Around the World in Eighty Days · Chapter
In which Phileas Fogg at last reaches London explained
Phileas Fogg is arrested by Fix upon arriving in Liverpool, but is soon released when the real bank robber is caught.
What happens
Phileas Fogg is arrested by Fix upon arriving in Liverpool, but is soon released when the real bank robber is caught. Fogg punches Fix, then rushes to catch a train to London, but arrives five minutes late, losing his wager.
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 Falling 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
- Time and Punctuality
Fogg's precise timing is central: he notes his watch is two hours fast, calculates travel times, and ultimately loses the wager by five minutes.
- Justice and Mistaken Identity
Fogg is wrongly arrested due to a resemblance to the real bank robber, then freed when the true culprit is caught.
- Determination and Resilience
Despite imprisonment and the apparent ruin of his plans, Fogg remains calm and immediately orders a special train to continue his journey.
Characters to notice
- Phileas Fogg
Arrested in Liverpool, remains calm in prison, punches Fix upon release, and rushes to London only to arrive five minutes late.
- Passepartout
Distraught over Fogg's arrest, blames himself for not revealing Fix's mission, and cheers when Fogg knocks down Fix.
- Fix
Arrests Fogg in Liverpool, later discovers his mistake and frees Fogg, then is knocked down by Fogg.
- Aouda
Thunderstruck by Fogg's arrest, weeps bitterly, and waits with Passepartout under the Custom House portico.
Key passages
“Phileas Fogg was in prison. He had been shut up in the Custom House, and he was to be transferred to London the next day.”
Fogg was locked in the Custom House, awaiting transfer to London the following day.
Describes Fogg's immediate situation after arrest.
“Having made the tour of the world, he was behindhand five minutes. He had lost the wager!”
After circumnavigating the globe, Fogg arrived five minutes late and thus lost his bet.
Climactic moment revealing the outcome of the wager.
