The Mysterious Island

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1875

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-12

Part 1, Chapters 13-22

Part 2, Chapters 1-10

Part 2, Chapters 11-20

Part 3, Chapters 1-10

Part 3, Chapters 11-20

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Themes

The Wonders of Human Ingenuity and Technology

Writing in the latter half of the 19th century, Verne’s works often demonstrate a fascination with technology and craftsmanship, usually without crossing the line into pure fantasy. For instance, the men have a conversation about the use of coal for their technological marvels and at the same time muse that they will one day need to invent some new source of fuel and energy, as Cyrus proposes: “I believe that water will one day be used as fuel, that the hydrogen and oxygen of which it is constituted will be used […] to furnish an inexhaustible source of heat and light, more powerful than coal can ever be” (379). To survive on the island, the men repeatedly resort to their own ingenuity and to crafting the technology that can help them thrive.

Throughout The Mysterious Island, the characters are thrown into dire straits but never fall victim to despair. They always find a way to conquer their fears and survive thanks to their wits and work ethic. The men of the company find themselves stranded on an unknown island with no immediate hope of being rescued, yet almost immediately they determine what they need to do to survive. They set about creating shelter, finding sustenance, and balancing the need to ensure their own safety while also seeking a way to search for their one lost companion (Cyrus) who is initially missing. Through careful application of practical knowledge, Cyrus can calculate the island’s location, Pencroff can build a boat, and the men can treat Harbert’s gunshot wound and fever.

On the whole, the men act with great practical wisdom, and this is often demonstrated by their utilization of technology that they craft themselves. While they receive help from Captain Nemo during their years on the island—they are surprised by the gift of guns, for instance, a thing they likely could not have produced on their own—the majority of the things they build are done with materials from the island and by their own labor. They are fortunate that the five of them have diverse educational backgrounds and come from different vocational fields, but they are at their best when they put their heads together and find a way to use their collective knowledge and practical skills to solve problems. They build bridges and dams to alter the landscape, create dynamite with minerals from the island, and render fuel for their lamps from the carcass of a beached whale. They constantly find ways to utilize the natural resources of the island for their own benefit, transforming what they find by the use of technology. In these ways, the novel embodies a celebratory and optimistic attitude toward man’s technological capabilities and innate reason.

Man Versus the Natural World

The relationship that the men of The Mysterious Island have with the island and its natural environment is a complex one. In struggling to survive, the men must learn to both dominate the natural environment and learn how to adapt themselves to it, striking a balance between outright control of nature and cooperation with it.

On the one hand, they are clearly intent on bending nature to their will to maximize the return for their labor, and they are usually more likely to assert their will on the island than submit to any obstacle that stands in their way. The island is theirs, and they come to master it. On the other hand, their relationship with the flora and fauna of the island is quite gentle and acquiescent; the men never act like brutal taskmasters and avoid needless destruction—they are always respectful of their situation. They take care not to destroy the natural beauty that surrounds them, they never take more than they need of any particular resource, and they are quite careful in their hunting practices, eventually managing to practice animal husbandry to replenish the stock of animals that they use for food.

The island very quickly transforms from a hostile enemy to a lush and inviting home, in large part due to the men’s attitudes and dispositions. For instance, Pencroff voices the feelings of the group when he stops considering their circumstances as the result of bad fortune, instead embracing the situation as a great opportunity: “‘I only ask one thing.’ ‘And what is that?’ asked the reporter. ‘That we no longer think of ourselves as castaways, but as colonists, whose mission is to colonize this land!’” (118). Rather than fall prey to a victim mentality, the sailor views the island as an inviting piece of land that they can domesticate, care for, and eventually call home.

The ultimate evidence of the men’s growing intimacy with the island and their natural habitat is the adoption of the orangutan Joop into their company. First an enemy who participated in the standoff at Granite House, Jupiter is first captured and then trained to serve as an intelligent animal companion (alongside Top) with whom they can work. They even address him with a certain level of humanity and respect, as Pencroff attempts to elicit some sign of consent from the animal: “‘Do we want to join the colony, then?’ the sailor asked. ‘Are we going to enter into the service of Mr. Cyrus Smith?’” (321). Joop represents the highest species on the island as far as intelligence is concerned, and so the group’s association with him is the perfect encapsulation of their successful integration into the island’s natural habitat.

The Importance of Friendship and Camaraderie

One of the reasons that the men thrive almost from the very beginning is the fact that they are committed to working together and supporting one another. The stress of their situation could easily strain their relationship, but their perilous situation only strengthens their bonds. “The colonists would have to rely on themselves, and themselves alone” (208)—this knowledge forges them into a cohesive unit, ready to take on all challenges together. The men are not all perfectly alike, but they use their differences to complement one another in terms of skills, knowledge, and personalities. Their unity represents the importance of friendship in creating a strong, civilized community.

The situation of Ayrton forms an illuminating contrast between a life of solitude and a life of friendship, reinforcing the thematic importance of the latter. When the men first meet Ayrton, he behaves more like an animal than a man, with a wild unkempt appearance and having lost all power of speech. He even responds to their initial approach with violence, attacking one of the men instead of rejoicing in this reunion with a fellow human being. He has strayed so far from human civilization and friendship that the men at first mistake him for an “ape,” emphasizing just how solitary Ayrton has become. Ayrton becomes more civilized the closer he grows to the other men: As they show him kindness, Ayrton recovers the ability to speak and shares his story. When he cries, Cyrus interprets his display of emotion as a sign of recovered humanity. With time, Ayrton becomes fully integrated into the community, “esteemed and loved by all” (644).

The pirates represent threats to social cohesion and a rejection of the bonds of friendship. They approach the island determined to conquer and exploit it for their own gains, and they regard the potential presence of any other humans as a nuisance to be eliminated as quickly and as brutally as possible. The men recognize the pirates as an existential threat to their communal way of life, as the pirates’ immediate use of violence shows that they are not interested in any alliance. Even after the pirate ship is wrecked, the remaining pirates remain antagonistic toward the island community, even shooting Harbert. The pirates’ rejection of community and friendship leads to their destruction—even the initial survivors end up dead at Nemo’s hands. The pirates’ deaths contrast with the island community’s survival, reinforcing the notion that friendship is the most important resource of all.

As a final proof of their shared bonds, the characters continue to share their lives even after the destruction of the island. They purchase large tracts of land in Iowa together and continue to live as a harmonious community for the rest of their lives, creating a final image of unity and friendship in the novel.