Braithwaite

1. Overview

A fictionalized autobiography based on the real-life experiences of E.R. Braithwaite.

26/63
 The protagonist, E.R. Braithwaite, is a black ex-RAF officer and an engineer who
struggles to find work in post-war Britain due to racial discrimination.

As a last resort, he takes up a teaching position at Greenslade School in London’s East

End.

The novel explores themes of racism, prejudice, student-teacher relationships, and

social transformation.

2. Braithwaite’s Initial Challenges

Faces racism despite being a war veteran.

Rejected for engineering jobs due to his race.

Finds employment as a teacher but struggles with disrespectful, rebellious students.

Students harass him, use foul language, and challenge his authority.

His initial attempt at discipline through scolding fails.

3. Transformation and Success

Braithwaite changes his approach, treating students as young adults rather than
children.

Implements strict yet respectful conduct rules, requiring students to address each
other formally (e.g., girls as “Miss”).

His new approach earns students’ respect and leads to improved behavior and
hygiene.

Introduces field trips to museums and theatres, broadening their cultural exposure.

Forms a friendship with Miss Gillian Blanchard, a fellow teacher.

Despite setbacks, he forgives and supports his students, ultimately earning their
admiration.

4. Themes

Racism & Prejudice: Braithwaite faces racial discrimination in job interviews, public
places, and personal life.

Colonialism’s Impact: His experiences reveal the lasting effects of British colonial rule
and the hypocrisy of British society.

Education & Transformation: Shows the power of teaching in changing young minds.

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 Respect & Dignity: Treating students as mature individuals fosters growth and
responsibility.

5. The Half-Yearly Report (Chapter 17)

A student-led event showcasing their academic progress.

Miss Joseph and Denham preside over the meeting.

Common theme: Interdependency of mankind.

Students present subjects such as:

Mathematics (Potter) – Common weights and measures in fostering global

understanding.

Geography (Miss Pegg & Jackson) – Global resource distribution.

Physiology (Miss Dare & Fernman) – Emphasizes that "all people are the same" at
a biological level.

History (Miss Dodd) – Lessons from the Reformation.

P.T. & Games (Denham) – Criticizes the pointlessness of physical training.

A teacher Q&A session follows:

Denham challenges Mr. Weston on the necessity of P.T.

Miss Phillips unexpectedly defends the practice, outwitting Denham.

The event highlights students’ confidence, public speaking, and intellectual growth.

6. Conclusion

Despite racial discrimination, Braithwaite transforms his students through respect,

discipline, and innovation.

The novel conveys a powerful message about education, social change, and
overcoming prejudice.

Would you like a more condensed version?

2/2

make notes on:

The novel is full of adventure and the
excitement which the readers come across
and enjoy from the beginning to the end.
Phileas Fogg, the major character in the

28/63
novel, accepts the challenge to go around the
world in eighty days and in accomplishing
this feat he goes through various lands and
meets with diverse adventures. Thus the
novel proceeds at a fast pace and there is
always some excitement resulting from the
various encounters. The beauty of the novel
is that the writer takes the readers through a
journey of many hair-raising incidents and
exciting, adventurous, thrilling yet beautiful
places around the world.
The most important feature of this
adventure novel is ‘Time’. It illustrates
repeatedly that time is fickle, and either
190
Around the World in Eighty Days begins
at the Reform Club in England with Phileas
Fogg, Thomas Flanagan, Samuel Fallentin,
and John Sullivan sitting by a fireplace
reading newspapers. We are introduced to
Fogg, a very precise man who regularly goes
to the Reform Club every evening.
At the Reform Club, Fogg, Flanagan,
Fallentin, and Sullivan are talking about
a recent bank robbery. This conversation
leads to a wager. Fogg is quite sure he can
travel around the world in eighty days, while
Sullivan doesn’t believe it can be done.
Sullivan, Flanagan, and Fallentin think Fogg
is not considering the unexpected; all of the
men accept the wager for twenty-thousand
pounds.
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
works for or against them. In many cases,
time foils their plans, when the delays build
up and ships and trains leave without them

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that sometimes land the characters in trouble.
In the end, Fogg wins the bet as he gained
a day when crossing the International Date
Line. The ultimate message is that no one
can control time; time will work the way it
wants to work, and humans are at its mercy.
Before his journey around the world,
Fogg lived a solitary life. He closed himself
off to others and cared little about the way
he was perceived by other people. By the
end of the trip, though, he recognizes the
importance of human connections, both in
the form of love, with Aouda, and friendship
and loyalty, with Passepartout. Above all,
this new understanding and appreciation is
the greatest thing he has gained from this trip.
Though he has the opportunity to double
his fortune, Fogg’s motivation to embark on
such a crazy adventure has little to do with
the money. Instead, he wants to preserve his
honour and prove his worth to the men of the
Reform Club, to show that he can do what
he sets out to do. Fogg spends nearly all of
his money along the way, showing that
riches are not what he is truly out for. For
Phileas Fogg, honour is more important
than money.
Throughout the entire trip, Fogg and his
group encounter various obstacles standing
in their way. These challenges allow them
to use their quick thinking to come up
with innovative solutions to even the most
complicated of problems, relaying the
message that no problem is unsolvable. It is
not only Fogg who shows his clever wit in
coming up with solutions; Passepartout, too,
shows his ingenuity in multiple situations.
Plot
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

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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 (Now Mumbai), Calcutta (Now
Kolkata), Hong Kong, Yokohama, San
Francisco, New York and finally Liverpool.
Fix arrests Fogg at Liverpool and this delays
Fogg a bit. 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.
191
As soon as Fogg, Aouda and
Passepartout arrive in Liverpool, Fix arrests
Fogg. Phileas is thrown in jail. Several
hours later, though, Fix learns that another
man was responsible for the bank robbery,
and he releases Fogg, who orders a special
train. However, he arrives in London late,
making everyone disappointed.
Phileas and company are now broke,
the deadline for the bet has passed, and
there’s nothing to do but go home and pout.
Phileas locks himself in his room and, for
the first time, allows himself to be seriously
depressed. Aouda and Passepartout are so
worried that they too can’t eat or sleep.
The following evening Fogg apologizes
to Aouda for being unable to provide for
her comfort as a result of losing the bet.
She in turn proposes marriage to him, and
he joyfully agrees. Passepartout is sent
to engage a clergyman, he runs off to geta reverend to

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 marry Fogg and Aouda the
next day (which they all think is Monday).

While running to grab the nearest preacher

(to marry Phileas and Aouda), Passepartout
finds out that it’s actually Sunday, not
Monday, like the group has been thinking.
By travelling eastward around the world,
Phileas Fogg, master calculator and
obsessive organizer, has forgotten the time
he’s gained by journeying through all those
time zones.
He learns that their journey through the
time zones had gained them a day and that
they are not at all late. Passepartout races
home, grabs Phileas by the collar, shoves
him into a cab, and deposits him at the
club. Phileas presents himself with minutes
to spare and effectively wins the bet. He’s
rich once more, but more important (as he
says to himself), he has won the heart of a
“charming” woman.

Notes on Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

1. Overview

A fast-paced adventure novel full of excitement and thrilling encounters.

Phileas Fogg, the main character, accepts a wager to travel around the world in eighty
days.

His journey takes him across various countries and continents, encountering dangers,
obstacles, and surprises.

The novel emphasizes themes of time, adventure, perseverance, and honor.

2. Theme of Time

Time is unpredictable and often works against or in favor of the characters.

Fogg faces delays and unexpected setbacks, but ultimately wins the bet by gaining a
day while crossing the International Date Line.

Moral: No one can fully control time; it operates independently of human desires.

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3. Character Development

Phileas Fogg: Initially a rigid, solitary, and precise man, but his journey changes him.

Develops emotional connections, especially with Aouda (his love interest) and
Passepartout (his loyal servant).

The journey teaches him the value of human relationships over wealth.

4. Fogg’s Motivation

Though he stands to double his fortune, his true motivation is to prove his honor and
capability.

Money is secondary—he spends most of it on the journey itself.

5. Clever Problem-Solving

Fogg and Passepartout frequently use quick thinking to overcome obstacles.

The novel emphasizes that no problem is unsolvable with intelligence and

determination.

Plot Summary

6. The Bet and Journey Begins

At the Reform Club, Fogg discusses a bank robbery with Flanagan, Fallentin, and
Sullivan.

A wager of £20,000 is placed that Fogg cannot travel around the world in 80 days.

He immediately sets out with his French valet, Passepartout.

7. Detective Fix’s Pursuit

Detective Fix wrongly believes Fogg is the bank robber.

He follows Fogg throughout his journey, delaying him in hopes of arresting him.

Passepartout also suspects his master at times, though he trusts him deeply.

8. Journey Route & Key Events

Fogg and his companions travel through:

Brindisi (Italy) → Suez (Egypt) → Bombay & Calcutta (India)

Saves Aouda, an Indian princess, from sati (ritual burning).

Hong Kong → Yokohama (Japan) → San Francisco → New York → Liverpool

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 Faces storms, lost ships, train hijackings, and unexpected delays.

9. Climax: Arrest in Liverpool & The Final Race

Upon reaching Liverpool, Fix arrests Fogg, believing he is the bank robber.

Hours later, the real thief is caught, and Fogg is released.

He rushes to London, thinking he missed the deadline.

10. The Unexpected Victory

Fogg locks himself in his room, believing he lost the bet.

Aouda proposes marriage, bringing him unexpected happiness.

Passepartout realizes they gained a day due to time zones.

Fogg reaches the Reform Club just in time, wins the bet, and gains love along the
way.

Key Themes & Messages

1. Time and Its Unpredictability – Time can work for or against you, but it is ultimately
beyond control.

2. Adventure & Determination – Perseverance and quick thinking can overcome any
obstacle.

3. Honor Over Wealth – Fogg values his word and reputation over money.

4. Personal Growth – Fogg starts as a rigid man but learns the value of love, friendship,
and adventure.

Would you like a shorter or more detailed version? 😊

make notes on chapter 34-37 of the novel around the earth
in 80 days

Notes on Chapters 34-37 of Around the World in Eighty Days

Chapter 34: Phileas Fogg’s Arrest in Liverpool

Fogg, Aouda, and Passepartout arrive in Liverpool, believing they are on time.

Detective Fix finally arrests Fogg, revealing that he has been tracking him as a
suspected bank robber.

Fogg is thrown into jail, causing a major delay in his journey.

34/63
 Passepartout and Aouda are devastated, knowing that every minute counts to win the
bet.

Chapter 35: Release and Race to London

Fix realizes he has made a mistake—the real bank robber has already been caught.

He releases Fogg, feeling guilty for delaying him.

Fogg immediately books a train to London, but arrives five minutes late at the Reform
Club.

He believes he has lost the bet and falls into deep despair.

Chapter 36: Fogg’s Moment of Defeat and Aouda’s Proposal

Fogg locks himself in his room, depressed and broken for the first time.

He feels he has let down Passepartout and Aouda.

Aouda proposes marriage, expressing her love for him.

Fogg agrees, feeling that at least he has found happiness despite losing the wager.

Chapter 37: The Unexpected Victory

Passepartout goes to find a clergyman to arrange Fogg and Aouda’s wedding.

On the way, he realizes it is Sunday, not Monday—Fogg has gained a day due to the
International Date Line!

make slightly detialed notes onChapter XXXIV

In which Phileas Fogg at last reaches
London
Phileas Fogg was in prison. He had
been shut up in the Custom House, and he
was to be transferred to London the next
day.
Passepartout, when he saw his
master arrested, would have fallen upon
Fix had he not been held back by some
policemen. Aouda was thunderstruck
at the suddenness of an event which
she could not understand. Passepartout
explained to her how it was that the
honest and courageous Fogg was arrested
as a robber. The young woman’s heart

35/63
revolted against so heinous a charge, and
when she saw that she could attempt to
do nothing to save her protector, she wept
bitterly.
As for Fix, he had arrested Mr. Fogg
because it was his duty, whether Mr. Fogg
was guilty or not.
The thought then struck Passepartout,
that he was the cause of this new
misfortune! Had he not concealed Fix’s
errand from his master? When Fix
revealed his true character and purpose,
why had he not told Mr. Fogg? If the latter
had been warned, he would no doubt have
given Fix proof of his innocence, and
satisfied him of his mistake; at least, Fix
would not have continued his journey at
the expense and on the heels of his master,
only to arrest him the moment he set foot
Synopsis of the Extract
a reverend to marry Fogg and Aouda the
next day (which they all think is Monday).
While running to grab the nearest preacher
(to marry Phileas and Aouda), Passepartout
finds out that it’s actually Sunday, not
Monday, like the group has been thinking.
By travelling eastward around the world,
Phileas Fogg, master calculator and
obsessive organizer, has forgotten the time
he’s gained by journeying through all those
time zones.
He learns that their journey through the
time zones had gained them a day and that
they are not at all late. Passepartout races
home, grabs Phileas by the collar, shoves
him into a cab, and deposits him at the
club. Phileas presents himself with minutes
to spare and effectively wins the bet. He’s
rich once more, but more important (as he
says to himself), he has won the heart of a
“charming” woman.
192

36/63
on English soil. Passepartout wept till he
was blind, and felt like blowing his brains
out.
Aouda and he had remained, despite
the cold, under the portico of the Custom
House. Neither wished to leave the place;
both were anxious to see Mr. Fogg again.
That gentleman was really ruined,
and that at the moment when he was
about to attain his end. This arrest was
fatal. Having arrived at Liverpool at
twenty minutes before twelve on the 21st
of December, he had till a quarter before
nine that evening to reach the Reform
Club, that is, nine hours and a quarter;
the journey from Liverpool to London
was six hours.
If anyone, at this moment, had
entered the Custom House, he would
have found Mr. Fogg seated, motionless,
calm, and without apparent anger, upon
a wooden bench. He was not, it is true,
resigned; but this last blow failed to force
him into an outward betrayal of any
emotion. Was he being devoured by one
of those secret rages, all the more terrible
because contained, and which only burst
forth, with an irresistible force, at the last
moment? No one could tell. There he sat,
calmly waiting—for what? Did he still
cherish hope? Did he still believe, now
that the door of this prison was closed
upon him, that he would succeed?
However that may have been, Mr.
Fogg carefully put his watch upon the
table, and observed its advancing hands.
Not a word escaped his lips, but his
look was singularly set and stern. The
situation, in any event, was a terrible one,
and might be thus stated: if Phileas Fogg
was honest he was ruined; if he was a
knave, he was caught.

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Did escape occur to him? Did he
examine to see if there was any practicable
outlet from his prison? Did he think of
escaping from it? Possibly; for once he
walked slowly around the room. But the
door was locked, and the window heavily
barred with iron rods. He sat down again,
and drew his journal from his pocket. On
the line where these words were written,
“21st December, Saturday, Liverpool,” he
added, “80th day, 11.40 a.m.,” and waited.
The Custom House clock struck one.
Mr. Fogg observed that his watch was
two hours too fast.
Two hours! Admitting that he was at
this moment taking an express train, he
could reach London and the Reform Club
by a quarter before nine p.m. his forehead
slightly wrinkled.
At thirty-three minutes past two he
heard a singular noise outside, then a
hasty opening of doors. Passepartout’s
voice was audible, and immediately after
that of Fix. Phileas Fogg’s eyes brightened
for an instant.
The door swung open, and he saw
Passepartout, Aouda, and Fix, who
hurried towards him.
Fix was out of breath, and his hair
was in disorder. He could not speak. “Sir,”
he stammered, “Sir-forgive me-mostunfortunate
resemblance-robber arrested
three days ago-you are free!”
Phileas Fogg was free! He walked to
the detective, looked him steadily in the
face, and with the only rapid motion he
had ever made in his life, or which he ever
would make, drew back his arms, and
with the precision of a machine, knocked
Fix down.
193
“Well hit!” cried Passepartout,

38/63
“Parbleu! that’s what you might call a
good application of English fists!”
Fix, who found himself on the
floor, did not utter a word. He had only
received his desserts. Mr. Fogg, Aouda,
and Passepartout left the Custom House
without delay, got into a cab, and in a few
moments descended at the station.
Phileas Fogg asked if there was an
express train about to leave for London. It
was forty minutes past two. The express
train had left thirty-five minutes before.
Phileas Fogg then ordered a special train.
There were several rapid locomotives
on hand; but the railway arrangements
did not permit the special train to leave
until three o’clock.
At that hour Phileas Fogg, having
stimulated the engineer by the offer of a
generous reward, at last set out towards
London with Aouda and his faithful
servant.
It was necessary to make the journey
in five hours and a half; and this would
have been easy on a clear road throughout.
But there were forced delays, and when
Mr. Fogg stepped from the train at the
terminus, all the clocks in London were
striking ten minutes before nine.
Having made the tour of the world,
he was behind-hand five minutes. He had
lost the wager!
Chapter XXXV
In which Phileas Fogg does not have
to repeat his orders to Passepartout
twice
THE dwellers in Saville Row would
have been surprised the next day, if they
had been told that Phileas Fogg had
returned home. His doors and windows
were still closed, no appearance of change
was visible.

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After leaving the station, Mr. Fogg
gave Passepartout instructions to purchase
some provisions, and quietly went to his
domicile.
He bore his misfortune with his
habitual tranquillity. Ruined! And by the
blundering of the detective! After having
steadily traversed that long journey,
overcome a hundred obstacles, braved
many dangers, and still found time to do
some good on his way, to fail near the
goal by a sudden event which he could
not have foreseen, and against which he
was unarmed; it was terrible! But a few
pounds were left of the large sum he had
carried with him. There only remained of
his fortune the twenty thousand pounds
deposited at Barings, and this amount he
owed to his friends of the Reform Club.
So great had been the expense of his tour
that, even had he won, it would not have
enriched him; and it is probable that he
had not sought to enrich himself, being a
man who rather laid wagers for honour’s
sake than for the stake proposed. But this
wager totally ruined him.
Mr. Fogg’s course, however, was fully
decided upon; he knew what remained for
him to do.
A room in the house in Saville Row
was set apart for Aouda, who was
overwhelmed with grief at her protector’s
misfortune. From the words which Mr.
Fogg dropped, she saw that he was
meditating some serious project.
Knowing that Englishmen governed
by a fixed idea sometimes resort to
the desperate expedient of suicide,
194
Passepartout kept a narrow watch upon
his master, though he carefully concealed
the appearance of so doing.

40/63
He had found a bill from the gas
company.
First of all, the worthy fellow had gone
up to his room, and had extinguished the
gas burner, which had been burning for
eighty days. He had found in the letterbox a bill from the
gas company, and he
thought it more than time to put a stop to
this expense, which he had been doomed
to bear.
The night passed. Mr. Fogg went to
bed, but did he sleep?Aouda did not once
close her eyes. Passepartout watched all
night, like a faithful dog, at his master’s
door.
Mr. Fogg called him in the morning,
and told him to get Aouda’s breakfast,
and a cup of tea and a chop for himself.
He desired Aouda to excuse him from
breakfast and dinner, as his time would
be absorbed all day in putting his affairs
to rights. In the evening he would ask
permission to have a few moment’s
conversation with the young lady.
Passepartout, having received his
orders, had nothing to do but obey them.
He looked at his imperturbable master,
and could scarcely bring his mind to
leave him. His heart was full, and his
conscience tortured by remorse; for he
accused himself more bitterly than ever
of being the cause of the irretrievable
disaster. Yes! if he had warned Mr. Fogg,
and had betrayed Fix’s projects to him,
his master would certainly not have given
the detective passage to Liverpool, and
then—
Passepartout could hold in no longer.
“My master! Mr. Fogg!” he cried,
“why do you not curse me? It was my
fault that—”
“I blame no one,” returned Phileas

41/63
Fogg, with perfect calmness. “Go!”
Passepartout left the room, and went
to find Aouda, to whom he delivered his
master’s message.
“Madam,” he added, “I can do nothing
myself—nothing! I have no influence
over my master; but you, perhaps—”
“What influence could I have?”
replied Aouda. “Mr. Fogg is influenced
by no one. Has he ever understood that
my gratitude to him is overflowing? Has
he ever read my heart? My friend, he must
not be left alone an instant! You say he is
going to speak with me this evening?”
“Yes, madam; probably to arrange for
your protection and comfort in England.”
“We shall see,” replied Aouda,
becoming suddenly pensive.
Throughout this day (Sunday)
the house in Saville Row was as if
uninhabited, and Phileas Fogg, for
the first time since he had lived in that
house, did not set out for his club when
Westminster clock struck half-past eleven.
Why should he present himself at the
Reform? His friends no longer expected
him there. As Phileas Fogg had not
appeared in the saloon on the evening
before (Saturday, the 21st of December,
at a quarter before nine), he had lost his
wager. It was not even necessary that he
should go to his bankers for the twenty
thousand pounds; for his antagonists
already had his cheque in their hands, and
they had only to fill it out and send it to the
Barings to have the amount transferred to
their credit.
195
Mr. Fogg, therefore, had no reason
for going out, and so he remained at
home. He shut himself up in his room,
and busied himself putting his affairs in

42/63
order. Passepartout continually ascended
and descended the stairs. The hours were
long for him. He listened at his master’s
door, and looked through the keyhole, as
if he had a perfect right so to do, and as
if he feared that something terrible might
happen at any moment. Sometimes he
thought of Fix, but no longer in anger. Fix,
like all the world, had been mistaken in
Phileas Fogg, and had only done his duty
in tracking and arresting him; while he,
Passepartout. . . . This thought haunted
him, and he never ceased cursing his
miserable folly.
Finding himself too wretched to
remain alone, he knocked at Aouda’s
door, went into her room, seated himself,
without speaking, in a corner, and looked
ruefully at the young woman. Aouda was
still pensive.
About half-past seven in the evening
Mr. Fogg sent to know if Aouda would
receive him, and in a few moments he
found himself alone with her.
Phileas Fogg took a chair, and sat
down near the fireplace, opposite Aouda.
No emotion was visible on his face. Fogg
returned was exactly the Fogg who had
gone away; there was the same calm, the
same impassibility.
He sat several minutes without
speaking; then, bending his eyes on
Aouda, “Madam,” said he, “will you
pardon me for bringing you to England?”
“I, Mr. Fogg!” replied Aouda,
checking the pulsations of her heart.
“Please let me finish,” returned Mr.
Fogg. “When I decided to bring you far
away from the country which was so
unsafe for you, I was rich, and counted
on putting a portion of my fortune at
your disposal; then your existence would

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have been free and happy. But now I am
ruined.”
“I know it, Mr. Fogg,” replied Aouda;
“and I ask you in my turn, will you forgive
me for having followed you, and—who
knows?—for having, perhaps, delayed
you, and thus contributed to your ruin?”
“Madam, you could not remain in
India, and your safety could only be
assured by bringing you to such a distance
that your persecutors could not take you.”
“So, Mr. Fogg,” resumed Aouda, “not
content with rescuing me from a terrible
death, you thought yourself bound to
secure my comfort in a foreign land?”
“Yes, madam; but circumstances have
been against me. Still, I beg to place the
little I have left at your service.”
“But what will become of you, Mr.
Fogg?”
“As for me, madam,” replied the
gentleman, coldly, “I have need of
nothing.”
“But how do you look upon the fate,
sir, which awaits you?”
“As I am in the habit of doing.”
“At least,” said Aouda, “want should
not overtake a man like you. Your
friends—”
“I have no friends, madam.”
“Your relatives—”
“I have no longer any relatives.”
“I pity you, then, Mr. Fogg, for solitude
is a sad thing, with no heart to which to
confide your griefs. They say, though, that
196
misery itself, shared by two sympathetic
souls, may be borne with patience.”
“They say so, madam.”
“Mr. Fogg,” said Aouda, rising and
seizing his hand, “do you wish at once a
kinswoman and friend? Will you have me

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 for your wife?”
Mr. Fogg, at this, rose in his turn.
There was an unwonted light in his
eyes, and a slight trembling of his lips.
Aouda looked into his face. The sincerity,
rectitude, firmness, and sweetness of this
soft glance of a noble woman, who could
dare all to save him to whom she owed
all, at first astonished, then penetrated
him. He shut his eyes for an instant, as if
to avoid her look. When he opened them
again, “I love you!” he said, simply. “Yes,
by all that is holiest, I love you, and I am
entirely yours!”
“Ah!” cried Aouda, pressing his hand
to her heart.
Passepartout was summoned and
appeared immediately. Mr. Fogg still held
Aouda’s hand in his own; Passepartout
understood, and his big, round face
became as radiant as the tropical sun at
its zenith.
Mr. Fogg asked him if it was not too
late to notify the Reverend Samuel Wilson,
of Marylebone parish, that evening.
Passepartout smiled his most genial
smile, and said, “Never too late.”
It was five minutes past eight.
“Will it be for to-morrow, Monday?”
“For to-morrow, Monday,” said Mr.
Fogg, turning to Aouda.
“Yes; for to-morrow, Monday,” she
replied.
Passepartout hurried off as fast as his
legs could carry him.

Detailed Notes on Chapter XXXIV: In Which Phileas Fogg at Last

Reaches London

1. Phileas Fogg’s Arrest and Imprisonment

Setting: Liverpool, England, on December 21st.

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 As soon as Phileas Fogg steps onto English soil, Detective Fix arrests him at the
Liverpool Customs House.

Passepartout reacts angrily, wanting to attack Fix, but is restrained by the police.

Aouda is shocked and devastated, unable to comprehend why such an honest man is
being accused of robbery.

Fix remains indifferent, believing he is just fulfilling his duty, regardless of Fogg’s guilt
or innocence.

Passepartout blames himself, realizing that had he warned Fogg earlier, they might
have avoided this situation.

2. Phileas Fogg’s Reaction and the Time Constraint

Fogg sits calmly and motionless on a wooden bench in his prison cell, showing no
outward emotions.

Internally, no one can tell if he still harbors hope or is planning an escape.

He checks his watch and records the date in his journal: “21st December, Saturday,
Liverpool. 80th day, 11:40 a.m.”

He realizes he still has time: if he can leave immediately, he can reach London before
8:45 p.m., just in time to win the wager.

3. The Revelation and Fix’s Guilt

At 2:33 p.m., a commotion occurs outside the Custom House. Passepartout’s voice is
heard, followed by Fix’s.

Fix enters breathless and reveals that the real bank robber was arrested three days
ago. Fogg is innocent.

Fix apologizes but it is too late—valuable time has been lost.

Fogg, for the first time in his life, reacts emotionally—he punches Fix and knocks him
down.

4. The Race to London

Fogg, Aouda, and Passepartout rush to the train station.

They miss the express train by just 35 minutes.

Fogg orders a special train, offering a high reward to the engineer to reach London in
five and a half hours.

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 Delays along the journey prevent them from making it on time.

When they arrive in London, the city clocks are striking 8:55 p.m.—five minutes too
late.

Fogg has lost the wager.

5. The Aftermath of Fogg’s Defeat

He returns home in silence, having lost his fortune and his reputation.

Passepartout is overwhelmed with guilt, knowing that he indirectly caused Fogg’s

failure.

Aouda and Passepartout refuse to leave Fogg alone, fearing he may do something
drastic.

Meanwhile, Fogg remains calm and composed, though he is now financially ruined.

include these previous notes along with notes on

this:Chapter XXXVI
In which Phileas Fogg’s name is
once more at a premium on ‘change’.
It is time to relate what a change took
place in English public opinion when it
transpired that the real bankrobber, a
certain James Strand, had been arrested,
on the 17th day of December, at Edinburgh.
Three days before, Phileas Fogg had been
a criminal, who was being desperately
followed up by the police; now he was an
honourable gentleman, mathematically
pursuing his eccentric journey round the
world.
The papers resumed their discussion
about the wager; all those who had laid
bets, for or against him, revived their
interest, as if by magic; the “Phileas
Fogg bonds” again became negotiable,
and many new wagers were made.
Phileas Fogg’s name was once more at a
premium on ‘Change.’
His five friends of the Reform Club
passed these three days in a state of
feverish suspense. Would Phileas Fogg,

47/63
whom they had forgotten, reappear
before their eyes! Where was he at this
moment? The 17th of December, the day
of James Strand’s arrest, was the seventysixth since Phileas
Fogg’s departure, and
no news of him had been received. Was
he dead? Had he abandoned the effort, or
was he continuing his journey along the
route agreed upon? And would he appear
on Saturday, the 21st of December, at a
quarter before nine in the evening, on the
threshold of the Reform Club saloon?
The anxiety in which, for three
days, London society existed, cannot be
described. Telegrams were sent to America
197
and Asia for news of Phileas Fogg.
Messengers were dispatched to the house
in Saville Row morning and evening. No
news. The police were ignorant what had
become of the detective, Fix, who had so
unfortunately followed up a false scent.
Bets increased, nevertheless, in number
and value. Phileas Fogg, like a racehorse,
was drawing near his last turning-point.
The bonds were quoted, no longer at
a hundred below par, but at twenty, at
ten, and at five; and paralytic old Lord
Albemarle bet even in his favour.
A great crowd was collected in
Pall Mall and the neighbouring streets
on Saturday evening; it seemed like
a multitude of brokers permanently
established around the Reform Club.
Circulation was impeded, and everywhere
disputes, discussions, and financial
transactions were going on. The police
had great difficulty in keeping back the
crowd, and as the hour when Phileas Fogg
was due approached, the excitement rose
to its highest pitch.
The five antagonists of Phileas Fogg

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had met in the great saloon of the club.
John Sullivan and Samuel Fallentin, the
bankers, Andrew Stuart, the engineer,
Gauthier Ralph, the director of the Bank
of England, and Thomas Flanagan, the
brewer, one and all waited anxiously.
When the clock indicated twenty
minutes past eight, Andrew Stuart got up,
saying, “Gentlemen, in twenty minutes
the time agreed upon between Mr. Fogg
and ourselves will have expired.”
“What time did the last train arrive
from Liverpool?” asked Thomas
Flanagan.
“At twenty-three minutes past seven,”
replied Gauthier Ralph; “and the next does
not arrive till ten minutes after twelve.”
“Well, gentlemen,” resumed Andrew
Stuart, “if Phileas Fogg had come in the
7:23 train, he would have got here by this
time. We can, therefore, regard the bet as
won.”
“Wait; don’t let us be too hasty,”
replied Samuel Fallentin. “You know that
Mr. Fogg is very eccentric. His punctuality
is well known; he never arrives too soon,
or too late; and I should not be surprised if
he appeared before us at the last minute.”
“Why,” said Andrew Stuart nervously,
“if I should see him, I should not believe
it was he.”
“The fact is,” resumed Thomas
Flanagan, “Mr. Fogg’s project was
absurdly foolish. Whatever his
punctuality, he could not prevent the
delays which were certain to occur; and a
delay of only two or three days would be
fatal to his tour.”
“Observe, too,” added John Sullivan,
“that we have received no intelligence
from him, though there are telegraphic
lines all along is route.”

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“He has lost, gentleman,” said
Andrew Stuart, “he has a hundred times
lost! You know, besides, that the China
the only steamer he could have taken
from New York to get here in time
arrived yesterday. I have seen a list of the
passengers, and the name of Phileas Fogg
is not among them. Even if we admit that
fortune has favoured him, he can scarcely
have reached America. I think he will be
at least twenty days behind-hand, and
that Lord Albemarle will lose a cool five
thousand.”
“It is clear,” replied Gauthier Ralph;
“and we have nothing to do but to present
198
Mr. Fogg’s cheque at Barings to-morrow.”
At this moment, the hands of the club
clock pointed to twenty minutes to nine.
“Five minutes more,” said Andrew
Stuart.
The five gentlemen looked at each
other. Their anxiety was becoming
intense; but, not wishing to betray it,
they readily assented to Mr. Fallentin’s
proposal of a rubber.
“I wouldn’t give up my four thousand
of the bet,” said Andrew Stuart, as he took
his seat, “for three thousand nine hundred
and ninety-nine.”
The clock indicated eighteen minutes
to nine.
The players took up their cards, but
could not keep their eyes off the clock.
Certainly, however secure they felt,
minutes had never seemed so long to
them!
“Seventeen minutes to nine,” said
Thomas Flanagan, as he cut the cards
which Ralph handed to him.
Then there was a moment of silence.
The great saloon was perfectly quiet; but

50/63
the murmurs of the crowd outside were
heard, with now and then a shrill cry. The
pendulum beat the seconds, which each
player eagerly counted, as he listened,
with mathematical regularity.
“Sixteen minutes to nine!” said John
Sullivan, in a voice which betrayed his
emotion.
One minute more, and the wager
would be won. Andrew Stuart and his
partners suspended their game. They left
their cards, and counted the seconds.
At the fortieth second, nothing. At the
fiftieth, still nothing.
At the fifty-fifth, a loud cry was
heard in the street, followed by applause,
hurrahs, and some fierce growls.
The players rose from their seats.
“Here I am, gentlemen!”
At the fifty-seventh second the door
of the saloon opened; and the pendulum
had not beat the sixtieth second when
Phileas Fogg appeared, followed by an
excited crowd who had forced their way
through the club doors, and in his calm
voice, said, “Here I am, gentlemen!”
Chapter XXXVII
In which it is shown that Phileas
Fogg gained nothing by his tour around
the world, unless it were happiness Yes;
Phileas Fogg in person.
The reader will remember that at five
minutes past eight in the evening—about
five and twenty hours after the arrival of
the travellers in London—Passepartout
had been sent by his master to engage the
services of the Reverend Samuel Wilson
in a certain marriage ceremony, which
was to take place the next day.
With his hair in disorder, and without
his hat, he ran...
Passepartout went on his errand

51/63
enchanted. He soon reached the
clergyman’s house, but found him not at
home. Passepartout waited a good twenty
minutes, and when he left the reverend
gentleman, it was thirty-five minutes past
eight. But in what a state he was! With
his hair in disorder, and without his hat,
he ran along the street as never man was
seen to run before, overturning passersby, rushing over the
sidewalk like a
waterspout.
In three minutes he was in Saville
199
Row again, and staggered back into Mr.
Fogg’s room.
He could not speak.
“What is the matter?” asked Mr. Fogg.
“My master!” gasped Passepartout—
“marriage—impossible—”
“Impossible?”
“Impossible—for to-morrow.”
“Why so?”
“Because to-morrow—is Sunday!”
“Monday,” replied Mr. Fogg.
“No—to-day is Saturday.”
“Saturday? Impossible!”
“Yes, yes, yes, yes!” cried
Passepartout. “You have made a mistake
of one day! We arrived twenty-four hours
ahead of time; but there are only ten
minutes left!”
Passepartout had seized his master by
the collar, and was dragging him along
with irresistible force.
Phileas Fogg, thus kidnapped,
without having time to think, left his
house, jumped into a cab, promised a
hundred pounds to the cabman, and,
having run over two dogs and overturned
five carriages, reached the Reform Club.
The clock indicated a quarter before
nine when he appeared in the great saloon.

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Phileas Fogg had accomplished the
journey round the world in eighty days!
Phileas Fogg had won his wager of
twenty thousand pounds!
How was it that a man so exact and
fastidious could have made this error
of a day? How came he to think that he
had arrived in London on Saturday, the
twenty-first day of December, when it was
really Friday, the twentieth, the seventyninth day only from
his departure?
The cause of the error is very simple.
Phileas Fogg had, without suspecting
it, gained one day on his journey, and
this merely because he had travelled
constantly eastward; he would, on the
contrary, have lost a day had he gone in
the opposite direction, that is, westward.
In journeying eastward he had gone
towards the sun, and the days therefore
diminished for him as many times four
minutes as he crossed degrees in this
direction. There are three hundred and
sixty degrees on the circumference of the
earth; and these three hundred and sixty
degrees, multiplied by four minutes, gives
precisely twenty-four hours—that is, the
day unconsciously gained. In other words,
while Phileas Fogg, going eastward, saw
the sun pass the meridian eighty times,
his friends in London only saw it pass the
meridian seventy-nine times. This is why
they awaited him at the Reform Club on
Saturday, and not Sunday, as Mr. Fogg
thought.
And Passepartout’s famous family
watch, which had always kept London
time, would have betrayed this fact, if it
had marked the days as well as the hours
and the minutes!
Phileas Fogg, then, had won the
twenty thousand pounds; but, as he had

53/63
spent nearly nineteen thousand on the
way, the pecuniary gain was small. His
object was, however, to be victorious,
and not to win money. He divided the one
thousand pounds that remained between
Passepartout and the unfortunate Fix,
against whom he cherished no grudge. He
deducted, however, from Passepartout’s
share the cost of the gas which had burned
200
in his room for nineteen hundred and
twenty hours, for the sake of regularity.
That evening, Mr. Fogg, as tranquil
and phlegmatic as ever, said to Aouda:
“Is our marriage still agreeable to you?”
“Mr. Fogg,” replied she, “it is for me
to ask that question. You were ruined, but
now you are rich again.”
“Pardon me, madam; my fortune
belongs to you. If you had not suggested
our marriage, my servant would not have
gone to the Reverend Samuel Wilson’s,
I should not have been apprised of my
error, and—”
“Dear Mr. Fogg!” said the young
woman.
“Dear Aouda!” replied Phileas Fogg.
It need not be said that the marriage
took place forty-eight hours after, and that
Passepartout, glowing and dazzling, gave
the bride away. Had he not saved her, and
was he not entitled to this honour?
The next day, as soon as it was light,
Passepartout rapped vigorously at his
master’s door. Mr. Fogg opened it, and
asked, “What’s the matter, Passepartout?”
“What is it, sir? Why, I’ve just this
instant found out—”

“What?”
“That we might have made the tour
of the world in only seventy-eight days.”

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 “No doubt,” returned Mr. Fogg, “by
not crossing India. But if I had not crossed
India, I should not have saved Aouda; she
would not have been my wife, and—”
Mr. Fogg quietly shut the door.
Phileas Fogg had won his wager, and
had made his journey around the world in
eighty days. To do this he had employed
every means of conveyance—steamers,
railways, carriages, yachts, tradingvessels, sledges,
elephants. The eccentric
gentleman had throughout displayed all
his marvellous qualities of coolness and
exactitude. But what then? What had he
really gained by all this trouble? What
had he brought back from this long and
weary journey?
Nothing, say you? Perhaps so; nothing
but a charming woman, who, strange as
it may appear, made him the happiest of
men!
Truly, would you not for less than that
make the tour around the world?

Here are the notes incorporating your previous summaries along with key points from
Chapters 36 and 37:

Around the World in Eighty Days – Summary & Notes

Chapter 1 – Introduction to Phileas Fogg

Phileas Fogg is a wealthy and eccentric English gentleman of mathematical precision

and strict habits.

He lives in Saville Row, London, and is known for his rigid schedule and frequenting the
Reform Club.

Fogg hires a new valet, Passepartout, a lively Frenchman seeking a quiet life after years
of adventure.

Chapter 2 – The Wager

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 At the Reform Club, Fogg and fellow members discuss a recent bank robbery.

A debate ensues about whether one can travel around the world in 80 days.

Fogg bets £20,000 that he can complete the journey within this timeframe.

He immediately departs that evening with Passepartout, leaving London by train.

Chapters 3-35 – The Journey

Europe & Egypt: Fogg and Passepartout swiftly travel through France and reach Suez,
where Detective Fix, believing Fogg to be the bank robber, begins pursuing them.

India: In Bombay, Passepartout unknowingly offends locals by entering a temple with

shoes. In Calcutta, he and Fogg are arrested but escape. They rescue Aouda, a young
Indian woman, from being burned alive in a sati ritual. She joins their journey.

Asia: In Hong Kong, they are separated from Aouda. Passepartout is drugged and
kidnapped by Fix, but they reunite in Japan.

America: A dangerous trek across the U.S.

write slightly detailed

notes on chapter 34-37 of the novel around the earth in 80
days

Detailed Notes on Chapters 34-37

Around the World in Eighty Days – Jules Verne

Chapter 34 – Phileas Fogg at Bay

Phileas Fogg, Aouda, and Passepartout arrive in Liverpool, England, believing they have
successfully completed their journey.

However, just as they step onto English soil, Detective Fix arrests Fogg for the alleged
bank robbery.

Fogg is taken to a police station and locked up, causing a significant delay.

Passepartout and Aouda are devastated; they try to convince Fix that the real robber
must have been caught.

After two hours, Fix learns that the actual thief, James Strand, was arrested in Edinburgh.

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 Realizing his mistake, Fix releases Fogg and apologizes, but the damage is done—Fogg
has missed the train to London.

Fogg, usually calm, is now furious. However, he quickly hires a special train to London,
determined to reach the Reform Club on time.

Chapter 35 – The Race to London

Fogg's private train speeds toward London, but despite his efforts, he arrives five
minutes too late.

At 8:50 PM on December 21, he reaches his home in Saville Row, believing he has lost
the wager.

Completely disheartened, Fogg locks himself in his room, refusing to see anyone.

Passepartout blames himself for the delay, believing his past mistakes (such as being
tricked by Fix in Hong Kong) led to their failure.

Aouda, sensing Fogg’s despair, tells him that she cares for him and asks if he would still
like to marry her despite losing his fortune.

Fogg, touched by her words, agrees, deciding to visit Reverend Samuel Wilson the next
morning to arrange their marriage.

Chapter 36 – Phileas Fogg’s Name is Once More at a Premium on

‘Change’
Meanwhile, public opinion in London shifts dramatically when news spreads that the real
bank robber, James Strand, was arrested on December 17.

This clears Fogg of all suspicions, and the city becomes obsessed with whether he will
complete his journey.

At the Reform Club, Fogg’s betting rivals—John Sullivan, Samuel Fallentin, Andrew Stuart,
Gauthier Ralph, and Thomas Flanagan—debate whether he will appear before the
deadline.

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 The excitement outside the club is immense, with large crowds gathering in Pall Mall to
witness the outcome.

Inside, as the club clock ticks towards 9:00 PM, the gentlemen grow increasingly
confident that Fogg has lost.

At 8:55 PM, just as they prepare to claim victory, a commotion is heard outside.

At exactly 8:59 PM, Phileas Fogg dramatically enters the club and calmly announces,
“Here I am, gentlemen.”

He has won the wager!

Chapter 37 – What Fogg Gained from His Journey

The final chapter reveals the twist: Passepartout had mistakenly thought it was Sunday,
but in reality, it was still Saturday.

Since they traveled eastward, they gained a full day due to the time zone differences—a
fact Fogg had overlooked.

Passepartout had rushed to inform Fogg, who then hurried to the Reform Club just in
time.

Fogg wins the £20,000 wager but has spent nearly £19,000 on the journey. His financial
gain is small.

However, he values something more—his love for Aouda.

Fogg proposes again, and she happily accepts.

He divides the remaining £1,000 between Passepartout and even Detective Fix, showing
no bitterness.

Passepartout later realizes that had they not crossed India, they could have finished the
journey in just 78 days.

Fogg, however, states that if they had done that, he would never have met Aouda.

The novel ends with the conclusion that, though Fogg did not win much money, he
found happiness and love—something far more valuable.

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Final Thoughts on Chapters 34-37
These chapters contain the climax and resolution of the novel, highlighting themes of
fate, perseverance, and love.

The time zone twist is a clever narrative device, reinforcing the novel’s focus on precision
and timekeeping.

Fogg’s character transformation is complete—from a cold, mathematical man to

someone who values human connections.

In the end, the journey was not about money but about discovering what truly mattered
in life.

Would you like a thematic analysis as well?

yes and include the thematic analysis with these notes in a

final prompt

Detailed Notes and Thematic Analysis of Chapters 34-37

Around the World in Eighty Days – Jules Verne

Detailed Notes
Chapter 34 – Phileas Fogg at Bay
Fogg, Aouda, and Passepartout arrive in Liverpool, believing they have completed the
journey.

Detective Fix arrests Fogg just as they land, still believing he is the bank robber.

Fogg is locked up, causing a major delay, while Passepartout and Aouda are devastated.

Two hours later, Fix learns the real criminal, James Strand, was caught in Edinburgh.

Realizing his mistake, Fix releases Fogg and apologizes, but it’s too late—the last train to
London has already departed.

Determined, Fogg hires a special train to make it to London on time.

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Chapter 35 – The Race to London
Despite all efforts, Fogg arrives in London five minutes late at 8:50 PM on December 21.

Believing he has lost the wager, he returns home and isolates himself in despair.

Passepartout feels immense guilt, thinking his past mistakes contributed to their failure.

Aouda comforts Fogg and expresses her love, asking if he still wishes to marry her.

Fogg, deeply moved, agrees and decides to visit Reverend Samuel Wilson the next
morning to arrange their marriage.

Chapter 36 – Phileas Fogg’s Name is Once More at a Premium on

‘Change’
News spreads in London that James Strand was caught, clearing Fogg’s name.

Public interest in the wager is reignited, and people anxiously await his return.

At the Reform Club, Fogg’s betting rivals—John Sullivan, Samuel Fallentin, Andrew Stuart,
Gauthier Ralph, and Thomas Flanagan—debate his fate.

A massive crowd gathers outside the club, eager to witness the outcome.

The club clock ticks down—at 8:55 PM, Fogg is still missing.

Just as the wager is about to be claimed by his rivals, Fogg dramatically arrives at 8:59
PM and announces, “Here I am, gentlemen.”

Fogg has won the bet!

Chapter 37 – What Fogg Gained from His Journey

Passepartout realizes a crucial mistake: they gained an extra day by traveling
eastward!

Since they moved toward the sun, they crossed the International Date Line
unknowingly and gained 24 hours.

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 Thinking it was Sunday, they believed they were late, but in reality, they arrived on
Saturday—the correct day.

Passepartout rushes to tell Fogg, and they make it to the Reform Club just in time.

Fogg wins the £20,000 wager but has spent £19,000 on the journey, leaving little
financial gain.

However, his journey led him to love—he proposes to Aouda, and she accepts.

Fogg generously shares his remaining money with Passepartout and even Fix,
showing no resentment.

Passepartout later realizes they could have completed the trip in 78 days if they had not
gone through India.

Fogg, however, does not regret the detour—it allowed him to save Aouda and find
happiness.

The novel ends with the message that Fogg did not just win a bet—he won
something far more valuable: love and happiness.

Thematic Analysis
1. Time and Precision vs. Fate and Fortune
Fogg meticulously follows a strict schedule, yet fate constantly interferes.

Ironically, the one time he stops calculating time (his misunderstanding of the date),
fate rewards him.

The novel suggests that while planning and precision are important, fate and luck also
play a role in success.

2. Transformation of Phileas Fogg

Fogg starts as a cold, emotionless man whose only goal is to win a wager.

Over the journey, he learns the value of human relationships, love, and adventure.

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 His generosity at the end—sharing his money and forgiving Fix—shows his emotional
growth.

The final line suggests that love and happiness are more important than wealth.

3. Colonialism and Travel

The novel reflects 19th-century British imperialism, as Fogg's journey depends on
British-controlled territories.

The use of trains, steamers, and modern transportation highlights how industrial
advancements made global travel possible.

However, the novel romanticizes colonialism without deeply questioning its impact on
local cultures.

4. Adventure and Perseverance

The novel celebrates the human spirit of adventure and determination.

Despite obstacles—storms, delays, arrests—Fogg never gives up, adapting to each

situation.

His perseverance pays off in an unexpected way—not just winning the bet, but
finding love.

5. The Role of Companionship

Fogg starts alone but gains meaningful relationships with Passepartout and Aouda.

Passepartout’s loyalty and quick thinking ultimately save the wager.

Aouda’s love completes Fogg’s character transformation.

The novel suggests that true success is not in solitude, but in companionship.

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Final Thoughts
Chapters 34-37 bring the novel’s themes full circle, highlighting fate, perseverance,
and love.

Fogg’s realization—that happiness matters more than money—is the novel’s ultimate
message.

While Fogg wins the wager, his real victory is finding love and purpose.

**The story’s final question asks readers: Would you travel ●

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