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Re: Stockholm Syndrome

From: Thomas Davis <tad_davis~at~me.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:28:20 -0400
To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>

I think there are definitely parts of the novel where Aronnax identifies with Nemo more than with his own companions. In fact, I think that's his major conflict: knowledge vs freedom. Some gaps in the relationship open up here and there, but it's only after Nemo reveals the extent of his thirst for revenge in the chapter "Hecatomb" that Aronnax is able to tear himself away once and for all.

Tad Davis

On Apr 24, 2012, at 5:02 PM, Raymond Macon <maconr~at~speakeasy.net> wrote:

> Fellow Vernians,
>
> I’m sure this has been discussed before, if not in this forum then elsewhere but I want to raise the question for discussion. Is it possible that Professor Aronnax fell victim to the Stockholm Syndrome while aboard the Nautilus? The Stockholm Syndrome is defined in Wikipedia as “an apparently paradoxical psychological phenomenon in which hostages express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them.” I would definitely be interested in others’ thoughts about this.
>
> If Professor Aronnax was in the throes of the syndrome, how did this come about? Aronnax and his friends eventually do escape thus breaking his ties to Captain Nemo, but there certainly was a relationship between the two that is worth analysis. Jules Verne was a master storyteller who wove different elements into his tales, psychology being one of them. Captain Nemo has been described by some as the prototype of the “mad scientist” who later became a staple of fiction and later film. I’m sure many have wondered about the way the three captives endured their imprisonment, each in his own way. The relationship between Aronnax and Nemo, however, has always fascinated me. Thanks in advance for your comments and remarks.
>
> Raymond
Received on Wed 25 Apr 2012 - 03:28:35 IDT

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