Around the World in Eighty Days · Chapter
XXVI explained
Phileas Fogg and his party travel across the United States on the Pacific Railroad, from San Francisco to Omaha.
What happens
Phileas Fogg and his party travel across the United States on the Pacific Railroad, from San Francisco to Omaha. The chapter describes the construction and route of the transcontinental railway, the transformation of the car into a dormitory, and the scenic journey through the Sierra Nevada and Nevada. A major delay occurs when a vast herd of buffaloes blocks the track for three hours, forcing the train to stop. Passepartout is frustrated, but Fogg remains patient.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This chapter marks the dramatic climax because it presents the highest physical and symbolic point of the jour…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Adventure and Exploration
The journey across the American continent by rail highlights the spirit of adventure and the vast, untamed landscapes.
- Determination and Resilience
Fogg's patient waiting during the buffalo delay exemplifies his unflappable determination to complete the journey.
- Technology and Progress
The detailed description of the Pacific Railroad's construction and the innovative sleeping car demonstrate technological advancement.
Characters to notice
- Phileas Fogg
Remains calm and philosophical during the buffalo delay, waiting patiently in his seat.
- Passepartout
Furious at the buffalo obstruction, longs to shoot them, and questions if Fogg foresaw this mishap.
- Fix
Sits beside Passepartout in the car; their relations have grown cold after recent events.
Key passages
“The train did not proceed rapidly; counting the stoppages, it did not run more than twenty miles an hour, which was a sufficient speed, however, to enable it to reach Omaha within its designated time.”
The train's average speed, including stops, was only about twenty miles per hour, but that was still enough to arrive in Omaha on schedule.
Highlights the efficiency of the railway despite moderate speed.
“What a country! Mere cattle stop the trains, and go by in a procession, just as if they were not impeding travel! Parbleu! I should like to know if Mr. Fogg foresaw this mishap in his programme!”
Passepartout exclaims in frustration that in this country, even cattle can block a train, and wonders if Fogg had anticipated such a delay.
Shows Passepartout's impatience and his view of the buffalo as an absurd obstacle.
