Physical Appearance and Sea

¶ … Jules Verne's 20,000 leagues Under the Sea is captain Nemo, who reveals himself to those who came after his submarine as the creator and the head of the ship. Professor Pierre Aronnax and his assistant, Conseil and the Canadian harpoonist Ned Land found themselves embarked on a journey aboard what they first hunted to track down as a sea monster.

Judging first by his physical appearance, the narrator, professor Aronnax describes captain Nemo as presenting: "self-confidence, -- because his head was well set on his shoulders, and his black eyes looked around with cold assurance; calmness, -- for his skin, rather pale, showed his coolness of blood; energy, -- evinced by the rapid contraction of his lofty brows; and courage, -- because his deep breathing denoted great power of lungs" (Verne, 67). Ending his conclusions based on physical traits, the professor end with the remark that "this man was certainly the most admirable specimen I had ever met" (idem).

The captain presents himself as someone who completely broke out from any laws of the human race. As the narration will then unfold, he had not given up the features of humanity, as a human being himself. His submarine is wondering the seas of the world because it has also higher reasons than those of a personal revenge against crimes humans might have committed against the captain. Verne creates in captain Nemo a combination of a deeply suffering human being, a brilliant scientist, a restless adventurer and a cold blooded pirate. His scientific researches are not destined to destroy the world in a careless act of a fanatic, but they are full of respect for the living world. His adventures are not reckless and do not lack the element of awareness of an adult. His engagement in fights against other ships occurs only when he is being attacked by them, but he does not undertake any acts of pointless cruelty.