Contemporary Relevance

The protagonist of a story is the main character, who traditionally, undergoes some sort of change. He or She must usually overcome some opposing force. In Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas the protagonist is Dr. Pierre Aronnax. He is the narrator and central character of the tale. Aronnax is repeatedly described as a naturalist throughout the story. A naturalist is, essentially, a person who is well studied in natural sciences such as zoology and botany--as is Aronnax. However, within the context of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, a tale of science fiction, his position of a naturalist is juxtaposed with that which seeks to thwart nature--Captain Nemo and the Nautilus. Ironically, Aronnax’s confrontation with Nemo, during which he sees how science can be used for evil, he chooses his fellow man over science.
The antagonist of a story is the character that provides an obstacle for the protagonist. In this case the antagonist is Captain Nemo. The obstacle is the imprisonment of Aronnax and the other characters aboard the nautalius .
The climax of a story is the major turning point that determines the outcome of the plot. The climax is in chaper 22 “nemos last words”.
 In this novel, the outcome is that the men survive the giant whirlpool. Captain Nemo remains a mystery; we do not know if he has survived, nor do we know where he came from or who he really is. Aronnax plans to return to France.
The mood, or atmosphere of a book, is the general feeling of the story. This is usually portrayed through word choice, description, and characterization. This story is primarily mysterious and dark. The mystery results from the author’s preoccupation with Captain Nemo’s identity. The entire plot is based on the voyages of the Nautilus - of which we know neither its purpose, its destination, nor its intentions. We do not know the language spoken by the crew. We do not know Nemo’s background. We do not know where Nemo goes when he disappears. We do not know what drives Nemo. The darkness of the story is present from the very beginning: before we know what this mysterious object is, we know that it destroys ships and kills innocent people. Although Nemo is often kind and engaging, he is subject to sudden outbursts of rage.