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The rising tension in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea centers on the theme of freedom.
When Professor Aronnax, Ned Land, and Conseil board the Nautilus their lives are saved. Yet, their freedom is lost forever. They respond to this reality in two vastly different ways.
Along with Conseil, Professor Aronnax is unconcerned. Because while he's lost the freedom to leave, he's gained the freedom to explore the ocean in a way previously unattainable. With the Nautilus, he's able to expand his research, observing and studying aquatic life he never could’ve before. He's willing to trade his freedom for this opportunity, at least for the time being.
You could say that because the Nautilus affords him the opportunity to do that which he most wants to, he doesn't feel trapped. He would choose to be there anyways. So, even though the option to leave isn’t there, he's not concerned.
Ned Land, the harpooner, couldn't be more the opposite. He rails against their new situation, desperate to escape. As the journey drags on, you see him slipping mentally and emotionally. He’d leave in a heartbeat if he could.
The situation tortures him.
Captain Nemo provides another angle on the subject. He is free to leave the sea but chooses not to even though he’s miserable. He’s not constrained by anyone; instead, he’s driven by hatred and loss.
I guess you could say he is a prisoner only to grief. He is free to choose many paths in life, but the one path he desires is no longer an option—his family is gone.
While Ned Land is locked inside a prison desperate to get out, Captain Nemo is locked outside of the one life he longs for, without any ability to get inside. His family is forever lost.
One is locked in; the other, locked out. Both are prisoners and neither possesses joy. Meanwhile, Professor Aronnax is also locked in. But doesn’t mind, because he’d choose to stay anyways.
This gives rise to a question for each of us. Due to our circumstances, we are all bound to certain options in life. Only a limited number of paths are available to us. So, here's the question:
If you could choose to do anything with your life, within reason, would you choose to do what you are now?
If the answer is yes, you're likely content with your current life.
If the answer is no, you're probably not.
If you’re discontent, the follow-up question is do you possess greater freedom than you realize to shift things around?
By this, I mean more than adding a hobby to your life, like gardening or woodworking. I mean more learning to set boundaries in relationships and altering the soundtrack of negative thoughts that plays continuously throughout your days. I mean even more than quitting your job to pursue more satisfying work.
On a broader scope, do you possess the freedom to craft your life? Or, like Ned Land, are we all trapped? Doomed to live out our previously scripted lives, lacking any capacity whatsoever to deviate from our lines. As humans, what freedom do we have? And if any, how should we use it?
We’ll explore this question further in Part IV.
Until then, enjoy you’re reading!
-Trevor
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