Topsy-Turvy · Chapter
In Which a Crowd of Dissatisfied People Break Into the Cell of J. T. Maston explained
Public outrage escalates as the consequences of Barbicane & Co.'s operation become clear, dividing the world into those who would suffocate and those who would drown.
What happens
Public outrage escalates as the consequences of Barbicane & Co.'s operation become clear, dividing the world into those who would suffocate and those who would drown. Protests erupt globally, and a mob attempts to lynch J. T. Maston in his prison cell, only to find it empty—Mrs. Scorbitt has bribed the jailer and helped him escape. With only four days remaining, mass emigration begins, while Alcide Pierdeux remains skeptical of the feasibility of the plan.
Themes in this chapter
Secrecy and Public Anxiety
The public's violent reaction to the secret operation and the publication of the notice fuel widespread panic and protests.
Imperialism and National Rivalry
Nations protest the loss of colonies and strategic territories, with England refusing to accept the transformation of Gibraltar, Malta, and Cyprus.
Progress and Its Consequences
Barbicane & Co.'s ambitious plan threatens global destruction, highlighting the unintended and catastrophic outcomes of unchecked technological progress.
Characters to notice
- J. T. Maston
Target of a lynch mob; escapes his cell with Mrs. Scorbitt's help.
- Mrs. Evangelina Scorbitt
Bribes the jailer with gold to secure Maston's escape.
- President Barbicane
Declared an outlaw along with Maston and Nicholl; his operation is the source of global panic.
- Capt. Nicholl
Also declared an outlaw due to his role in the operation.
- Major Donellan
Prepares to return to Europe to secure rights on new territory.
- Alcide Pierdeux
Expresses skepticism about the feasibility of Barbicane's cannon.
Key passages
“The threatened people were, in general, divided into two classes—'the people who would be suffocated and those who would be drowned.'”
The endangered population fell into two groups: those at risk of suffocation and those at risk of drowning.
Summarizes the global division of consequences from the operation.
“A rabid crowd rushed into his prison on the evening of Sept. 17, with the intention of lynching him, and the jailer did not put any obstacles in their way. They rushed along the corridor but the cell of J. T. Maston was empty.”
On the evening of September 17, a furious mob stormed Maston's prison to lynch him, but found his cell empty after the jailer allowed them entry.
Describes the climax of public fury and Maston's narrow escape.
“Mrs. Evangelina Scorbitt had come to his help with a heavy purse of gold, and he had made his escape.”
Mrs. Scorbitt aided Maston's escape by bribing the jailer with a large sum of gold.
Highlights Mrs. Scorbitt's decisive role in saving Maston.