CHARACTERS

Major Characters

Phileas Fogg

The hero and chief protagonist in the novel. He is introduced to us as a prudent Englishman whose wealth is a source of mystery to all. He is challenged by a fellow gambler to go around the world in eighty days and he takes up the challenge. His rationality, calmness, generosity and self-control impress the readers.

Passepartout

He appears in the initial stage of the novel itself, as the newly employed French valet of Mr. Fogg. He is an honest as well as a comic French man, who is loyal to his master and yet gets into situations that hinder his master’s plans to travel around the world. Passepartout endears himself to the reader with his warmth, his sense of humor and his ability to act bravely as well as comically.

Detective Fix

There is a major bank robbery in England around the same time that Fogg leaves for his journey round the world. Detective Fix is one of the many other detectives who seek to find the culprit so they can get a percentage of the stolen money as an award. He comes to the wrong conclusion that Fogg is the bank robber and is merely pretending to go around the world when his real purpose is to flee the law.

Aouda

Aouda is a Parsee Indian princess who is orphaned at an early age. She is made to marry an old Rajah and when he dies, fanatical Hindus try & force her to commit the sacrifice of her life. She is rescued by Fogg’s group. She goes back with them to England, as she is unable to find her relative in Hong Kong.

Minor Characters

James Foster

We get only one mention of him in the first chapter. He had been a servant of Fogg’s, but Fogg had dismissed him because he had committed the minor offence of bringing the shaving water at the wrong temperature.

British Consul at Suez

He waits along with detective Fix for the boat Mongolia to arrive at Suez. Daily, he would see English ships pass through the canal. The detective tells the consul that they must try and detain Fogg here, but the consul cannot do that lawfully and so doesn't.

Judge Obadiah

As soon as Fogg is leaves the Calcutta station, a policeman takes him away to court. Judge Obadiah, a rotund looking man presides over this court and over the case of Passeparrtout, who is charged with committing sacrilege by entering a holy place in Bombay with his shoes on.

Cousin Jeizeh

He is a cousin of Sir James Jejeebhoy and is also related to Aouda. She hopes to get help from this cousin who is based in Hong Kong. But on reaching Hong Kong, Fogg and Aouda find out that he has shifted to another country after making a lot of money.

John Bunsby

He is the master of the boat Tankadere, on which Fogg, Fix and Aouda travel. John is a skilled sailor who takes the trio from Hong Kong to Shanghai so that Fogg is able to board the San Francisco boat.

William Batulcar

He is the manager of a troupe of buffoons, jugglers, clowns, acrobats and gymnasts who were going to give their last performance at Yokohama before leaving for America. Passepartout takes up employment with this troupe in order to be able to leave for America with them.

Colonel Stamp Proctor

At San Francisco Fogg, Fix and Aouda find themselves in Montgomery Street, which is crowded, by the members of two opposing political parties. The opposing members become violent and Fogg’s group is caught in between. A huge fellow with a red goatee, a ruddy complexion and broad shoulders, raises his fist over Mr. Fogg. Fogg is very angry and later these two men even resort to dueling.

Forster

He is the engine driver of the train bound for New York. When the train stops before Medicine Bow Bridge, which is shaky, it is Forster who suggests a way of getting over. His idea is to take the train over the bridge at a very high speed, which will enable it to pass over.

Fort Kearney Captain

The Captain in command of Fort Kearney meets Fogg. Fogg insists that the Captain allow some of his soldiers to come with him in order to rescue three passengers who are captured by the Sioux. The captain agrees eventually as he is impressed by Fogg’s gallantry.

Andrew Speedy

He is the captain of the trading vessel Henrietta, a man of fifty, a sort of sea dog with a growl. He agrees to take Fogg and his companions to Bordeaux but Fogg hijacks the boat and decides to take it to Liverpool instead. The boat finally reaches Queenstown, an Irish port.