United States Navy

The United States Navy plays a pivotal role in the opening and closing of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, first as the instrument of a global hunt and finally as the victim of Captain Nemo's implacable revenge. The Navy's actions frame the entire narrative, from the scientific and public frenzy over an unknown marine phenomenon to the catastrophic confrontation that seals the fate of the Nautilus's pursuers.

The Hunt for the Monster

The novel begins with the United States Navy taking the lead in the international effort to eliminate the mysterious "monster" that has been terrorizing shipping. After the collision with the Scotia and the resulting public outcry, the U.S. government outfits a high-speed frigate, the Abraham Lincoln, for the express purpose of hunting the creature. Commander Farragut, a determined officer, is placed in command, and the Navy Secretary, J. B. Hobson, invites Professor Pierre Aronnax to join the expedition as France's representative. The Abraham Lincoln is armed with the latest weaponry, including a breech-loading cannon, and its crew is motivated by a $2,000 reward for the first man to sight the animal. The ship's mission is a direct expression of the Navy's power and its role in protecting maritime commerce, reflecting the real-world naval concerns of the 1860s.

The Encounter and Its Aftermath

The Abraham Lincoln's pursuit culminates in a dramatic night encounter with the Nautilus, which the crew initially mistakes for an electric narwhale. Despite the frigate's superior speed and firepower, the Nautilus easily outmaneuvers it, and a direct collision leaves the Abraham Lincoln with a smashed propeller and rudder, forcing it to abandon the chase. In the chaos, Professor Aronnax, Conseil, and Ned Land are thrown overboard and subsequently rescued by the Nautilus, becoming its prisoners. The failure of the U.S. Navy's mission underscores the technological superiority of Captain Nemo's vessel and sets the stage for the trio's long captivity.

The Final Act of Vengeance

Months later, after the Nautilus has journeyed to the South Pole and back, it encounters a warship in the North Atlantic. Captain Nemo, recognizing the vessel as one belonging to a nation he despises, declares his intention to sink it. Despite the protests of Professor Aronnax, Nemo rams the warship below its waterline, sending it and its entire crew to the bottom. The identity of the ship is never explicitly stated, but the context strongly suggests it is a vessel of the United States Navy, possibly the same one that had been hunting the Nautilus. This act of mass execution is the culmination of Nemo's long-nurtured hatred and serves as a brutal assertion of his power over the naval forces of the surface world. The sinking is witnessed by the horrified Aronnax, who later reflects on the event as the final, unforgivable act that compels him and his companions to attempt their desperate escape from the Nautilus.