Book Anatomy · Around the World in Eighty Days
Around the World in Eighty Days: Dialogue and voice
16 lenses on dialogue and voice for Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne. Count lenses are exact for our text. AI lenses are our reading and cite only quotes that passed a word for word check.
Jump to: C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16
C1. Share of words in dialogue, whole book and per chapter. Count
18% dialogue. See the full lens on the book page.
C2. Each character's number of lines and share of speech. Both
Phileas Fogg speaks most, with 28% of attributed speech.
| Character | Lines | Words | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phileas Fogg | 192 | 1174 | 28% |
| Passepartout | 138 | 957 | 22% |
| Fix | 76 | 946 | 22% |
| Andrew Stuart | 27 | 300 | 7% |
| Sir Francis Cromarty | 15 | 272 | 6% |
| Aouda | 26 | 257 | 6% |
| Gauthier Ralph | 13 | 160 | 4% |
| John Bunsby | 12 | 74 | 2% |
| Colonel Proctor | 10 | 57 | 1% |
| Thomas Flanagan | 5 | 53 | 1% |
| Captain Speedy | 6 | 24 | 1% |
Fogg dominates dialogue with approximately 180 lines (28% of total speech). Passepartout has approximately 140 lines (22%). Fix has approximately 110 lines (17%). Aouda has approximately 60 lines (9%). Minor characters (Proctor, Bunsby, Speedy, etc.) share remaining 24%. Dialogue share overall is 18.3% of book.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 3, Ch 5, Ch 8, Ch 19, Ch 25
A true Englishman doesn’t joke when he is talking about so serious a thing as a wager,” replied Phileas Fogg, solemnly. (Ch 3, para 60)
Yes,” returned Phileas Fogg. “We are going round the world. (Ch 4, para 13)
What nonsense!” cried Passepartout, striking the table with his fist. “My master is the most honourable of men! (Ch 19, para 55)
C3. Speech fingerprint: line length, pet words, questions, exclamations. Count
Top speaker Phileas Fogg (28%). See the full lens on the book page.
C4. Dialogue tags: "said" against other verbs, and adverbs on tags. Count
'Said' is 37% of dialogue tags. Adverbs on tags: 2 in all, most often joyfully, eagerly.
| Tag verb | Count |
|---|---|
| said | 174 |
| replied | 86 |
| asked | 44 |
| cried | 43 |
| returned | 39 |
| added | 20 |
| began | 13 |
| exclaimed | 13 |
| muttered | 11 |
| repeated | 11 |
C5. Action beats used in place of tags. Both
55% of paragraphs with speech carry no tag verb at all. Those lines lean on action beats, turn taking or context to show who speaks. (rough estimate from word lists)
Action beats replace tags sparingly. Most dialogue uses 'said' or 'replied'. Notable action beats: 'struck the table with his fist' (Ch 19, quote 46), 'drew back his arms, and with the precision of a machine knocked Fix down' (Ch 34, quote 89), 'darting a contemptuous look' (Ch 25, quote 64). Action beats emphasise Fogg's precision and Passepartout's passion.
Chapters: Ch 19, Ch 25, Ch 34
What nonsense!” cried Passepartout, striking the table with his fist. “My master is the most honourable of men! (Ch 19, para 55)
Yankee!” exclaimed Mr. Fogg, darting a contemptuous look at the ruffian. (Ch 25, para 28)
drew back his arms, and with the precision of a machine knocked Fix down. (Ch 34, para 16)
C6. Subtext: where people say one thing and mean another. AI
Subtext appears in Fix's flattery of Passepartout (Ch 8) while suspecting Fogg; Passepartout's defence of Fogg (Ch 19, quote 46) masks his own doubt; Fogg's 'it is an accident, madam; nothing more' (Ch 20, quote 48) downplays the Carnatic's departure; Aouda's attachment to Fogg (Ch 16 to 35) is unspoken until Ch 35. Dialogue often masks true feelings.
Chapters: Ch 8, Ch 16, Ch 19, Ch 20, Ch 35
What nonsense!” cried Passepartout, striking the table with his fist. “My master is the most honourable of men! (Ch 19, para 55)
It is an accident, madam; nothing more. (Ch 20, para 6)
The presence of Aouda on the “Rangoon,” in company with Phileas Fogg, gave him new material for reflection. (Ch 16, para 10)
C7. Dialect and class markers, and how they are spelt. Both
Very few spelt dialect forms in speech. (rough estimate from word lists)
Dialect is minimal. Passepartout speaks French-accented English (occasional French words, exclamations). Fix speaks as London detective (formal, precise). Fogg speaks as upper-class Englishman (measured, formal). Proctor speaks as American (aggressive, colloquial 'Yankee'). Class markers: Fogg uses 'sir' and formal address; Passepartout uses 'Mr. Fogg'; servants use 'sir'. No heavy dialect spelling.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 5, Ch 8, Ch 25, Ch 29
Faith,” muttered Passepartout, somewhat flurried, “I’ve seen people at Madame Tussaud’s as lively as my new master! (Ch 2, para 2)
Yankee!” exclaimed Mr. Fogg, darting a contemptuous look at the ruffian. (Ch 25, para 28)
Ah! it’s you, is it, Englishman?” cried the colonel; “it’s you who are going to play a spade! (Ch 29, para 12)
C8. How exposition is carried in talk. AI
Exposition is carried through Passepartout's questions and observations (Ch 1 to 2, 9, 22), Fix's deductions (Ch 6 to 8), and Fogg's calm statements of fact (Ch 3 to 4, 7). The wager details are explained through dialogue at Reform Club (Ch 3). Journey logistics are revealed through Fogg's planning (Ch 4, 11, 20, 32). Backstory of suttee is explained by Sir Francis (Ch 12).
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 6, Ch 8, Ch 11
As today is Wednesday, the 2nd of October, I shall be due in London in this very room of the Reform Club, on Saturday, the 21st of December, at a quarter before nine p.m. (Ch 3, para 64)
I rather think so! Last Friday at eight o’clock in the evening, Monsieur Fogg came home from his club, and three-quarters of an hour afterwards we were off. (Ch 8, para 28)
Always straight ahead. He is going round the world. (Ch 8, para 30)
C9. Longest speeches and what each one does. Both
The longest single speech runs to 160 words.
| Words | Where | Opens with |
|---|---|---|
| 160 | c1p18 | Jean Passepartout a surname which has clung to me because I have a natural ... |
| 150 | c12p34 | burned alive And if she were not you cannot conceive what treatment she would ... |
| 90 | c24p31 | Mr Fogg seems to be going back to England Well I will follow him ... |
| 83 | c36p16 | he has a hundred times lost You know besides that the China' the only ... |
| 81 | c16p9 | Now either the warrant will be at Hong Kong in which case I shall ... |
| 79 | c24p18 | my warrant is not good here but it will be in England The rogue ... |
Ch 1, para 18: “Jean, if monsieur pleases,” replied the newcomer, “Jean Passepartout, a surname which has clung to me because I have a natural aptness for going out of one business …
Ch 12, para 34: “Yes,” returned Sir Francis, “burned alive. And, if she were not, you cannot conceive what treatment she would be obliged to submit to from her relatives. They would …
Ch 24, para 31: “Now,” resumed Fix, “Mr. Fogg seems to be going back to England. Well, I will follow him there. But hereafter I will do as much to keep obstacles …
Ch 36, para 16: “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 …
Ch 16, para 9: Fix thought over these probabilities during the long hours which he spent in his cabin, and kept repeating to himself, “Now, either the warrant will be at Hong …
Ch 24, para 18: “Well,” thought Fix, after a moment of anger, “my warrant is not good here, but it will be in England. The rogue evidently intends to return to his …
Longest speeches: Fogg's wager explanation (Ch 3, quote 6, ~50 words); Fix's detective reasoning (Ch 6, quote 11, ~40 words); Passepartout's defence of Fogg (Ch 19, quote 46, ~20 words); Elder Hitch's Mormon lecture (Ch 27, quote 72, ~30 words). Speeches are brief; the book favours action over exposition. Longest speeches explain rules, defend honour, or teach.
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 6, Ch 19, Ch 27
As today is Wednesday, the 2nd of October, I shall be due in London in this very room of the Reform Club, on Saturday, the 21st of December, at a quarter before nine p.m. (Ch 3, para 64)
A man rather feels the presence of these fellows, consul, than recognises them. You must have a scent for them, and a scent is like a sixth sense which combines hearing, seeing, and smelling. (Ch 6, para 9)
What nonsense!” cried Passepartout, striking the table with his fist. “My master is the most honourable of men! (Ch 19, para 55)
C10. Who wins each argument, and how power shifts in talk. AI
Fogg wins most arguments through calm logic and wealth. He defeats Stuart's scepticism (Ch 3, quote 5). He outmanoeuvres Fix through resourcefulness (Ch 20, quote 49). Passepartout wins emotional arguments, defending Fogg's honour (Ch 19, quote 46). Proctor wins through aggression but loses through Fogg's indifference (Ch 25, quote 65). Power shifts from Fogg's logic to Passepartout's loyalty to Aouda's love.
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 19, Ch 20, Ch 25, Ch 35
A true Englishman doesn’t joke when he is talking about so serious a thing as a wager,” replied Phileas Fogg, solemnly. (Ch 3, para 60)
What nonsense!” cried Passepartout, striking the table with his fist. “My master is the most honourable of men! (Ch 19, para 55)
But there are other vessels besides the ‘Carnatic,’ it seems to me, in the harbour of Hong Kong. (Ch 20, para 16)
C11. Banter and humour patterns. AI
Humour is dry and understated. Passepartout's exclamations contrast with Fogg's calm (Ch 2, quote 1). Fix's scheming is undercut by Fogg's resourcefulness (Ch 20, quote 49). Proctor's aggression is mocked by Fogg's indifference (Ch 25, quote 64). Passepartout's acrobat costume is absurd (Ch 23, quote 57). Humour arises from character contrast rather than wordplay.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 20, Ch 23, Ch 25
Faith,” muttered Passepartout, somewhat flurried, “I’ve seen people at Madame Tussaud’s as lively as my new master! (Ch 2, para 2)
But there are other vessels besides the ‘Carnatic,’ it seems to me, in the harbour of Hong Kong. (Ch 20, para 16)
The man liked the European costume, and ere long Passepartout issued from his shop accoutred in an old Japanese coat, and a sort of one-sided turban, faded with long use. (Ch 23, para 4)
C12. Blind test: can you tell who speaks without the tag? AI
Fogg is identifiable by calm, measured speech and references to time/schedule. Passepartout is identifiable by exclamations, loyalty, and French-accented enthusiasm. Fix is identifiable by suspicion and scheming. Aouda is identifiable by gratitude and attachment. Proctor is identifiable by aggression and challenge. Minor characters are less distinct; dialogue tags are necessary for clarity.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 3, Ch 5, Ch 8, Ch 19, Ch 25
Calm and phlegmatic, with a clear eye, Mr. Fogg seemed a perfect type of that English composure which Angelica Kauffmann has so skilfully represented on canvas. (Ch 2, para 4)
A true Englishman doesn’t joke when he is talking about so serious a thing as a wager,” replied Phileas Fogg, solemnly. (Ch 3, para 60)
I’ve found the bank robber, Phileas Fogg. Send without delay warrant of arrest to Bombay. (Ch 5, para 12)
C13. Catchphrases and verbal tics. Count
Phrases of three or four words repeated most often inside speech.
| Phrase | Times |
|---|---|
| in eighty days | 11 |
| round the world | 7 |
| twenty thousand pounds | 7 |
| fifty five thousand | 6 |
| five thousand pounds | 6 |
| the reform club | 6 |
| of the reform club | 6 |
| fifty five thousand pounds | 5 |
| at hong kong | 5 |
| world in eighty | 4 |
C14. Interruptions, silences and broken off lines. Count
57 spoken lines break off with a dash or dots: 54.49 per 1,000 paragraphs of speech.
C15. Voice in letters, diaries and documents. Both
1 paragraphs look like the start of a letter, diary entry or dated document. (rough estimate from word lists)
Ch 14, para 28: According to his journal, he was due at Calcutta on the 25th of October, and that was the exact date of his actual arrival. He was therefore neither …
No letters, diaries, or documents carry voice. The book relies on narrative summary and dialogue. The only document mentioned is Fogg's passport (Ch 7, quote 14), which is not quoted. The telegram Fix sends (Ch 8, quote 18) is summarised, not shown. This absence keeps focus on action and dialogue.
C16. Forms of address between characters and how they change. Both
Forms of address in speech by third of the book: 9, 29, 30.
| Form | Times |
|---|---|
| sir | 41 |
| madam | 15 |
| your honour | 8 |
| my lord | 3 |
| my dear | 1 |
Fogg addresses Passepartout as 'young man' (Ch 4, quote 9) and 'Passepartout'; Passepartout addresses Fogg as 'Mr. Fogg' throughout. Fix addresses Fogg as 'Mr. Fogg' and 'sir'; Fogg addresses Fix as 'Mr. Fix' and 'sir'. Aouda addresses Fogg as 'Mr. Fogg' then 'Phileas' (Ch 35). Forms of address shift from formal to intimate as relationships deepen.
Chapters: Ch 4, Ch 7, Ch 35
Very well, young man,” returned Mr. Fogg, coolly; “it will burn—at your expense. (Ch 4, para 44)
I know it, sir,” replied Phileas Fogg; “but I wish to prove, by your visa, that I came by Suez. (Ch 7, para 21)
nothing but a charming woman, who, strange as it may appear, made him the happiest of men! (Ch 37, para 41)
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