A Journey To The Center Of The

Earth Essay, Research Paper

In the novel, A Journey to the Center of the Earth, author Jules Verne tells the fictitious story of three men and their adventures as they descend into the depths of the earth. The leading character in this expedition is a fifty-year-old German professor named Hardwigg. He is an uncle to the narrator, Henry (Harry), a simple Englishman. The other man is Hans, a serene Icelandic guide.

Professor Hardwigg finds a piece of parchment that written in Runic in a book. Harry finds out before his uncle that it says there is a way to get into the center of the earth through a mountain (Mt. Sneffels) in Iceland. Harry is reluctant to tell his uncle the message because he is afraid his uncle will actually want to visit the center of the earth. He was right because the professor wanted to explore as soon as possible.

They head off to Iceland, and, along the way, receive Hans as their guide. The journey to the mountain itself takes a while. They reach the entrance to the center, and from there, they head inside. Once in the dark labyrinths, they descend (this goes on for days). The three men then face difficulties: thirst, light, getting lost, injuries, and fatigue, were among them.

They make many discoveries. They find that there?s a sea, with fish and sea monsters. They find forests, giant mushrooms, animals that look like dinosaurs, and even what seems to be giant human beings.

The idea of writing this story came from a scientist who explored the crater of a certain mountain. Verne got the idea that maybe it would be possible to descend even further into the earth. Many of Verne?s ?fantasy? stories have come true in the years following his death in the year 1905. A Journey to the Center of the Earth is farthest from reality. Even with the technology we have today, it would be impossible for one to descend into the earth. For one thing, we know now that the earth can?t be hollow because of extreme pressures and temperatures.

People became interested in Verne?s stories during his time because though they were unrealistic, they were too interesting and entertaining to pass up. Some people even believed he had traveled to the many places that he wrote of. While checking into a hotel once, the woman told him to rest well in the room because he must be tired from his many adventures. She probably thought this because Verne uses facts of science so well the story can seem as if it were actually the real thing.

Verne?s writings about submarines, space travel, helicopters were prophecies of the future. It is a mystery how he came up with such ideas for wonderfully told adventures. Verne grew up when steam engines were changing the world. He was the first writer to proclaim that scientific discovery could prompt remarkable stories.

I found A Journey to the Center of the Earth thoughtful and mind-boggling at the same time. The discoveries they find are truly unbelievable: Sea monsters, a sea, giants, forests and giant mushrooms. These are surely non-existent because nothing like them could live in such circumstances. The characters in this story must have also been extremely strong and determined, since they?re able to live for so long underground in darkness (somewhat). The beginning of the story is quite slow; they take a long time to start descending into the earth. Once you get into the story, its quite easy to find yourself in the midst of the channels of granite.

A Journey to the Center of the Earth is a wonderfully well written book. The very idea of a person being able to travel into the earth is remarkable in itself. To put seas and creatures into the story is exceptional. Jules Verne is such a great writer, he makes this adventure seem as if it actually happened; as if it weren?t just some fantasy, but an undeniable existence.