“We do not hear the report of the cannon that sends us off on the perilous voyage.Hence we must be flying faster than sound.” (Miller 8) Like his characters, Jules Verne's imagination flew faster than his world. Though his adventurous spirit was repressed as a child, Jules Verne wrote over a hundred pioneering novels and left an enormous impact on millions of future scientific explorers.
For many it may be surprising that such futuristic accomplishments started as an argument of a little boys' future. Jules Verne was the oldest of five children born to Pierre and Sophie Verne. At his baptism, his father declared that he would become a lawyer like himself. This caused an argument with his mother's family because they wanted him to be a sailor like his grandfather (Costello 2). However pulled to the sea he might have been, Jules soon learned that to be called Verne meant strict obedience to his father. As he grew older, so did his sense of adventure. Part of which was most likely sparked by his atmosphere. “Jules Verne lived on a romantic island, shaped like a ship on the river Loire, the scene from his bedroom was always alive with sailing vessels, arriving from faraway places and departing to the ends of the earth” (Becker 5)
When Jules was twelve, there came an opportunity to do more than watch ships. At the time he was smitten with a young girl named Caroline, who would not return his love until he proved his courage and brought her some exotic token of his affection. He was very discouraged at this. He saw no way to accomplish this task. One day while exploring the docks, the winds of opportunity blew his way. Jules was listening to an old sailor's adventure stories when he was approached by a cabin boy his same age. The boy told a tale of trying to find a replacement because he had already been to India and wanted a different adventure. The boy told him he could take his place as cabin boy for only ten francs. He was ecstatic and hastily agreed to meet the boy on the next dawn. Jules went home and begged the money out of his maid. He told her it was to buy a toy telegraph. The next morning without his parents' knowledge he boarded the Coralie and immediately regretted his decision (Becker 5). With his last glimpse of home in sight, Jules broke into tears. He was mocked by the crew and sent below to work. When they came to the port to pick up the captain, whom would sail the ship out into the open sea, there was a great commotion. The revolutionary steam liner, Pyroscaph was in the port cutting off the Coralie. Jules hadn't noticed the steamer passing his ship. He could see a tall figure at the helm of a rowboat dispatching from the port. As the rowboat neared, Jules had mixed feelings of apprehension, anger, relief and fear as he realized the oarsman of the rowboat was his father. “As his father pulled him off the ship and gave him a severe beating, Jules, vowed to continue to travel from then on-but only in his imagination” (Miller 8).
The haven for dreams that became Jules obsession was Paris. “Paris was really the place for writers . . . someday maybe he would be a successful writer in Paris” (Peare 6) His parents, however, were not very pleased by this new goal. “When Verne was sixteen his father took him to the great iron mills and engine works in Indre, France. The sights increased his imagination. His father was determined to crush out his ambitions to become a classic poet” (Becker 5). Jules was persistent and finally, “Pierre Verne gave Jules permission to go to Paris if he would live with his great-aunt and take the law exam. This was alright with Jules because he would be in the city of writers” (Becker 5). While living in Paris, Madame Charriel, his aunt, showed him the sights. He began to feel lost because the streets of Paris were confusing, but living in Paris helped him get over being in love with Caroline (Peare 6).
Jules took the exams and reluctantly left Paris and returned home. He loved Paris and was miserable being away. This showed in his appearance. A usually well kempt Jules was now unshaven, rude and stayed in bed for long hours. He would have run away from home again as he did in his childhood, but his respect and admiration of his father kept him from moving to Paris. This conflict of desire and duty inspired him to write his first short story (Becker 5). “At last he put his foot down and persuaded his parents, who indeed may have been glad to see the back of him, to let him return to Paris” (Evans 1).
I like this article. I learned things about Verne that I never knew. You brought his story alive to me. Keep up the good work. Hope to see more articles from you.