Around the World in Eighty Days · Chapter
VI explained
Detective Fix, waiting at Suez for the steamer Mongolia, discusses the bank robbery with the British consul and prepares to scrutinize passengers.
What happens
Detective Fix, waiting at Suez for the steamer Mongolia, discusses the bank robbery with the British consul and prepares to scrutinize passengers. When the Mongolia arrives, Passepartout approaches Fix to ask for the consulate, and Fix realizes the passport description matches the bank robber.
Themes in this chapter
Time and Punctuality
Fix repeatedly asks about the Mongolia's punctuality, and the consul confirms the steamer is never behind time, highlighting the theme of precise schedules.
Justice and Mistaken Identity
Fix, a detective hunting a bank robber, mistakes Phileas Fogg for the criminal based on the passport description, setting up a case of mistaken identity.
Characters to notice
- Fix
Fix is impatiently waiting at Suez for the Mongolia, discussing the robbery with the consul and scrutinizing passengers.
- Passepartout
Passepartout approaches Fix to ask for the English consulate, showing his master's passport.
Key passages
“A man rather feels the presence of these fellows, consul, than recognises them. You must have a scent for them, and a scent is like a sixth sense which combines hearing, seeing, and smelling.”
Fix claims that detecting criminals is more about intuition than visual recognition, comparing it to a sixth sense.
Fix expresses his detective philosophy to the consul.
“Great robbers always resemble honest folks. Fellows who have rascally faces have only one course to take, and that is to remain honest; otherwise they would be arrested offhand.”
Fix argues that skilled criminals look like ordinary honest people, while those with suspicious faces are forced to stay honest to avoid capture.
Fix explains his belief that appearance is deceptive in criminal detection.