Topsy-Turvy · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Topsy-Turvy by Jules Verne.
Each chapter has a companion in the reader — open a free preview to see notes beside the text.
Chapter 1
In Which the North Polar Practical Association Rushes a Document Across Two Worlds
The North Polar Practical Association, an anonymous Baltimore-based company, publishes a global document announcing the auction of the Arctic region within the 84th parallel. The sale is set for December 3rd in Baltimore, with Mr. W. S. Forster as temporary agent. The document outlines the region's history of exploration, claims by various nations, and the company's intent to purchase the territory outright to avoid future disputes. Public reaction ranges from ridicule to serious consideration, with speculation about hidden motives, including possible climatic or geographic changes hinted at in the document's final paragraph.
Chapter 2
In Which the Delegates from England, Holland, Sweden, Denmark and Russia Are Presented to the Reader
The chapter introduces the European delegates arriving in Baltimore for the auction of the Arctic regions, organized by the North Polar Practical Association. Each nation—England, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, and Russia—sends a representative with claims based on historical exploration and territorial proximity. The delegates are rivals, but their common curiosity about the Association's motives draws them together. The chapter highlights the nationalistic and imperialistic tensions underlying the sale, with England and America expected to be the main bidders.
Chapter 3
In Which the Arctic Regions Are Sold at Auction to the Highest Bidder
The North Polar Practical Association (N.P.P.A.) auctions the Arctic regions (everything within the 84th parallel) in a Baltimore auction hall. Bidding starts at 10 cents per square mile and escalates among European delegates representing Denmark, Sweden-Norway, Russia, and Holland. Major Donellan bids for Great Britain, eventually reaching 199 cents. William S. Forster, representing the N.P.P.A., quietly bids 200 cents, winning the region for $814,000 and defeating the British bid.
Chapter 4
In Which Old Acquaintances Appear to Our New Readers, and in Which a Wonderful Man Is Described
This chapter reintroduces the key members of the Gun Club, particularly J. T. Maston, the brilliant but disabled secretary, and his admirer Mrs. Evangelina Scorbitt, a wealthy widow who finances the N.P.P.A. It recounts the famous moon voyage, the survival of Barbicane, Nicholl, and Michel Ardan, and the purchase of Arctic lands. Mrs. Scorbitt's infatuation with Maston and her financial backing are highlighted, along with the mystery of the N.P.P.A.'s true purpose—ultimately revealed to be exploitation of coal mines at the North Pole.
Chapter 5
In Which the Possibility That Coal Mines Surround the North Pole Is Considered
The chapter debates the existence of coal mines at the North Pole, with Major Donellan and Dean Toodrink discussing geological evidence. President Barbicane and the N.P.P.A. assert that coal deposits exist, citing Arctic expeditions. Despite public ridicule and caricatures, the society raises $15,000,000 in subscriptions, confident in their venture.
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16 more chapter companions sit beside the text in BetterReads — open a free preview to unlock the rest.
16 more companions → free preview- Chapter 6In Which a Telephone Communication Between Mrs. Scorbitt and J. T. Maston Is Interrupted
- Chapter 7In Which President Barbicane Says No More Than Suits His Purpose
- Chapter 8Yes, Just Like Jupiter
- Chapter 9In Which Appears the French Gentleman to Whom We Referred at the Beginning of This Truthful Story
- Chapter 10In Which a Little Uneasiness Begins to Show Itself
- Chapter 11What Was Found in the Notebook of J. T. Maston and What It No Longer Contained
- Chapter 12In Which J. T. Maston Heroically Continues to Be Silent
- Chapter 13At the Close of Which J. T. Maston Utters an Epigram
- Chapter 14Very Short, but in Which "X" Takes a Geographical Value
- Chapter 15Which Contains a Few Interesting Details for the Inhabitants of the Earthly Sphere
- Chapter 16In Which a Crowd of Dissatisfied People Break Into the Cell of J. T. Maston
- Chapter 17What Had Been Done at Kilimanjaro During Eight Month of This Memorable Year
- Chapter 18In Which the Population of Wamasai Assemble to Hear President Barbicane Say ‘Fire’ to Capt. Nicholl
- Chapter 19In Which J. T. Maston Regrets That the Crowd Did Not Lynch Him When He Was in Prison
- Chapter 20In Which This Story, as Truthful as It Is Improbable, Is Finished
- Chapter 21Very Short, Since Enough Has Been Said to Make the World’s Population Feel Perfectly Sure Again
