Kiera Vaclavik
194
of longevity (pp. 72, 74).
18 The typical Vernian thumbnail sketches
which present the characters emphasize their physical health and
strength: Harry Ford, “un enfant de la houillère” whose entire
existence “s’était écoulée dans les profondeurs de ce sol” (p. 50), is
“un grand garçon de vingt-cinq ans, vigoureux, bien découplé” (p.
47); his mother is “grande et forte” (p. 73); his father “portait
vigoureusement encore ses soixante-cinq ans” and is “[g]rand,
robuste, bien taillé” (p. 68). Working and living underground like several generations of their ancestors before them has clearly had no adverse effect although, as in “The Day Boy and the Night Girl”, it has
triggered physiological adaptation: not only does Harry have good
hearing but he, like other characters of the text, also has excellent
sight.
The discovery of Nell initially seems to call into question the
wholly positive impact of the underground environment. Explicitly attributed to the “milieu exceptionnel” in which she had lived, Nell “paraissait n’appartenir qu’à demi à l’humanité. Sa physionomie était
étrange” (p. 210). But Nell – “un être à la fois bizarre et charmant” –
is, like Nycteris, supernatural fairy rather than subnatural monster (p.
209). Again like Nycteris, Nell initially cannot tolerate bright light,
but her solitary subterranean life has had no permanent effect and she
is soon fully integrated into Coal City’s healthy, industrious community. But what of Nell’s (great) grandfather? Knowledgeable and
strong, despite his advanced age, Silfax is a crazed terrorist, a mad
misanthrope who wages war against the new settlers. Williams refers
to him as “a degenerate version of Nemo”, but is it underground conditions specifically which are responsible for this degeneration?
19 This
certainly seems to be the case, and a degree of sympathy is aroused
when Simon Ford states that it was his work as a “pénitent” clearing
firedamp “[qui] avait dérangé ses idées” (p. 296). Yet it seems that
some form of mental disorder predates his taking up of this role: Ford
also states that Silfax had himself selected this dangerous role in accordance with his tastes, and soon afterwards asserts that his brain “a
___________________________
18 One naturally thinks of Corghan’s project in the Mammoth cave, a locale explicitly
referred to in the course of Les Indes noires. Perhaps Verne was unaware that living
underground harmed rather than helped the unwell: the health of Corghan’s patients
soon deteriorated and some even died. The project was abandoned in 1843 and Corghan died from the disease six years later.
19 Williams, Notes on the Underground, p. 171.
194
of longevity (pp. 72, 74).
18 The typical Vernian thumbnail sketches
which present the characters emphasize their physical health and
strength: Harry Ford, “un enfant de la houillère” whose entire
existence “s’était écoulée dans les profondeurs de ce sol” (p. 50), is
“un grand garçon de vingt-cinq ans, vigoureux, bien découplé” (p.
47); his mother is “grande et forte” (p. 73); his father “portait
vigoureusement encore ses soixante-cinq ans” and is “[g]rand,
robuste, bien taillé” (p. 68). Working and living underground like several generations of their ancestors before them has clearly had no adverse effect although, as in “The Day Boy and the Night Girl”, it has
triggered physiological adaptation: not only does Harry have good
hearing but he, like other characters of the text, also has excellent
sight.
The discovery of Nell initially seems to call into question the
wholly positive impact of the underground environment. Explicitly attributed to the “milieu exceptionnel” in which she had lived, Nell “paraissait n’appartenir qu’à demi à l’humanité. Sa physionomie était
étrange” (p. 210). But Nell – “un être à la fois bizarre et charmant” –
is, like Nycteris, supernatural fairy rather than subnatural monster (p.
209). Again like Nycteris, Nell initially cannot tolerate bright light,
but her solitary subterranean life has had no permanent effect and she
is soon fully integrated into Coal City’s healthy, industrious community. But what of Nell’s (great) grandfather? Knowledgeable and
strong, despite his advanced age, Silfax is a crazed terrorist, a mad
misanthrope who wages war against the new settlers. Williams refers
to him as “a degenerate version of Nemo”, but is it underground conditions specifically which are responsible for this degeneration?
19 This
certainly seems to be the case, and a degree of sympathy is aroused
when Simon Ford states that it was his work as a “pénitent” clearing
firedamp “[qui] avait dérangé ses idées” (p. 296). Yet it seems that
some form of mental disorder predates his taking up of this role: Ford
also states that Silfax had himself selected this dangerous role in accordance with his tastes, and soon afterwards asserts that his brain “a
___________________________
18 One naturally thinks of Corghan’s project in the Mammoth cave, a locale explicitly
referred to in the course of Les Indes noires. Perhaps Verne was unaware that living
underground harmed rather than helped the unwell: the health of Corghan’s patients
soon deteriorated and some even died. The project was abandoned in 1843 and Corghan died from the disease six years later.
19 Williams, Notes on the Underground, p. 171.