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money and desperation

Jules Verne · Around the World in Eighty Days · Project Gutenberg

class tension fear survival

The coal has given out.” “Burn my vessel!” cried Captain Speedy, who could scarcely pronounce the words. “A vessel worth fifty thousand dollars!” “Here are sixty thousand,” replied Phileas Fogg, handing the captain a roll of bank-bills. An American can scarcely remain unmoved at the sight of sixty thousand dollars.

Why it matters

Phileas Fogg hands Captain Speedy a roll of bank-bills, the crisp money contrasting with the dire situation aboard the ship. The desperation in Fogg's offer reveals the weight of financial security amid impending disaster, forcing both men to confront their st...

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