Captain Nicholl and President Barbicane hate each other. Each was an inventor during the Civil War—Barbicane created cannons and Nicholl built armor—but their personal war doesn't end when the Civil War does, and Nicholl makes it his life's mission to stop Barbicane from reaching his lunar goal. Here's the thing, though: These two guys are a lot more similar than they'd like to admit. If they were able to figure that out, then maybe—just maybe—they could achieve greater things together than either is capable of on his own.
Questions About Competition
- Why does Nicholl hate Barbicane so much? Why does Barbicane hate Nicholl?
- What do we learn about each man during their duel?
- How is Ardan able to make peace between the two men?
- Do you think that Barbicane and Nicholl will stay pals now? Why or why not? How do you think things are going for them at the end of the book?
Chew on This
Like most rivals, Barbicane and Nicholl only hate each other because they are intimidated by each other.
Despite their rivalry, Barbicane and Nicholl actually make each other better—each man is forced to work harder to out-perform the other.