Around the World in Eighty Days Summary: Plot, Characters and Ending
In Around the World in Eighty Days, the precise and unflappable Englishman Phileas Fogg bets half his fortune that he can travel around the globe in eighty days. With his new French valet Passepartout, he races by steamship, train and even elephant, pursued by a detective convinced he is a bank robber.
The story was inspired by new rail and canal links of the 1870s that made such a trip possible.
| Character | Who they are |
|---|---|
| Phileas Fogg | Calm, punctual London gentleman |
| Passepartout | His loyal, lively French valet |
| Detective Fix | Policeman who believes Fogg is a thief |
| Aouda | Young Indian widow Fogg rescues |
| The Reform Club members | Men who take Fogg's bet |
Why does Fogg travel around the world?
At the Reform Club in London, Fogg's friends discuss a bank robbery and whether the world has become small enough to circle in eighty days. Fogg bets twenty thousand pounds that he can do it, and leaves that same evening with Passepartout and a bag of banknotes. Detective Fix, matching Fogg to the robber's description, follows him, waiting for an arrest warrant.
↑ Back to the topWhat happens in India?
Through Suez they reach Bombay, only to find a stretch of railway unfinished. Fogg buys an elephant. In the jungle they find a procession preparing to burn a young widow, Aouda, on her husband's funeral pyre. Passepartout disguises himself as the dead man, rises from the pyre and carries her away. She joins the journey.
↑ Back to the topWhat does Fix do to slow them down?
In Hong Kong, Fix gets Passepartout drunk in an opium den so that he cannot warn Fogg about an early departure. Fogg charters a small boat. Passepartout wakes up on the right ship, arrives penniless in Yokohama and joins a troupe of acrobats until Fogg finds him.
↑ Back to the topWhat happens in America?
They cross the Pacific and the United States by train. A Sioux war party attacks the train, and Passepartout is captured. Fogg risks his bet to lead soldiers to rescue him. They cross snowy plains on a sail-powered sledge. Missing the ship to Liverpool, Fogg buys a steamer and burns its wooden decks for fuel to keep it moving.
↑ Back to the topHow does Around the World in Eighty Days end?
In Liverpool, Fix finally arrests Fogg. He is released when the real robber is caught, but he reaches London five minutes late and believes he has lost everything. Aouda, who has fallen in love with him, proposes marriage, and he accepts. Sent to arrange the wedding, Passepartout discovers that it is a day earlier than they thought. By traveling east, they gained a day crossing the time zones. Fogg rushes to the club and arrives just in time to win the bet, and he marries Aouda.
↑ Back to the topMore about Around the World in Eighty Days
This summary reveals the whole plot, including the ending.