Original artwork, not a still
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea · 1870
The sea is everything.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Nemo's declaration is a statement of independence: the sea feeds, clothes and shelters him, and no government can reach it. Readers hear both the romance and the exile in it, a man who has turned away from land entirely. It is the first real look at the man behind the mask, and it is often quoted by divers and sailors.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the SeaShow the scene
The line comes in Part One, Chapter X, "The Man of the Seas", during a meal in the Nautilus. Captain Nemo serves Aronnax food made entirely from the sea, from preserved holothuria to anemone jam. When Aronnax asks whether he likes the sea, Nemo answers with a speech: it covers seven-tenths of the globe, it is a desert where no one is lonely, and it is where he is free of all masters. He then falls silent and offers to show Aronnax over the ship, beginning with the library.
Sources (2)
- Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, Project GutenbergPart I, Chapter X (The Man of the Seas)Reference checked
- Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, WikipediaInfobox and leadReference checked
Context reviewed
