Journey to the Center of the Earth story
Journey to the Center of the Earth (French: Voyage au centre de la Terre), also translated with the variant titles A Journey to the Centre of the Earth and A Journey into the Interior of the Earth), is a classic science fiction novel by Jules Verne. It was first published in French in 1864, then reissued in 1867 in a revised and expanded edition. Professor Otto Lidenbrock is the tale's central figure, an eccentric German scientist who believes there are volcanic tubes that reach to the very center of the earth. He, his nephew Axel, and their Icelandic guide Hans rappel into Iceland's celebrated inactive volcano Snæfellsjökull, then contend with many dangers, including cave-ins, subpolar tornadoes, an underground ocean, and living prehistoric creatures from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. (The 1867 revised edition inserted additional prehistoric material in Chaps. 37–39.) Eventually the three explorers are spewed back to the surface by an active volcano, Stromboli, in southern Italy.
29 total · 1 choice · 11 major · 17 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| travel into the Earth | choice | The whole story is about a trio of intrepid explorers who trek down old lava tubes to ultimately reach the center of the Earth. |
| academic occupation | major | Professor Lidenbrock was a stereotypical oblivious German academic who was interested solely in advancing science by disproving the prevailing theory that the Earth had an intense source of heat at its center. |
| geology | major | Professor Lidenbrock and his party commented upon numerous geological features on their trek down to the center of the Earth: Lidenbrock (and to a lesser extent Alex) relatively dated the geological strata they were passing through and examined their fossil contents, discussed about various minerals, entertained two opposing theories of what lay beneath the Earth, etc. |
| Hollow Earth | major | Professor Lidenbrock and his party pointedly proved wrong the prevailing theory that the Earth had a central source of intense heat by the simple expedient of trekking down the lava tubes of an extinct volcano all the way to the center of the planet. |
| human character | major | The party guide Hans was portrayed as a stoic Scandinavian to the extreme. |
| human vs. speculative environment | major | Professor Lidenbrock, his nephew Alex, and their stoic Icelandic guide Hans contended with all types of dangers as they trekked down through an extinct volcano to the center of the Earth: they survived cave-ins, privation, tornadoes, a perilous voyage on a vast subsurface ocean, and an encounter with a prehistoric sea creature, among other things. [underground, prehistoric] |
| isolated prehistoric land | major | The party discovered a primeval region deep inside the Earth that was replete with prehistoric forests, creatures, and even hominids. In particular, the observed carboniferous-era vegetation, dinosaurs, and a prehistoric humanoid more than twelve feet in height who was watching over a herd of mastodons. |
| risk taking vs. playing it safe | major | Professor Lidenbrock single-mindedly insisted that the party take big risks at every turn in an effort to reach the center of the Earth, while his nephew Alex constantly countered him with suggestions to take the cautious route - or else return home the same way they came. |
| scientist occupation | major | The trained geologist Professor Lidenbrock and his nephew protégé Alex were in their element as they explored the bowels of the Earth. |
| the thirst for knowledge | major | Professor Lidenbrock was driven by a desire to discover what lurked deep beneath the surface of the Earth. On the journey down, he comported himself in a single-minded and at times reckless manner so that he might satisfy his burning curiosity. |