Journey to the Center of the Earth: Part 2

Journey to the Center of the Earth

by Jules Verne



          As you know from my last post, I have been reading the science fiction novel Journey to the Center of the Earth and hve beenthinking about the characters of Axel Lidenbrock and his uncle Professor Lidenbrock.  As I am finished with the book now, I am amazed at their incredibly dangerous and unbelievable journey as they descend deeper into the depths of the earth.

          Throughout the book, Axel and the professor debate over their journey showing differing points of view and clarifying their characters.  At one point, Axel and Lidenbrock venture some way into the prehistoric forest, where Professor Lidenbrock points out in a shaky voice, a prehistoric human leaning against a tree and watching a head of mastodons.  Axel cannot be sure if he has really seen the man or not and he and the professor debate over whether or not this kind of civilization existed underground.

          Again their differences come out as they continue their journey exploring the coastline, and find a passageway marked by Saknussem where they find it blocked by a recent cave-in.  Hans and the professor are greatly disturbed at not being able to hack their way through the granite wall.  Axel goes along cautiously and with great concern as they plan to blast the rock with gun cotton and paddle out to sea to escape the blast. Axel, being the practical one, knows that if anything goes wrong, the rock could capsize  their raft and they would be done for.  They do come together as they realize that behind the rock fall was a bottomless pit, not a passage to the center of the earth.

          At the very end of the book, Professor Lidenbrock is forced to see things for what they really are.  Both he and the practical Axel realize why their compass was behaving strangely after their journey on the raft where they escape a geyser-acting volcanic chimnney.  They both realize that the needle of the compass was pointing the wrong way after being struck by an electric fireball.  While the professor had some regret that their journey was cut short, Axel is thankful for the experiences, challenges and grateful to be reunited with his fiance and life in Hamburg, Germany.