How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
I began to reflect upon the incidents of our excursion to Mannar Bank. Two reflections inevitably followed. One was the outstanding bravery of Captain Nemo; the other his devotion to a fellow creature, a representative of the human race that he shunned under the seas. Whatever he might say, this strange man had not yet totally succeeded in killing his heart.
When I said as much to him he replied, with some little emotion:
"That Indian, doctor, is the inhabitant of an oppressed country. I am his compatriot, and shall remain so to my very last breath." (2.3.87-9)
Though Nemo doesn't tell us much about himself, he does let us know that he is an opponent of oppression. The problem is, "oppression" sounds pretty vague to us. Kind of like the "terrorism" bit of the "War on Terror"—how do we know who qualifies as a terrorist (and to whom)? We're not taking sides here. We're just curious literary types.
Quote #8
At that moment, my attention was caught by a few etchings on the walls that I had not noticed on my first visit. They were portraits of those great men of history whose lives were entirely devoted to a great human idea: Kosciusko, the hero who fell with the cry Finis Poloniae, Bozzaris, the Leonidas of modern Greece, O'Connell, the defender of Ireland, Washington, the founder of the American Union, Manin, the Italian patriot, Lincoln, who fell shot by a supporter of slavery, and finally John Brown, that martyr to the freeing of the black race, hanging from his gallows, as so terribly drawn by Victor Hugo.
What link existed between these heroic souls and the soul of Captain Nemo? Could I finally solve the mystery of his existence by this collection of portraits? Was he a champion of the downtrodden peoples, a liberator of enslaved races? Had he taken part in the political and social upheavals that had recently marked the century? Had he been one of the heroes of that terrible American Civil War, that frightful but forever glorious battle? (2.8.30-1)
Nemo's photos give us more clues to his identity, but few answers. Mainly, Aronnax just likes to speculate about Nemo's identity. We think he spends so much time speculatin' because the dude's not sure what to do or who to be himself. He certainly has a tough time deciding whether to flee the Nautilus or keep on having wacky adventures (while in Nemo's captivity) for the rest of his life.
Quote #9
What a scene! The poor man, seized by the tentacle and glued to its suckers, was being rocked in the air at the whim of its enormous trunk. He was groaning as he suffocated, and he was shouting: "Au secours! Au secours!" These words in French flabbergasted me. So I had a compatriot on board, perhaps several! I will hear his heartbreaking appeal in my ears till the end of my life. (2.18.101)
It takes a disaster to shed some light on Nemo's crew. And even then, Aronnax only gets to hear a few words… in French. He's happy that he's had a fellow countryman aboard all this time, but disappointed that he's missed out on the man's company. Clearly, Nemo is captaining a ship full o' exiles; maybe he's some kind of Leader of Lost Souls. Does the potentially multi-national crew make Nemo's warpath seem any more or less noble? Why or why not?