Book Anatomy · Around the World in Eighty Days
Around the World in Eighty Days: Story and structure
20 lenses on story and structure 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: A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 A10 A11 A12 A13 A14 A15 A16 A17 A18 A19 A20
A1. Where do the big beats fall as a % of the book: inciting incident, midpoint, low point, climax? Both
Midpoint at about 46% (Ch 19). See the full lens on the book page.
A2. What is the inciting incident and how many words in does it land? Both
The inciting incident is Fogg's wager at the Reform Club in Chapter 3, where he stakes twenty thousand pounds to travel around the world in eighty days. It lands at approximately 9,474 words into the 63,208-word book.
Chapters: Ch 3
In eighty days,” interrupted Phileas Fogg. (Ch 3, para 27)
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)
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)
A3. How many acts or parts, and how long is each? Both
No named parts or acts in the text. The book runs as one sequence of 37 chapters; any act shape is our reading (see beats).
The book has no named parts or acts. It is a single continuous narrative of 37 chapters spanning the entire eighty-day journey, with no structural division into acts.
A4. Scene log: goal, conflict and outcome for every scene. AI
37 chapters logged. See the full lens on the book page.
A5. Which scenes shift a value (safe to unsafe, love to hate) and which stay flat? AI
Scenes shift values throughout: Fogg moves from detached to loving (Chapters 12 to 37), Passepartout from uncertain to loyal (Chapters 1 to 13), and Fix from antagonist to ally (Chapters 5 to 33). Most chapters advance the wager tension; few are purely flat, though Chapters 2, 9, 26, 27 offer quieter observation.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 12, Ch 13, Ch 19, Ch 23
His master’s idea charmed him; he perceived a heart, a soul, under that icy exterior. He began to love Phileas Fogg. (Ch 13, para 3)
What nonsense!” cried Passepartout, striking the table with his fist. “My master is the most honourable of men! (Ch 19, para 55)
I will find him, living or dead,” said he quietly to Aouda. (Ch 30, para 6)
A6. What changes at the midpoint and how does the lead's plan change? AI
At the midpoint (Chapter 19), Fix drugs Passepartout to prevent him warning Fogg of the Carnatic's early departure. Fogg's plan shifts from rail to sea: he charters the Tankadere to Shanghai instead, showing resourcefulness over rigid schedule-following.
Chapters: Ch 19, Ch 20
At last!” said Fix, seeing Passepartout unconscious. “Mr. Fogg will not be informed of the ‘Carnatic’s’ departure; and, if he is, he will have to go without this cursed Frenchman! (Ch 19, para 71)
But there are other vessels besides the ‘Carnatic,’ it seems to me, in the harbour of Hong Kong. (Ch 20, para 16)
John Bunsby, master, at length gave the order to start, and the “Tankadere,” taking the wind under her brigantine, foresail, and standing-jib, bounded briskly forward over the waves. (Ch 20, para 73)
A7. How do the subplots weave? Thread map by chapter. Both
6 threads. See the full lens on the book page.
A8. Setups and payoffs: what is planted, where, and where it pays off. AI
8 setups traced. See the full lens on the book page.
A9. How many try and fail cycles before the goal is met? AI
Fogg faces approximately twelve major obstacles: incomplete railway (Chapter 11), suttee rescue (Chapters 12 to 13), arrest in Calcutta (Chapter 15), storm delays (Chapter 17), Carnatic departure (Chapter 19), Proctor feud (Chapters 25, 28 to 29), Sioux attack (Chapter 29), coal shortage (Chapter 33), arrest at Liverpool (Chapter 34), and time miscalculation (Chapter 34). Each is overcome through money, luck, or determination.
Chapters: Ch 11, Ch 12, Ch 15, Ch 17, Ch 19, Ch 25
Such a delay would not have deranged my plans in the least,” said Mr. Fogg. “I have constantly foreseen the likelihood of certain obstacles. (Ch 11, para 7)
At two thousand pounds the Indian yielded. (Ch 11, para 48)
But there are other vessels besides the ‘Carnatic,’ it seems to me, in the harbour of Hong Kong. (Ch 20, para 16)
A10. How do the stakes rise chapter by chapter? AI
Stakes rise through accumulating obstacles: financial loss (Chapter 3), criminal suspicion (Chapter 5), arrest threat (Chapters 7 to 8), separation from Passepartout (Chapter 19), duel challenge (Chapter 25), Indian attack (Chapter 29), coal depletion (Chapter 33), and final time miscalculation (Chapter 34). Each threatens the wager and Fogg's reputation.
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 5, Ch 7, Ch 19, Ch 25, Ch 29
I’ve found the bank robber, Phileas Fogg. Send without delay warrant of arrest to Bombay. (Ch 5, para 12)
No, I’ll stay,” muttered he. “An offence has been committed on Indian soil. I’ve got my man. (Ch 10, para 24)
At last!” said Fix, seeing Passepartout unconscious. “Mr. Fogg will not be informed of the ‘Carnatic’s’ departure; and, if he is, he will have to go without this cursed Frenchman! (Ch 19, para 71)
A11. Do scenes link by "but" and "therefore", or only "and then"? AI
Scenes link primarily through 'and then' causality rather than 'but' reversals. Fogg's journey is linear: each leg follows the previous one. However, Fix's pursuit creates 'but' moments (Chapter 5 but Fogg escapes; Chapter 19 but Fogg charters alternative ship). Most chapters are additive rather than contradictory.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6
Yes,” returned Phileas Fogg. “We are going round the world. (Ch 4, para 13)
Always straight ahead. He is going round the world. (Ch 8, para 30)
But there are other vessels besides the ‘Carnatic,’ it seems to me, in the harbour of Hong Kong. (Ch 20, para 16)
A12. Map to the 15 Save the Cat beats. AI
Save the Cat beats: Opening image (Ch 1 to 2, Fogg's routine); Catalyst (Ch 3, wager); Debate (Ch 4, departure); Break into two (Ch 5, Fix's pursuit); B story (Ch 12, Aouda rescue); Fun and games (Ch 9 to 21, travel montage); Midpoint (Ch 19, drugging); Bad guys close in (Ch 25 to 33, obstacles mount); All is lost (Ch 34, five minutes late); Dark night (Ch 35, ruin); Break into three (Ch 37, time discovery); Finale (Ch 37, wager won); Final image (Ch 37, marriage).
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 12, Ch 9
In eighty days,” interrupted Phileas Fogg. (Ch 3, para 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)
Suppose we save this woman. (Ch 12, para 44)
A13. Map to Yorke's five acts. AI
Yorke's five acts: Act One (Ch 1 to 4, Fogg hires Passepartout and makes wager); Act Two (Ch 5 to 18, journey to Hong Kong with Fix pursuing); Act Three (Ch 19 to 24, separation and reunion in Japan); Act Four (Ch 25 to 34, American crossing and Atlantic crossing); Act Five (Ch 35 to 37, ruin, marriage, and wager won).
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 5, Ch 19, Ch 25, Ch 35
In eighty days,” interrupted Phileas Fogg. (Ch 3, para 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)
At last!” said Fix, seeing Passepartout unconscious. “Mr. Fogg will not be informed of the ‘Carnatic’s’ departure; and, if he is, he will have to go without this cursed Frenchman! (Ch 19, para 71)
A14. Map to the hero's journey stages. AI
Hero's journey: Ordinary world (Ch 1 to 2, Fogg's routine); Call to adventure (Ch 3, wager); Refusal (none; Fogg accepts immediately); Meeting mentor (Ch 11, Parsee guide); Crossing threshold (Ch 5, Fix's pursuit begins); Tests and allies (Ch 9 to 24, Passepartout, Aouda, Fix); Approach to ordeal (Ch 25 to 33, American and Atlantic crossings); Ordeal (Ch 34, apparent defeat); Reward (Ch 36, real robber caught); Road back (Ch 37, time discovery); Resurrection (Ch 37, arrival at Reform Club); Return with elixir (Ch 37, marriage and happiness).
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 3, Ch 11, Ch 5, Ch 9, Ch 25
In eighty days,” interrupted Phileas Fogg. (Ch 3, para 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)
The Parsee perched himself on the elephant’s neck, and at nine o’clock they set out from the village, the animal marching off through the dense forest of palms by the shortest cut. (Ch 11, para 50)
A15. Crisis choices: what hard choice does the lead face in each act? AI
Act One: Fogg chooses to stake his fortune on an impossible wager (Ch 3). Act Two: Fogg chooses to rescue Aouda despite delay (Ch 12). Act Three: Fogg chooses to charter the Tankadere after Passepartout is drugged (Ch 20). Act Four: Fogg chooses to rescue Passepartout over his wager (Ch 30). Act Five: Fogg chooses to marry Aouda over wealth (Ch 35).
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 12, Ch 20, Ch 30, 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)
Suppose we save this woman. (Ch 12, para 44)
But there are other vessels besides the ‘Carnatic,’ it seems to me, in the harbour of Hong Kong. (Ch 20, para 16)
A16. Reveals and twists: where they fall and how they were hinted. AI
Twist one (Ch 5): Fix identifies Fogg as bank robber, hinted by Fogg's sudden departure and large cash withdrawal (Ch 4). Twist two (Ch 19): Passepartout is drugged, hinted by Fix's growing desperation (Ch 16 to 18). Twist three (Ch 34): Fogg arrives five minutes late, hinted by time zone confusion (Ch 24, 37). Twist four (Ch 36): Real robber caught, exonerating Fogg. Twist five (Ch 37): Fogg gained a day travelling east, hinted by Passepartout's watch synchronisation (Ch 24).
Chapters: Ch 5, Ch 19, Ch 34, Ch 36, Ch 37
I’ve found the bank robber, Phileas Fogg. Send without delay warrant of arrest to Bombay. (Ch 5, para 12)
An involuntary motion of surprise nearly escaped him, for the description in the passport was identical with that of the bank robber which he had received from Scotland Yard. (Ch 6, para 27)
At last!” said Fix, seeing Passepartout unconscious. “Mr. Fogg will not be informed of the ‘Carnatic’s’ departure; and, if he is, he will have to go without this cursed Frenchman! (Ch 19, para 71)
A17. Timeline: story time against page time, gaps and flashbacks. Both
Story time spans eighty days (October 2 to December 21). Page time is 63,208 words across 37 chapters, averaging 1,708 words per chapter. No flashbacks occur; the narrative is strictly chronological. The key gap is Passepartout's separation (Ch 19 to 23), told from his perspective. Time zones create the final twist: Fogg gains a day by travelling eastward, crossing the International Date Line.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 19, Ch 24, Ch 37
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)
This was a gain to Phileas Fogg of two days since his departure from London, and he calmly entered the fact in the itinerary, in the column of gains. (Ch 9, para 31)
Mr. Fogg had neither gained nor lost a single day. (Ch 24, para 37)
A18. Sequences: which runs of chapters form one mini story? AI
Sequences: London to Suez (Ch 1 to 6, hiring and departure); Suez to Bombay (Ch 7 to 10, pursuit begins); Bombay to Calcutta (Ch 11 to 15, elephant journey and arrest); Calcutta to Hong Kong (Ch 16 to 19, steamer voyage and drugging); Hong Kong to Yokohama (Ch 20 to 24, Tankadere and reunion); Yokohama to San Francisco (Ch 24 to 25, Pacific crossing); San Francisco to New York (Ch 26 to 31, American crossing); New York to Liverpool (Ch 32 to 33, Atlantic crossing); Liverpool to London (Ch 34 to 37, arrest, exoneration, and marriage).
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 7, Ch 11, Ch 16, Ch 20, Ch 24
In eighty days,” interrupted Phileas Fogg. (Ch 3, para 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)
But there are other vessels besides the ‘Carnatic,’ it seems to me, in the harbour of Hong Kong. (Ch 20, para 16)
A19. Ratio of plot chapters to breather chapters. Both
30 plot chapters (tension 3 or more) against 7 breather chapters (tension 1 or 2): about 4.3 plot chapters for each breather.
Tension (AI, 1 to 5), chapter by chapter
Plot chapters (advancing wager or obstacles): 28 chapters (1 to 7, 9 to 15, 18 to 37). Breather chapters (observation, travel, quiet moments): 9 chapters (2, 8, 16, 17, 22, 23, 26, 27, 31). Ratio is approximately 3:1 plot to breather, maintaining momentum while allowing character development.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 8, Ch 16, Ch 17, Ch 22, Ch 23
Very curious, very curious,” said Passepartout to himself, on returning to the steamer. “I see that it is by no means useless to travel, if a man wants to see something new. (Ch 9, para 29)
Phileas Fogg gazed at the tempestuous sea, which seemed to be struggling especially to delay him, with his habitual tranquillity. (Ch 18, para 3)
Phileas Fogg, who had the most reason of all to be in a hurry, remained in his seat, and waited philosophically until it should please the buffaloes to get out of the way. (Ch 26, para 21)
A20. Luck count: where does chance help or hurt the lead? AI
Luck helps Fogg: Mongolia arrives two days early (Ch 9), Carnatic delayed for repairs (Ch 18), real robber caught (Ch 36). Luck hurts: Passepartout drugged (Ch 19), Sioux attack (Ch 29), coal shortage (Ch 33). Luck is neutral: buffalo herd delays train three hours but no time lost (Ch 26). Fogg's wealth and resourcefulness often turn bad luck into advantage.
Chapters: Ch 9, Ch 18, Ch 19, Ch 26, Ch 29, Ch 33
This was a gain to Phileas Fogg of two days since his departure from London, and he calmly entered the fact in the itinerary, in the column of gains. (Ch 9, para 31)
At last!” said Fix, seeing Passepartout unconscious. “Mr. Fogg will not be informed of the ‘Carnatic’s’ departure; and, if he is, he will have to go without this cursed Frenchman! (Ch 19, para 71)
Phileas Fogg, who had the most reason of all to be in a hurry, remained in his seat, and waited philosophically until it should please the buffaloes to get out of the way. (Ch 26, para 21)
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