SYNOPSIS:
Journey
to the Centre of The Earth is an adventurous science fiction. Professor
Lidenbrock discovers a coded message in an ancient manuscript about a
way to get into the centre of the Earth through a mountain in Iceland.
After decoding the message ,Lidenbrock and Axel set off to Iceland to
begin their journey to the centre of the Earth. There they hire an
Icelandic guide, Hans Bjelke to help them on their journey. Professor
Lidenbrock, Axel and Hans Bjelke find and enter the volcanic crater that
marks the entrance to the centre of the Earth. Inside they face several
difficulties and see a lot of strange things, including prehistoric
life.
They
reach a vast underground cavern filled with a deep ocean, surrounded by
a coastline. The travelers build a raft and set sail on the ocean and
reach a coastline. They enter a passage that they assume is the way
ahead but discover that it is blocked by cave-in. They blast the rock
but the explosion causes the sea to rush in. They are swept into a large
vent filling with water and magma and are ejected onto the surface.
When they regain consciousness, they find out that they are on the
island of Stromboli in Italy. The travelers return home to Germany. In
Germany they are treated like heroes and Professor Lidenbrock's
achievements are recognised. Axel marries Gretchen, and Hans eventually
returns to Iceland.
PLOT:
EXPOSITION
Professor
Lidenbrock and his nephew, Axel, decoded amessage written 300 years ago
by a famous Icelandic explorer, Arne Saknussemm.
In his coded message, Arne Saknussem wrote that he had been to the center of the earth and hewent on to describe how he did it.
Brushing
aside the concerns of his nephew, the Professorinsists that Axel
accompany him on the expedition. Sadly, Axel takes his leave from his
beloved Gretchen.
Professor
Lindenbrock and Axel travel for ten days by ship before reaching
Iceland. ProfessorLidenbrock employs, Hans Bjelke, as their guide on
their adventure.
Ten
days later, on Monday, June 29th, they reach the top of Mount Sneffel.
The shadowof the afternoon sun shows which crater they should descend.
RISING ACTION
The
trio descend into the crater and they travel downward until they reach
the bottom of the pit. There are two tunnels and the Professor chooses
the one on the right. After several days trekking underground and almost
out of water, they have to retrace their steps because the path leads
to a dead end.
Axel collapses and assumes they will return to the surface after returning to the beginning of the two tunnels.
Then,
they descend into the second tunnel and emerge into a chamber of clear
white mica. The chamber resembles a giant diamond cavern.
Hans finds an underground river and they quench their thirst. By the next evening the professorestimates their position tobe 90 miles southeast of Mount Sneffels and eight miles deep.
Axel finds himself alone. In desperation he retraces his steps but becomes hopelessly lost.
CLIMAX
• Axel is reunited with his uncle and Hans and meets Lidenbrock Sea. They then found a forest of giant mushrooms.
• They also see ferns as tall as trees and a mastodonskeleton.
• The Professor decides that they must cross the ocean. Hans builds a raft from giant reeds and a sail from a sleeping rug.
• They push out to sea leaving behind the shore which they named Port Gretchen.
• Hans drops a hook and soon a fish is caught.
• The
professor wants to learn the depth of the sea so Hans attaches a pick
axe to a long rope and throws it overboard. When Hans retrieves the
pickaxe it bears marks that look like teeth.
• Two huge sea monsters surface, battle and almost swamp the raft.
• A storm hits them and they have been carried back to the same shore from which
they left.
FALLING ACTION
The travelers continue to explore the coastline, and find a passageway marked by Arne Saknussemm. However, it is blocked.
The
adventurers plan to blast the rock with gun cotton and paddle out to
sea to escape the blast. However, they discover that behind the rockfall
was a seemingly bottomless pit, not a passage to the center of the
earth.
After
spending hours being swept along at lightning speeds by the water, the
raft ends up inside a large volcanic chimney filling with water and
magma.
The
three are rushed upwards, through stifling heat, and are ejected onto
the
surface from a side-vent of a volcano. When they regain
consciousness, they
discover that they have been ejected from the active
volcano on the Isle of
Stromboli.
RESOLUTION
They land outside the volcano.
While making their way down, they learn from a young shepherd that they are on the island of Stromboli in Italy.
They have entered the earth by one volcano and come out by another, over 3,000 miles apart.
Four
months after discovering Arne Saknussemm’s coded message, they return
to
Hamburg where the trio are treated like heroes and the Professor's
achievements
are recognized.
CHARACTERS
Professor Otto Lidenbrock
An intelligent, determined and adventurous scientist.
Axel Lidenbrock
A faithful and loyal nephew. He is young and easily scared.
Hans Bjelke
A brave Danish guide. He is very quiet but is always on hand to save the other
two explorers.
Cerpen : Tukang Lama- Hassan Ali 