Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days
Jules Verne’s 19th century novel about the travels of the “eclectic” Phileas Fogg at first seems a quick read, an adventurous tale written in a light-hearted vernacular. Yet a close reading of passages, such as the paragraph at the beginning of chapter two, reveals more complex, latent themes amidst the pages of such “mass” fiction. An analysis of one passage in particular1 [1] suggests that this classic novel has little to do with travel, adventure and love, but rather that it makes a statement about the human condition. Fogg’s famous eighty-day challenge seems only a vessel, a means of transportation, to mask and guide his own inward journey.
Verne’s earliest portrayals of Fogg reveal some of his peculiarities: an unnatural fixation on following routing and being on time, as well as meticulous attention for detail.2 [2] Yet Fogg’s apparent obsession with exactitude denies him any hint of individuality.
According to Verne, Fogg is “so exact that he [is] never in a hurry”, “[makes] no superfluous gestures”, and “[is] never seen to be moved or agitated”.3 [3] He meticulously reads two papers each day without comment, avoids both confrontation and agreement, and is at once mysterious and predictable. Phileas Fogg seems, therefore, to exist in such a state of mediocrity and liminality, lacking defining or distinctive characteristics, that prior to accepting the challenge, he would fade from the reader’s view. Verne’s poetic prose further highlight Fogg’s early banality:
“Phileas Fogg was indeed exactitude personified, and this was betrayed even in the expression of his very hands and feet… the limbs themselves are expressive of the passions.” (Verne 14)
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...ons do not match on a word-for-word basis. This is the passage as it appears in my versions:
“Phileas Fogg was indeed exactitude personified, and this was betrayed even in the expression of his very hands and feet; for in men, as well as in animals, the limbs themselves are expression of the passions.
He was so exact that he was never in a hurry, was always ready, and was economical in both steps and his motions. He never took one step too many, and always went to his destination by the shortest way; he made no superfluous gestures, and was never seen to be moved or agitated. He was the most deliberate person in the world, yet always arrived on time.
He lived alone, and so to speak, outside of every social relation; and as he knew that in this world there must be friction, and since friction slows things down, he never rubbed against anybody.” (Verne 14-15)
According to ASHA Evidence Based Practice is the combination of clinical expertise opinion, data, and patient’s perspectives, with the goal of providing high-quality services (2013). The process of evidence-based practice consists of formulating a research question, collecting evidence, including views, and then evaluating the entire process. This project introduces the research topic I’ve chosen, which identifies a researchable problem, and formulates an answerable question that is relevant to nursing and evidence-based practice.
Murphy, B. & Shirley J. The Literary Encyclopedia. [nl], August 31, 2004. Available at: http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2326. Access on: 22 Aug 2010.
According to Sackett, (1996) evidence–based medicine is the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about patient care. Straus, Richardson, Glasziou, & Haynes (2005, p. 1) described evidence-based practice (EBP) as “the integration of the best research evidence with clinical expertise and unique patient values and circumstances.” According to Straus et al, (2005, p.3) those practicing evidence based medicine must follow five specific steps: a) Include the need for data into an answerable question, b) Track down the best evidence, c) Critically appraise the evidence for validity, impact, and application, d) Integrate the critical appraisal into clinical practice, and e) Evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of implementing steps a-e-and seek ways to improve them. Subsequently, without current best evidence, clinical practice cam become out-dated to the detriment of patients, this is an untenable circumstance and one which should never be allowed to happen.
Verne, Jules. "Jules Verne at Home." Twentieth Century Literary Criticism: Volume 6. Detroit, Michigan: Book Tower, 1982. 522. Print.
Schmidt, A.V C. "'Latent Content' and 'The Testimony in the Text': Symbolic Meaning in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." Oxford University Press 38.150 (1987): 145-68. JSTOR. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
Research is a systematic process that ultimately leads to the development of new knowledge and solutions to problems or questions (Adams, 2012). Evidence-based practice is the use of the best scientific evidence available to support clinical decisions when caring for individuals or groups of patients (Santos, Pimenta, & Nobre, 2007). The connection between research and evidence-based practice is derived from the fact that nurses use solutions found in research to validate and refine existing nursing knowledge. As a result, nursing practice is impacted. (Adams, 2012). In addition, the goal for conducting nursing research is not only to improve patient outcomes, but also to provide credibility to the nursing profession through evidence-based practice (Adams, 2012). Therefore, research provides the foundation for the develo...
Greenblatt, Stephen, and M. H. Abrams. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 9th ed. Vol. A. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. Print
In the article, Promoting Evidence-Based Practice Through A Research Training Program For Point Of Care Clinicians, the authors state that evidence based practice is, “a problem-solving approach to clinical care that incorporates the conscious use of current best practice from well-designed studies, clinician’s expertise, and patient values and preferences” (Black, Balneaves, Garossino, Puyat, Qian, 2015, p.14). The nursing student should use evidence-based practice in order to make decisions about the patient's care plan. Using evidence-based practice while deciding how to appropriately care for a patient will ensure that the nursing student is using the most effective and current techniques. The nursing student should also use this standard to guarantee that they are providing the best care possible while still honoring the patient’s values and
Jules Verne is a man who became very successful in doing what he loved, Verne may have experienced betrayal in his family and fought against sickness at old age, but he never stopped doing what he admired. In those rough phases in his life, he overcame the challenges and had an amazing journey doing what he did best. Verne was a scientific author, his books always amazed his audience because he made the impossible seem possible. He has always been passionate about his work and continued to bewilder people's minds with his astonishing writing. In this essay, there will be an incite on Verne's childhood,his accomplishments, and the legacy he left behind.
In the nineteenth, it seemed impossible to circumnavigate the world in only 80 days. That is, however, exactly what Phileas Fogg did in Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days. This novel follows the journey of the eccentric Englishman Phileas Fogg as he races around the world on a bet. Accompanied by his faithful servant, Passepartout, and a scheming detective, Fix, he encounters many challenges he must overcome in order to return in time. In Around the World in Eighty Days, Jules Verne demonstrates the increased industrialization of the nineteenth century, while also exploring the growing movements of nationalism and imperialism.
Abrams, M.H. and Greenblatt, Stephen eds. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Seventh Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2001.
The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Sixth Edition Volume1. Ed. M.H.Abrams. New York: W.W.Norton and Company, Inc., 1993.
Abrams, MH, et al. Eds. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1993.
In the final scene of Othello, the hero, with that utter lack of self-consciousness of self-criticism which is the height of human vanity, strikes a heroic attitude, makes an eloquent plea for himself, at the height of his eloquence stabs himself – and the innocent spectator feels a lump in his throat or dissolves in te...
Schoell, William. Remarkable Journeys: The Story of Jules Verne. 1st. Greensboro, NC: Morgan Reynolds Publishing, 2002. Print.