Journey to the Center of the Earth · Chapter
XLII: Headlong Speed Upward Through the Horrors of Darkness explained
After a violent upheaval, Axel, Professor Liedenbrock, and Hans find themselves ascending rapidly through a narrow tunnel filled with scalding water.
What happens
After a violent upheaval, Axel, Professor Liedenbrock, and Hans find themselves ascending rapidly through a narrow tunnel filled with scalding water. Their provisions are nearly gone, with only a bit of salt meat and a few biscuits left. The heat becomes unbearable, and the compass malfunctions, suggesting they are approaching a volcanic or central fire zone. Despite the dire situation, the Professor remains resolute, rationing the last food and urging his companions to conserve strength. Axel despairs, thinking of home and Gräuben, while Hans remains stoic. The Professor studies the rock strata, hoping to gauge their ascent, but the rising temperature and boiling water signal an imminent catastrophe.
Themes in this chapter
Human Endurance and Survival
The characters face extreme heat, hunger, and the threat of death, yet the Professor insists on rationing food and maintaining hope, exemplifying the will to survive against overwhelming odds.
The Limits of Human Knowledge
Axel and the Professor are unable to accurately measure their ascent or predict the outcome, as the compass fails and the heat defies their geological theories, highlighting the boundaries of scientific understanding.
The Unknown and the Sublime
The terrifying ascent through a scalding, dark tunnel, with boiling water and a malfunctioning compass, evokes the sublime horror of the unknown depths of the Earth.
Characters to notice
- Axel Liedenbrock
Axel is terrified and despairing, feeling the heat and fearing they will be burned alive. He thinks of Gräuben and home, and questions whether there is any chance of survival.
- Professor Otto Liedenbrock
The Professor remains cool and resolute, insisting they must eat to keep up their strength. He studies the rock strata and tries to calculate their ascent, refusing to give up hope.
- Hans Bjelke
Hans is calm and methodical, eating his ration quietly and finding a flask of Hollands to share. He shows no anxiety about the future, embodying fatalistic composure.
- Gräuben
Axel's thoughts turn to Gräuben as he remembers his life above ground, highlighting his longing for her and the world he left behind.
Key passages
“We are going up.”
The Professor announces that they are ascending rapidly.
This marks the beginning of their desperate upward journey through the tunnel.
“Eat what is left to the last crumb, and recruit our fading strength. This meal will be our last, perhaps: so let it be! But at any rate we shall once more be men, and not exhausted, empty bags.”
The Professor insists they must eat the remaining food to regain strength, even if it is their final meal.
Highlights the theme of endurance and the Professor's resolute character.
“The compass had lost its properties! it had ceased to act properly!”
Axel notices that the compass is no longer functioning correctly.
Indicates the breakdown of scientific instruments, contributing to the theme of the limits of human knowledge.